4.9
Understanding and using pronouns: ‘I’, ‘you’ and ‘we’
Why is this important?
Pronouns are words that replace the name of a person (e.g. instead of the
speaker saying ‘Mummy would like a cup of tea’, Mummy refers to herself as
‘I’). When asking someone else a question, ‘you’ is used instead of the name
of the person (e.g. ‘Did you see the car?’ instead of ‘Did Sammy see the car?’).
This is another step in the development of grammar.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What to do
• Set up a pretend tea party.
• Gather together cups, plates, plastic cutlery, foods, pretend kettle and teapot, etc.
• Play modelling pronouns, e.g.
★ ‘I want some tea.’
★ ‘Sunil, do you want some tea?’
• Set up situations where you can model ‘I’ and ‘you’ and then ask a question, e.g.
★ Adult: ‘I put my coat on, what are you doing Sunil?’
★ Child: ‘I put coat on.’