Mastering Pronouns

Overview

Duration: 45 minutes
Class size: 4 students
Age group: Year 3 (7–8 years old)
Curriculum reference:

• National Curriculum for England (English Programme of Study, Year 3)
• Focus: Grammar – Use of pronouns to avoid repetition (Refer to English Programme of Study, Years 1-6, Spelling, Vocabulary, Grammar and Punctuation, Year 3)

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, pupils will be able to:

• Identify personal pronouns (I, you, he, she, it, we, they) in sentences.
• Use pronouns correctly in place of nouns to avoid repetition.
• Understand the difference between subject and object pronouns in simple contexts.
• Apply pronouns correctly in their own speaking and writing.

National Curriculum Links

• English: Grammar (Year 3)
  • "Extend the range of sentences with more than one clause by using a wider range of conjunctions, including when, if, because, although." (Supporting complex sentence understanding with pronouns)
  • "Use and understand the grammatical terminology accurately and appropriately in discussing their writing and reading."
  • "Use some features of Standard English in their writing."
  • "Use personal pronouns appropriately to avoid repetition and improve cohesion in sentences."

Resources

• Pronoun flashcards (colour-coded: subject pronouns in blue, object pronouns in green)
• Mini whiteboards and markers (one each)
• Short story extract on printed cards with repeated nouns
• Pronoun matching worksheet
• Interactive whiteboard slides
• Small puppet or soft toy to engage children (optional)

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Lesson Structure

Introduction (10 minutes)

Objective: Activate prior knowledge and introduce pronouns clearly.

1. Starter activity - "Who is talking?" (5 minutes)
   Use a puppet or soft toy as a ‘student’. Teacher asks, "Who is this?" and the puppet replies with a name or noun aloud (e.g., “I am Tim.”). Teacher then demonstrates using “he” or “she” instead of the name, e.g.: "Tim is a boy. He likes football."
   Ask students: "Why do we say 'he' instead of 'Tim' the second time?" to elicit the understanding of pronouns replacing nouns.

2. Direct Teaching and Discussion (5 minutes)
   Show flashcards of personal subject pronouns: I, you, he, she, it, we, they. Read aloud together. Then show object pronouns subject-object comparison (e.g. I/me, he/him).
   Explain how pronouns make sentences shorter and less boring by avoiding repeating the same names or objects.

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Main Activity (25 minutes)

Objective: Practice recognising and using pronouns in speaking and writing.

1. Pronoun Hunt with Story Cards (10 minutes)
   Distribute printed short story extracts with repeated nouns (e.g. “Sally likes Sally’s dog. Sally plays with the dog every day.”) with a partner or individually.
   Ask students to spot where pronouns could replace the repeated nouns and tell the class which pronouns to use.

2. Mini Whiteboard Practice (10 minutes)
   Call out sentences from the story, deliberately using repeated nouns aloud, e.g. "Sally plays football. Sally is good at football."
   Students rewrite the sentence on their mini whiteboard replacing nouns with pronouns (e.g. “She plays football. She is good at football.”).
   Share and discuss answers as a group, correcting gently and positively.

3. Pronoun Matching Worksheet (5 minutes)
   Complete a quick matching activity pairing nouns with the correct pronouns (e.g. Lisa → she, The dog → it). This consolidates understanding.

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Plenary (10 minutes)

Objective: Assess understanding, promote reflection and further learning.

1. Quick-fire Q&A
   Ask rapid oral questions using puppets or role play:

   • “If I am talking about myself, what pronoun do I use?”
   • “If you are talking about a group of friends, which pronoun do you use?”
   • “How can we avoid repeating the same name twice?”
     Students answer, reinforcing key concepts.

2. Self-assessment & Goal Setting (5 minutes)
   Ask each child to say one sentence using a noun changed into a pronoun correctly. Teacher gives positive feedback.
   Children write or say one thing they learned today and one thing they’d like to practice next time.

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Differentiation

• For more confident learners: Challenge to write 2-3 sentences of their own, incorporating pronouns correctly.
• For those needing support: Use picture prompts with nouns and pronouns side-by-side. Pair with peer support during activities.

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Assessment

• Formative assessment through observation in activities and plenary.
• Use mini whiteboards to quickly check individual understanding.
• Pronoun matching worksheet acts as informal written assessment.

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Extension Ideas

• Introduce possessive pronouns (his, her, their) in a follow-up lesson.
• Use digital tools for interactive pronoun games if time allows.

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Notes for Teachers

• Keep the pace brisk to maintain engagement with such a small group.
• Encourage students to speak in full sentences to embed correct pronoun use in oral language.
• Use plenty of praise and tangible prompts (toys, colourful cards) to make abstract grammar concepts concrete and fun.

This lesson plan fully aligns with the National Curriculum and encourages both spoken and written competence with pronouns for Year 3.