Last lesson of the year. Ready for next year.

We love this final lesson.We wnat to share this as we think so many primary languages’ teachers will find this useful.It gives the children time to reflect on what they know and to feel that they are going to be able to revisit, recall and share with their new teacher or maybe the same teacher in next academic year, what they have enjoyed in language learning.

Transition happens between all year groups. How effective this transition is supports how effective and successful progression for all the children will be.

It's time to start packing those target language suitcases and sharing the strategies , learning tools and activities the children have enjoyed with the next class teacher!

Designer Suitcases

Ask the children to help you decide what your target language suitcase for the year's learning should look like? What have they learned this year? What content and contexts have you explored. Create the labels for your suitcase from this content and contexts. Your suitcase may be a folder with notes from the class to the next teacher , a virtual suitcase or a folder kept on the school VLE ...but it needs to look like you have all travelled on a language learning journey together this year- hence the labels!

Packing the suitcase!

Ask the children to share with you the games, songs and stories that have enjoyed this year.Revisit and use again some of the activities and resources and take a class vote on which to put in your class suitcase ready to set off for the next year of language learning.

Don't forget those always useful items!

Discuss with the children the grammar that you may have explored. Add a noun treasure chest (facts about nouns and some key nouns from different content) and an adjective atlas (a picture on which the children can stick or add key adjectives they have met e.g colours/sizes/characteristics).Pop in a listening game idea - so that the children with their new teacher can play some very familiar listening games, maybe with new language, and then build on these and move on!

Have you packed your phrase book?

What can the children now ask and say about themselves that means they are moving more toward independence in simple basic dialogue and conversation? Pack an example spaeking text, game or create a class cartoon strip or recording of a typical dialogue.

Hurrah off we go!

Now it's time to check what's in the suitcase and pass it on to the next class teacher...so they can unpack the suitcase with the class next year.

When are we there?

Once September arrives then the next class teacher has a reference point that can act as a prompt with the children and the whole class can have great fun unpacking their suitcase and explaining what they already have learned. The suitcase can come out throughout the year when content or contexts are supported by the prior learning.