Storytelling With Signs

Overview

In this 30-minute session, Year 1 students will engage with a picture book to learn and use key vocabulary and simple phrases in New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL). This lesson focuses on storytelling through signs, enabling students to retell a simple story using NZSL. Aligned with the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh, the lesson supports language and communication learning, scaffolds diverse learners, and integrates a play-based, interactive approach.

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Curriculum Links

• Learning Area: Languages – Learning Languages (additional language acquisition, communication through multiple modes)
• Level: Year 1 (typically ages 5-6)
• Achievement Objectives:
  • Share information, experiences, and ideas in a range of spoken, signed, or written languages, with support.
  • Understand the purpose of key vocabulary and simple phrases in a new language.
• Key Competencies:
  • Manaakitanga (Managing self and relating to others): Encouraging respectful communication through signing.
  • Communication: Expressing ideas clearly and understanding others through NZSL.
  • Participating and Contributing: Working with peers respectfully in pairs/groups during storytelling.
• Supports: Using visual cues and storyboards supports learners with additional needs, including dyslexia-friendly strategies.

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Lesson Details

• Unit: Exploring New Zealand Sign Language
• Lesson Number: 4 of 5
• Title: Storytelling with NZSL
• Duration: 30 minutes
• Class Size: 20 students
• WALT: We Are Learning To retell a story using NZSL.
• Success Criteria: I can use NZSL to share a simple story.

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Resources

• Picture book with clear, colourful illustrations (NZSL-appropriate story such as "Tāne Mahuta and the Forest" or a simple narrative story)
• Large visual storyboard depicting main story events and key vocabulary
• NZSL vocabulary flashcards (pictures + sign diagrams or photos/videos)
• Space for sitting in a circle and for paired practice

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Lesson Plan Outline

Time	Activity	Description	Notes for Differentiation
0-5 min	Welcome & Introduction	Begin with a greeting in NZSL. Introduce the story and explain that students will learn how to sign some important words and then try telling the story themselves.	Encourage participation through visual and physical cues. Use familiar classroom signs first.
5-15 min	Story Read Aloud with Signs	Teacher reads the picture book aloud, pausing to introduce and model key NZSL vocabulary (e.g., characters, actions, emotions). Use exaggerated facial expressions and gestures to enhance meaning.	Use picture clues on the storyboard while signing. Repetition of signs helps all learners, including those with language difficulties.
15-20 min	Group Signing Practice	Together as a class, practice signing the key vocabulary and simple phrases. Use choral signing (all signing together) to build confidence.	Support less confident students by pairing them with buddies or providing smaller sets of signs. Advanced learners can learn additional descriptive signs.
20-28 min	Partner Storytelling Activity	Students pair up and use the visual storyboard to retell the story to each other using NZSL. Teachers circulate to provide assistance and positive feedback.	Extension: Pairs may act out the story using signs and body language fully. Provide sentence stems in NZSL for those who need scaffolding.
28-30 min	Reflection and Closure	Gather students in a circle. Invite volunteers to share a part of the story using NZSL. Recap learning objectives and success criteria. Praise efforts.	Use encouraging language and visuals. Reinforce signs learned as a class.

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Teaching and Learning Strategies

• Visual and Kinaesthetic Learning: Use the picture book, visual storyboards, and NZSL signing to engage multiple senses—a dyslexia-friendly approach.
• Repetition and Modelling: Teacher models signing repeatedly to build recognition and recall.
• Peer Learning: Partner activities allow students to learn collaboratively and develop confidence.
• Use of Play: Story acting as an extension gives a play-based, creative way to deepen understanding.
• Scaffolding: Picture cues, signing sentence stems, and paired work support diverse learners.
• Encouraging Voice and Choice: Students choose parts of the story to sign, allowing personal connection and agency.

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Assessment for Learning

• Observation: Teacher notes students’ ability to use key signs and simple phrases during partner storytelling.
• Success Criteria Check: Students demonstrate retelling parts of the story confidently in NZSL.
• Self and Peer Feedback: Encourage simple thumbs up or smiley face feedback after partner presentations to build reflection skills.
• Documentation: Video or photo evidence of students signing can be kept as a record of learning and progression.

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Differentiation

• Supports for Diverse Learners:
  • Provide picture storyboards for reference.
  • Allow use of signing sentence stems as prompts.
  • Use slower signing pace and clear facial expressions.
  • Work in smaller groups if needed.
• Extension for Advanced Learners:
  • Add descriptive signs (e.g., emotions, locations).
  • Encourage full story enactment including body language and facial expressions.
  • Challenge to sign the story in sequence without visual cues.
• Dyslexia-Friendly Strategies:
  • Use consistent, clear visuals accompanying each sign.
  • Limit verbal instructions; use gestures and demonstrations.
  • Keep storyboards simple with large images and minimal text.

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Links to BSLA and Play-based Learning

• Follows a gradual release with clear modelling (like BSLA’s structured literacy approach).
• Incorporates oral language development through story retelling.
• Uses rich visual texts to connect with print and language elements.
• Play-based storytelling and paired acting build oral language and social competencies naturally.

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By the end of this session, students will have begun to confidently use New Zealand Sign Language to retell a story, supported by visual aids and peer collaboration, laying a foundation for further language and intercultural learning in line with the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh.

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If you would like, I can also provide a printable teacher checklist or storyboard templates customised for this lesson.