English lesson plan · Kindergarten (Reception and Year 1 in England) · 30 minutes
Naming words and action words
Grammar
CCSS L.K.1.BEngland: Reception Grammar
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Naming words and action words.
- 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: no earlier skill in the map; start from what students know.
Leads to: Nouns and verbs; Naming words: person, place, animal or thing?; One or more than one? Adding -s
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: three short questions students should already manage. Answers on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- Which word names a thing you can touch? kick, bird, wave, smile (kick / bird / wave / smile) → birdPrompt: Can you put 'a' or 'the' in front of it? (a dog, the cup)
- Which word is something you can do (an action)? sing, door, chair, duck (sing / door / chair / duck) → singPrompt: Can you say 'I can ___'? (I can jump)
- Which word is something you can do (an action)? laugh, ball, door, cup (laugh / ball / door / cup) → laughPrompt: 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: Naming words and action words. 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 word names a thing you can touch? wave, shoe, throw, hop
- Step 1: "shoe" is a naming word (a noun): you can say "the shoe".
- Step 2: So the answer is: shoe
- Answer: shoe
- 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 word is something you can do (an action)? fly, bus, car, cup (fly / bus / car / cup) → flyPrompt: Can you say 'I can ___'? (I can jump)
- Which word names a thing you can touch? swim, ball, fly, eat (swim / ball / fly / eat) → ballPrompt: Can you put 'a' or 'the' in front of it? (a dog, the cup)
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 something you can do (an action)? skip, cat, bird, bed (skip / cat / bird / bed) → skipPrompt: Can you say 'I can ___'? (I can jump)
- Which word names a thing you can touch? dance, sit, chair, wave (dance / sit / chair / wave) → chairPrompt: Can you put 'a' or 'the' in front of it? (a dog, the cup)
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
- 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
- Move on to: Nouns and verbs; Naming words: person, place, animal or thing?; One or more than one? Adding -s.
- 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