Story Time Magic

WALT (We Are Learning To)

• Use the Touch Chat device to interact with a story.
• Answer simple questions about the story using Touch Chat.
• Make predictions about what might happen next in the story.

Curriculum Links

• Learning Area: Learning Languages (English and/or other first languages)
• Strand: Oral Language - Engaging with stories and texts through oral and alternative communication methods.
• Progress Outcome:
  • Foundation Phase (Years 0-3): Students begin to describe familiar events and stories using extended details.
  • Develop positive identities as communicators by interacting with texts meaningful to them.
• Key Competencies:
  • Using Language, Symbols, and Texts: Interpreting and using the Touch Chat device to communicate ideas.
  • Relating to Others: Collaborating and responding to the story in a shared context.
• Supporting Frameworks: English Language Learning Progressions (ELLP), Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) integration.

Time: 30 minutes

Class size: 2 students (preschool age)

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Lesson Outline

1. Introduction and Warm-up (5 minutes)

• Gather students in a comfortable reading area.
• Introduce the Touch Chat device, explaining that it will help them "talk" about the story.
• Briefly review any familiar vocabulary or symbols on the device related to the story.
• Differentiate: Use simplified vocabulary and visual aids for students who need it; allow more able learners to explore additional vocabulary on the device.

2. Interactive Story Reading (15 minutes)

• Teacher reads aloud a carefully selected picture book or story aligned with the students’ interests and cultural backgrounds.
• Pause at key points to encourage students to use the Touch Chat device to:
  • Answer simple questions (e.g., “What is the character doing?”).
  • Make predictions (e.g., “What do you think will happen next?”).
• Use think-aloud strategies to model predictions and responses (e.g., “I think the dog will find its bone because it is looking around.”).
• Dyslexia-friendly approach:
  • Use large, clear images in the book.
  • Use consistent, simple sentence structures in oral reading.
  • Highlight key repeated words and accompany them with symbols on the Touch Chat device.
• Differentiation: Give more support to students who find predicting difficult by offering sentence stems or choices on the Touch Chat device; encourage confident students to generate their own sentences.

3. Student-led Interaction (7 minutes)

• Invite each student to take turns using the Touch Chat device to:
  • Retell a part of the story in their own words.
  • Ask questions about the story characters or events.
• Provide prompts on the device if needed.
• Encourage expressive communication, including gestures, facial expressions, and voice modulation.
• Differentiation: Allow non-verbal responses or use visual icons for students with limited verbal output.

4. Wrap-up and Reflection (3 minutes)

• Recap the story and the new vocabulary learned.
• Ask students to share their favourite part using the Touch Chat device.
• Praise all efforts to build positive communicator identities.
• Suggest to parents or caregivers simple follow-up activities to extend learning with Touch Chat at home.

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Resources Needed

• Touch Chat communication device with story-related vocabulary and symbols pre-loaded.
• Picture book aligned with the cultural context and interests of students (preferably incorporating Aotearoa New Zealand and Māori perspectives).
• Visual aids and props related to the story (puppets, character pictures).
• Comfortable reading space.

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Assessment and Observation

• Monitor student engagement with the Touch Chat device during story interaction.
• Note students’ ability to answer questions and make predictions using the device.
• Observe non-verbal expression of comprehension and participation.
• Use formative observations to plan targeted vocabulary or communication supports for future lessons.

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Differentiation Strategies

• Scaffold vocabulary on Touch Chat with visual cues for students with emerging language skills.
• Provide verbal and gestural modelling to support communication attempts.
• Offer sentence starters and choice-making options on the device.
• Use multi-sensory supports (props, gestures) to aid comprehension.
• Adjust the pace to allow processing time.
• Provide opportunities for repeated exposure to vocabulary and story elements in future sessions.

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Dyslexia-Friendly Reading Supports

• Choose stories with clear, large font and simple page layouts.
• Use consistent, predictable story structures (beginning, middle, end) to aid comprehension.
• Employ lots of pictures and visual supports.
• Read aloud with expressive intonation to support meaning.
• Avoid asking for decoding of complex words; focus on meaning-making and communication using the device.
• Model use of context clues and illustrations to understand the story.

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By integrating the Touch Chat device into storytime, this lesson fosters early language development, communication confidence, and interactive literacy skills consistent with the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh. It respects learner diversity and encourages positive, joyful engagement with storytelling as a foundation for lifelong learning .