am, is, are

The first verb a child needs: naming themselves, naming a thing, saying how they feel.

From age 3Cambridge level: Pre-A1 Starters

Age: Ages 3–11
Level: Pre-A1
Skill: Grammar
Format: Teacher guide

The pattern

Saying it: I am / you are / it is
Saying no: I am not / it is not
Asking: Are you…? / Is it…?
Short answer: Yes, I am. / No, it isn't.

Printable worksheet Presentation (PPT)

Sentences a child can say

Tap any sentence to hear it. Every one uses words from a topic pack you already have.

Mini exercise: choose the right word

Five sentences from this page, each with a word missing. A child taps the word that fits and, once it is right, hears the whole sentence.

I blank happy.
You blank my friend.
She blank my sister.
We blank ready.
It blank not a dog.

What you will actually hear

The mistakes that come up in every class, and what is behind each one, with a tag on those a first language makes typical.

Typical for Spanish speakers

I have five.I am five.

Many languages say “I have five years”. English uses am for age.

I am go to school.I go to school.

Am is not a helper for ordinary verbs. One verb is enough.

Is you happy?Are you happy?

You always takes are, even for one person.

Typical for Arabic and Russian speakers

I happy.I am happy.

Russian and Arabic need no verb here: «я рад», «⁧أنا سعيد⁩». Children carry the two-word sentence straight into English. An English sentence always has a verb, and here it is am.

Typical for Arabic speakers

My age is five.I am five.

Arabic gives age as «⁧عمري خمس سنوات⁩», literally “my age is five years”. It is understood, but English-speaking children say I'm five (or I'm five years old). Teach it as one chunk with How old are you?

How to teach it

1
Start with the child, not the rule. Point at yourself: “I am Aylara. I am happy.” Then point at them and wait.
2
Use a mirror or a photo. Faces make am is are concrete in a way a table never will.
3
Add one feeling word a lesson. Happy, sad, tired, hungry — four is a term's worth for a three-year-old.
4
Play “Is it…?” with a bag. They feel a toy through the cloth and guess: “Is it a car?”

Topic packs that pair with this

Same structure, words your class already knows — no new vocabulary needed.

Feelings Colours Family Toys & fun Animals

Questions teachers ask

When should a child learn am, is, are?

As soon as they can say their own name — around three. Do not teach it as a table of forms; teach “I am happy” as one whole chunk and split it later.

Should I teach the contractions (I'm, it's) first?

Yes for speaking — that is what children hear. Show the full form when they start writing, and let them notice the apostrophe rather than explaining it.