English lesson plan · Kindergarten (Reception and Year 1 in England) · 30 minutes
Choose the action word (verb)
Grammar
CCSS L.K.1.BCCSS L.K.5.DEngland: Reception GrammarEngland: Y1 GPS
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Choose the action word (verb).
- I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
- I can explain each step and say why it works.
- I can check my answer and spot a mistake.
Before and after
Needs first: Naming words and action words
Leads to: the next skill in this area.
Materials: Sentence strips, Highlighters, Mini whiteboards, Mini whiteboards, A short model text on the board, Printed student sheet (below).
Warm-up · 4 min
- Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Naming words and action words). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- Which word names a thing you can touch? bird, smile, kick, swim (bird / smile / kick / swim) → birdPrompt: Can you put 'a' or 'the' in front of it? (a dog, the cup)
- Which word names a thing you can touch? kick, book, dig, sit (kick / book / dig / sit) → bookPrompt: Can you put 'a' or 'the' in front of it? (a dog, the cup)
- Which word is something you can do (an action)? chair, walk, apple, cup (chair / walk / apple / cup) → walkPrompt: Can you say 'I can ___'? (I can jump)
Hook · 3 min
- Show a sentence with the grammar point used wrongly and ask what sounds odd.
- Share the objective: Choose the action word (verb). Read the success criteria together.
I do: model it · 7 min
- Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
- Example: Which action word (verb) fits in the gap? I ___ a story every night.
- Step 1: Verbs are doing words: they tell us the action.
- Step 2: Put it back into the sentence and read it aloud: "I read a story every night."
- Step 3: So the answer is: read
- Answer: read
- Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.
We do: guided practice · 6 min
- Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
- Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
- Which action word (verb) fits in the gap? Please ___ the door. (red / shut / door / wood) → shutPrompt: An action word is something you can do.
- Which word is an action word (something you can do)? happy, build, pillow, lamp (happy / build / pillow / lamp) → buildPrompt: Can you act it out?
You do: independent practice · 7 min
- Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
- Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.
The 6 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.
Exit ticket · 3 min
- Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
- Which word is an action word (something you can do)? build, cold, chair, spoon (build / cold / chair / spoon) → buildPrompt: Can you act it out?
- Which action word (verb) fits in the gap? The children ___ in the playground. (sunny / happy / play / slide) → playPrompt: An action word is something you can do.
Watch out for
- Naming the feature but not using it in their own sentences.
- Thinking a sentence is right because it sounds right when spoken casually.
Support and stretch
Support
- Review first: Naming words and action words.
- Use concrete materials: sentence strips.
- Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
- Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.
Stretch
- Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
- Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.
Homework and more practice
Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/english/kindergarten.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder