An actor's warm-up and tongue twisters

Pupils warm up their voices like actors before a show and say tongue twisters faster and faster, but clearly.

Steps

1. Discussion: why do actors warm up their voices and mouths before going on stage?
2. Warm-up: massage the cheeks, click the tongue like a horse, blow raspberries with the lips, yawn with a sound, hum with the mouth closed.
3. Breathing: breathe in through the nose, then count aloud on the breath out as far as possible, calmly and without gasping.
4. Tongue twisters: each pupil draws one (e.g. 'Red lorry, yellow lorry' or 'She sells seashells by the seashore') and says it slowly first, then faster.
5. Mini-scene: pairs act out a short dialogue with their tongue twister, once in a whisper and once as if to a full hall.

Tip: Clear speech matters more than speed. Older pupils can record themselves on a phone and listen for the sounds that slip.