am, is, are
The first verb a child needs: naming themselves, naming a thing, saying how they feel.
From age 3First words →
✏️ 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.
🗣️ Sentences a child can say
Tap any sentence to hear it. Every one uses words from a topic pack you already have.
🩹 What you will actually hear
The three mistakes that come up in every class, and what is behind each one.
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.
🎯 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.
💬 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.