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.’