Tongue Twisters
She sells seashells
by Claire Law
Suitable for Key Stage 2
Aims
To consider the importance of laughter for our well-being.
Preparation and materials
- You will need the PowerPoint slides that accompany this assembly (Tongue Twisters) and the means to display them.
Assembly
- Show Slide 1.
Ask the children whether they have ever heard of something called a tongue twister.
Listen to a range of responses.
Explain that a tongue twister is a phrase that is designed to be difficult to pronounce clearly. - Explain that in some parts of the world, people will be celebrating International Tongue Twister Day on 13 November! Although the day is not widely celebrated in the UK, it does give us the opportunity to think about tongue twisters.
- Show Slide 2.
Ask one of the children to read out the tongue twister as quickly as they can. Ask them to repeat the passage a few times.
Next, ask the rest of the children to say the tongue twister to the person on either side of them. - Show Slide 3.
Ask the children to have a go at saying this tongue twister.
You may also like to invite some children to the front to see how many times they can say ‘red lorry, yellow lorry’ quickly without getting muddled. - Show Slide 4.
Invite some of the older children to have a go at this tongue twister. - As well as helping us with our pronunciation and language skills, tongue twisters are a great way to have a bit of a laugh. And laughter is really important!
When we feel happy, we work harder and we are more productive. When we share a laugh with someone, we connect with them in a powerful way. Laughter feels good, so when we share it with others, it unites us, strengthens our friendships and makes us feel better. - Ask the children whether they have heard the saying ‘Laughter is the best medicine’. Ask them whether they know what it means.
Listen to a range of responses.
Explain that tongue twisters can be a kind of medicine because they get us connected and laughing.
Time for reflection
The Bible mentions laughter in various passages.
Show Slide 5 and read out the two Bible quotations.
Laughter has an important place in our lives. Tongue twisters are a great way to enjoy laughter without being mean, cruel or unkind.
Remind the children that there are times when all of us feel sad. Encourage them to talk to someone if they feel this way.
Prayer
Dear God,
We have played around and had fun with tongue twisters today.
We’ve connected with words, and with each other.
Please help us to remember that it is good to make time to laugh.
Please fill us with joy and happiness, and help us to share positivity with others.
Please be with all those who feel sad today.
Help us to care for them.
Amen.
