Welcome to the Instructional Video for Signing Friends – Poppy Goes to the Zoo

The video is aimed at parents, caregivers, teachers, support workers and other professionals to pre-learn the signs for this story.  Watch and practise as many times as you need till you feel confident with the Makaton signs.  Then go ahead and enjoy signing the story with your Makaton user.   We hope you have lots of fun learning Makaton together.

Underneath the instructional video, you will find a list of the concepts featured in this book and their source (Core or Resource vocabulary).  We have also listed all the signed used per page so you can do the same us or pick fewer signs initially.  And don’t forget to sing and sign We’re Going to the Zoo, Elephants have Wrinkles, one of the many monkey songs or Five Little Penguins with Singing Hands to reinforce the signs you’ve learnt in this book.  Happy signing!

Story text and sign transcription

Poppy and her friends are going to the Zoo today.  What animals will they see? (P / FRIENDS / GO / ZOO / TODAY / WHAT / ANIMALS / SEE)

“I want to go to the penguins,” says Jack.  They watch the zookeeper feeding the penguins.  (I / WANT / GO / PENGUINS / TALK / J / LOOK / ZOOKEEPER / FEED *MODIFIED FOOD SIGN / PENGUIN)

Next, the friends go to see the monkeys swinging in the trees.  The monkeys are funny. Ooh! Ooh! Aah! Aah! (NEXT / FRIENDS / GO / SEE / MONKEYS / *SWINGING GESTURE / TREES / MONKEY / LAUGH / MONKEY *[OOH AAH]}

Roar! Roar! “What’s that scary noise?” says Poppy.  “It’s the tigers over there,” says Lola.  (CLAWS ROAR / WHAT / FRIGHTEN / NOISE / TALK / P / TIGER / THERE / TALK / L)

Next, they go to see the seals.   How many can you see splashing in the water? (NEXT / GO / SEE / SEALS / HOW MANY / SEE / WATER)

The friends sit down and have a picnic.  They have cheese sandwiches, crisps, water and some strawberries. Yum! Yum! (FRIENDS / SIT DOWN / PICNIC / CHEESE / SANDWICHES / DRINK OF WATER / CRISPS / STRAWBERRIES / YUM YUM)

They finish lunch and go to see the elephants.  “Look – there’s a baby elephant,” says Jack. (FINISH / LUNCH / GO / SEE / ELEPHANT / LOOK / BABY ELEPHANT / TALK / J)

After the elephants, the friends go to find the snake.  He’s hiding in the trees.  Can you see him? (AFTER / ELEPHANT / FRIEND / GO / FIND / SNAKE / HIDING / TREE / SEE / SNAKE)

“I think my favourite animal is a hippo, what your favourite?” says Jack (I / THINK / MY / FAVOURITE / ANIMAL/ HIPPOPOTAMUS / WHAT / YOUR / FAVOURITE / TALK / J)

“Which animal is the tallest in the Zoo?” says Lola.  “It’s me!” laughs Poppy.  “Nooo, it’s the giraffe,” says Jack. (WHICH / ANIMAL / TALL / ZOO / TALK / L / ME / LAUGH / P / NO / GIRAFFE / TALK / J)

The friends go the Zoo shop.  Lola buys a toy crocodile and Zack buys a toy parrot. (FRIEND / GO / ZOO / SHOP / L / BUY / TOY / CROCODILE / Z / BUY / TOY / PARROT)

Time to go home.  The friends are very tired.   “Let’s go to the Zoo again,” says Poppy.  “Yes!” says everyone.  Goodbye! (TIME / GO / HOME / FRIEND / TIRED / GO / ZOO / AGAIN / TALK / P / YES / TALK / ALL / GOODBYE)

Vocabulary and Makaton Stages

Stage 1

FOOD

GO

GOODBYE

HOME

I

LOOK

MORE

NO

SEE

TO SIT

THERE

WATER [DRINK OF]

WHAT

YES

Stage 2

TREE

Stage 3

MY

YOUR

CRISPS

 Stage 4

FRIEND

THINK

WATER

Stage 5

FRIGHTENED

SHOP

TIME

WANT

Stage 6

FINISH [1] TO END

TALK

WHICH

 Stage 7

AFTER

AGAIN

HOW MANY

TO BUY

TODAY

Stage 8

FIND

NEXT

Additional

SANDWICH

CHEESE

Finger Spelling Alphabet

J

L

P

Z

Animal Transport and Vehicles

ANIMAL

BABY ELEPHANT

CROCODILE

ELEPHANT

GIRAFFE

HIPPO

MONKEY

PARROT

PENGUIN

SEAL

SNAKE

TIGER

ANIMAL ROAR/SOUND

National Curriculum part 1

LAUGH

Food and Drink

LUNCH

PICNIC

STRAWBERRY

 Other Resources / Makaton Hub

ALL / EVERYONE

HIDE

FAVOURITE

FEED *MODIFIED SIGN ?

TIRED

TOY

ZOOKEEPER