Many children exhibit difficulty learning irregular past tense verbs, because they don’t follow the typical “-ed” past tense rule. You might choose to incorporate targeting irregular past tense verbs into your play with your child for just 15-20 minutes each day, or you might repeat the target irregular past tense verbs frequently throughout the day, during conversation or daily routines. Try to focus on only a few verbs at a time (or just one at a time, if your child is exhibiting more difficulty).
5 Play Scenarios that Target Irregular Past Tense Verbs, Using a Toy Dollhouse:
1) Mealtime– It’s time to eat! Set up each wooden figurine around the family dinner table, while targeting the following irregular past tense verbs:
brought, ate, drank, made, fell, took
2) Bedtime– Pretend putting each family member to sleep for the night. You might model your child’s bedtime routine during play in order to practice the following irregular past tense verbs:
slept, woke, read
3) Outdoor Play– Have the family go outside to play while focusing on the following irregular past tense verbs:
slid, ran, caught, hid, swing, threw
4) Grocery Store– Pretend the family hops into the car and drives from the dollhouse to the pretend grocery store, focusing on the following words:
wrote (list), drove, bought, chose, found, saw