The very first contact with English. Learners build the alphabet, sounds, numbers and a handful of survival phrases — enough to say who they are and exchange a few words.
Printable one-to-one lesson plan
Family members
Name close and extended family members and explain relationships naturally with possessive adjectives and possessive ’s.
Use after the complete A0 sequence, not as a lesson quiz.
Open diagnostic →15–20 minutes optional: Tutor-read family relationship listening check · Five-minute next-day family retrieval
Derived from this lesson’s source
Lesson-specific teaching brief
This is not a second lesson registry. The plan reads the same native content that produces the learner page.
What the learner should do
Name close and extended family members and explain relationships naturally with possessive adjectives and possessive ’s.
What must become clear
Mother, father, grandmother, grandfather , and children are standard or more formal choices. In U.S. English, mom, dad, grandma, grandpa , and kids are common informal choices. Use the family words each person uses for their own relationships.
High-value friction points
- She is my sister.The context explicitly identifies the person as the speaker's female sibling, so the specific word is sister, not brother.
- My fictional coworker has two children.The plural of child is irregular. We say children, not childs.
- Omar's wifeAdd possessive 's to the name: Omar's wife. The phrase shows a family connection, not ownership of a person.
Protect these lesson moments
- Bring possessives, plurals, and be into the lesson
- Discovery check: read the clue, then choose the word
- Listening check: complete the description
- Drill 1: choose the family word
- Drill 2: match each meaning to its family word
Learner production
A close family: Name four real, pictured, or invented people with a full sentence each. This is Carla, a parent. This is her son, Luis.
- A fictional household: Choose who lives in one invented home. Maya lives with her partner and their two children. Leo lives with his grandparent.
- An invented coworker's family: Use a name, a possessive adjective, and possessive 's . Omar has a spouse, Leyla. Omar's cousin lives nearby. Their child is six.
- A fictional family picture: Point and name each labeled person. This is the grandmother. These are her two children.
- Ask and answer in role: Choose a fictional identity. Answer in full sentences: Do you have siblings? How many cousins do you have? Who is the oldest person in this family?
Carry this language into the next session
Retrieve Family members in one true sentence at the next lesson.
Use while teaching
Operational teaching notes
Choose a route before class, but change it when the learner’s production gives you better evidence.
Ask before explaining
- Which examples in “Bring possessives, plurals, and be into the lesson” express the same core meaning?
- How would you explain this decision in your own words: Mother, father, grandmother, grandfather , and children are standard or more formal choices. In U.S. English, mom, dad, grandma, grandpa , and kids are common informal choices. Use the family words each person uses for their own relationships.
- What needs to change in this repair, and why: She is my sister.
Correct for the stage
- Controlled work: correct immediately, then require the complete repaired sentence.
- Fluency building: note repeated errors and reformulate after the learner finishes the thought.
- Communication: interrupt only when meaning breaks down or the target decision is the lesson’s main evidence.
Retrieve, do not reteach
Retrieve Family members in one true sentence at the next lesson.
Short, core, or extended
Choose the route
All three routes end in learner production. More time means more contrast and transfer, not a longer explanation.
Short route
Retrieve for 3 minutes. Notice and discover for 8. Use the two most diagnostic tasks from Bring possessives, plurals, and be into the lesson and Discovery check: read the clue, then choose the word for 12. Protect 9 minutes for Learner production, then reflect for 3.
Core route
Follow the six-stage sequence below. Reduce repeated controlled items when accuracy is already stable, but keep the nearest useful contrast and final production.
Stretch route
Add Tutor-read family relationship listening check · Five-minute next-day family retrieval, then repeat the communication task with a new situation or stricter success criteria.
45–55 minutes core working plan
Session sequence
Protect the final communication and reflection time. If the learner needs more support, reduce the number of controlled items instead of removing production.
- 5 min
Retrieve
Activate what the learner already controls and check any prerequisite language.
Teacher move: Open with the first practice route: Bring possessives, plurals, and be into the lesson · Discovery check: read the clue, then choose the word · Listening check: complete the description.
- 6–8 min
Notice
Let the learner observe meaning and form in a small sample before naming the rule.
Teacher move: Keep the noticing conversation anchored to this decision: Mother, father, grandmother, grandfather , and children are standard or more formal choices. In U.S. English, mom, dad, grandma, grandpa , and kids are common informal choices. Use the family words each person uses for their own relationships.
- 8–10 min
Discover
Connect form, meaning, use, word order, and the nearest useful contrast.
Teacher move: Test the learner’s explanation against this repair: She is my sister. The context explicitly identifies the person as the speaker's female sibling, so the specific word is sister, not brother.
- 12–15 min
Build + drill
Move from accurate choices to faster retrieval and sentence construction.
Teacher move: Prioritize these lesson tasks: Bring possessives, plurals, and be into the lesson · Discovery check: read the clue, then choose the word · Listening check: complete the description · Drill 1: choose the family word. Reduce repetitions if needed, but keep the final production time.
- 12–15 min
Communicate
Use the target language for a real adult purpose the learner cannot complete by copying.
Teacher move: Learner production: A close family: Name four real, pictured, or invented people with a full sentence each. This is Carla, a parent. This is her son, Luis.
- 3–5 min
Reflect
Make progress visible and choose one specific next use.
Teacher move: Retrieve Family members in one true sentence at the next lesson.
Tutor-only source
Listening scripts
Read these lines from the tutor plan while the learner lesson remains on screen. Each clip names the learner item it supports.
Tutor-read family relationship listening check
- Clip 1
Read: This is my sibling.
Supports: This is my listen .
- Clip 2
Read: They have two children.
Supports: They have two listen .
- Clip 3
Read: Her spouse is a doctor.
Supports: Her listen is a doctor.
- Clip 4
Read: Omar's cousin lives nearby.
Supports: Omar's listen lives nearby.
- Clip 5
Read: My parents are in Texas.
Supports: My listen are in Texas.
- Clip 6
Read: Ana's daughter is twenty.
Supports: Ana's listen is twenty.
Keep only useful evidence
After-lesson notes
These notes are for deliberate tutor records or printing. Nothing is stored in the learner’s browser.
The learner can now…
Write one observable use of the target language.
Still needs support with…
Record one repeated error, contrast, or point of hesitation.
Next retrieval prompt
Write one short prompt the learner will answer at the next session.
Anonymous live-lesson evidence
Learner pilot worksheet
A0 · Family members
Pilot 1 of 30 recorded · 3 remaining
Date
Approximate starting level
Core lesson time
Starting evidence
What did the learner already control? What was the first misconception, hesitation, or contrast that mattered?
Did the principle become clear?
Mother, father, grandmother, grandfather , and children are standard or more formal choices. In U.S. English, mom, dad, grandma, grandpa , and kids are common informal choices. Use the family words each person uses for their own relationships.
Did the first hint help?
Record the first item that caused difficulty and whether the contextual hint led to self-correction before the full repair appeared.
Could the learner do the outcome?
Name close and extended family members and explain relationships naturally with possessive adjectives and possessive ’s.
Listen for: The learner uses the target language independently for a real purpose.
What remained available?
If possible, check before rereading in the next session. Record what returned independently and what still required a cue.
Keep, revise, or investigate?
Note any explanation the tutor still had to supply, the smallest useful revision, and whether another pilot should test the same issue.