What is a to-do list?
A to-do list is a list of jobs or activities you want to do. It helps you remember. It also helps you feel happy when you tick things off.
For a holiday list, think of fun things, useful things and family things. A good list has about five to eight plans, not fifty.
How to write each plan
Start with a verb (an action word). Write short plans, not long sentences.
- Good: Visit grandma, Read two books, Fly a kite.
- Not so good: Grandma, Books, Kite (no action).
Add a day or a time: Mon: Visit grandma. Add how many or how long if it helps: two books, 30 minutes.
Presenting your list
When you present, do not just read the words. Make full sentences.
- Plans: I am going to visit my grandma on Monday.
- Order: First, I am going to swim. Next, I am going to read. Then, I am going to cook with Dad. Finally, I am going to fly a kite.
- Reason: I want to visit grandma because I miss her.
Speak slowly, look at your friends, and point to the list.
Try it
Take a paper. Write your own five holiday plans. Each one needs a verb and a day. Then say your list to a friend or a family member in two minutes. Ask them: "Which plan do you like best?"
Key formulas and definitions
- Plan = Verb + thing (+ day)
- I am going to + verb + day
- First, ... Next, ... Then, ... Finally, ...
- Verb = action word (visit, swim, read)
Worked examples
1. Make this plan better: "Swimming pool".
Start with a verb and add a day: "Tue: Swim at the pool".
2. Turn "Mon: Visit grandma" into a spoken sentence.
"I am going to visit grandma on Monday."
3. Order these with sequence words: swim, read, fly a kite.
"First, I am going to swim. Next, I am going to read. Finally, I am going to fly a kite."
Common mistakes
- Writing only nouns ("Kite") without a verb ("Fly a kite").
- Writing too many plans, so nothing gets done.
- Forgetting the day or time, so the plan stays only a wish.
- Reading the list in a flat voice instead of using full sentences.