Irregular Plurals: Fun Ways to Teach Your Child at Home
- Therapy Talks
- Mar 3
- 3 min read
“Mom, I have two tooths!” or “Look at the mouses!” If you’ve ever heard your child say something like this, you’re not alone!
Unlike regular plurals (where we add -s or -es, like cats or buses), irregular plurals don’t follow a predictable pattern, making them tricky to learn.
Instead, some words change completely (child → children, mouse → mice), while others stay the same (sheep → sheep, deer → deer).
For children who thrive on structure, these unpredictable changes can be especially confusing. That’s why it’s important to make learning fun and engaging!
Why Are Irregular Plurals Important for Children?
Irregular plurals are more than just grammar rules—they play a big role in communication, reading, and writing.
1. Everyday Conversations: Using the correct plural helps children express themselves clearly and be understood. Instead of saying “I have two foots,” they’ll know to say, “I have two feet.”
2. Reading and Writing at School: Teachers expect children to use correct grammar in speaking and writing. Understanding irregular plurals helps with reading comprehension, spelling, and storytelling.
3. Social Communication: Kids often correct each other’s mistakes. Knowing the right words helps children feel more confident in conversations with their peers.
Fun & Easy Ways to Teach Irregular Plurals at Home
The good news? You can help your child master irregular plurals with simple, fun strategies. Here are some practical ways to make learning easier at home!
Tip #1 - Read Books that use Irregular Plurals 📚
Books are a great way to introduce tricky words in context. Reading with your child helps them see and hear irregular plurals naturally, making it easier to remember them. Some books are:
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish by Dr Seus
One Foot, Two Feet by Peter Maloney
Mia's Mouses: Mia and her mouse friends learn about plural nouns
Feet and Puppies, Thieves and Guppies https://youtu.be/-yGrCoMsXGw
Tip #2 - Sing Songs or Create a Chant 🎶
Music is a great memory tool! Try singing a silly song that includes irregular plurals.
Irregular plurals song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhG68YXxXXM&authuser=0
Tip #3 - Use Toys and Real Objects 🧸🚗
Hands-on learning can make irregular plurals more meaningful. Use toys or household items to teach irregular plurals through play.
For example, show one foot and two feet, asking, “What happens when we have more than one?”. If they have toy sheep, say, “You have one sheep… now add another! How many sheep do we have?”
Tip #4 - Mealtime Talk
While setting the table, use irregular plurals naturally. For example:
“Here’s one knife. Now we need two knives!”
“We have one child at the table. When your brother/ sister joins, there will be two children!”
Tip #5 -Irregular Plurals Worksheet (matching or cut and paste)
Here’s a versatile worksheet for practicing irregular plurals! Children can:
✂️ Cut and paste the correct plural word in the space provided.
✏️ Find and write the correct plural word from the word bank.
🔗 Match by drawing lines between the singular and plural forms."
Tip #6 -Irregular Plural Snap Cards – Fun Ways to Learn!
These irregular plural cards make learning fun and interactive! Here are some easy ways you can use them:
Snap Game: Flip cards one by one. If a singular and plural pair appears (like mouse and mice), shout "SNAP!" The player with the most pairs wins!
Memory Match: Place cards face down, flip two at a time, and find matching pairs.
Sorting Game: Sort cards into two piles: Singular and Plural or use them for a quick fill-in-the-blank challenge!
Irregular plurals are a small but important part of language that helps children communicate, succeed in school, and engage socially. With patience, practice, and a little creativity, you can help your child master them in a way that works best for their learning style.
Do you have any favourite activities that have worked for your child? Share them in the comments—we’d love to hear from you!
x Speech Pathology Student Archani Devi from Federation University.
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