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English lesson plan · Kindergarten (Reception and Year 1 in England) · 60 minutes

One word, two meanings (bat, duck, ring)

Vocabulary

CCSS L.K.4.AEngland: Reception Communication and LanguageEngland: Y1 Vocabulary

Objective and success criteria

Students will: One word, two meanings (bat, duck, ring).

  • 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: Sorting words into groups

Leads to: Literal or figurative? Phrases that don't mean what they say

Materials: Word cards, A thesaurus or dictionary, A short text with the target words, Mini whiteboards, A short model text on the board, Printed student sheet (below).

Warm-up · 6 min

  • Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Sorting words into groups). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. Which word does not belong with the others? knee, diamond, hand, foot (knee / diamond / hand / foot) → diamondPrompt: What do most of the words have in common?
  2. Which group does "chair" belong to? (clothes / shapes / furniture / fruit) → furniturePrompt: What is a chair?
  3. Which word does not belong with the others? car, van, boat, rain (car / van / boat / rain) → rainPrompt: What do most of the words have in common?

Hook · 6 min

  • Show an interesting word in a sentence and ask what it might mean from the clues around it.
  • Share the objective: One word, two meanings (bat, duck, ring). Read the success criteria together.

I do: model it · 12 min

  • Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
  • Example: What does the word mean in THIS sentence? Birds fly south in winter.
  • Step 1: Some words have two meanings. The rest of the sentence tells us which one.
  • Step 2: So the answer is: to move through the air with wings
  • Answer: to move through the air with wings
  • Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

We do: guided practice · 12 min

  • Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
  • Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
  1. What does the word mean in THIS sentence? Mum wears a gold ring. (the sound a bell makes / jewellery for your finger) → jewellery for your fingerPrompt: Read the whole sentence, not just the word.
  2. Which sentence uses the word with this meaning: ring (a sound)? (I lost my ring. / The bell will ring at lunchtime.) → The bell will ring at lunchtime.Prompt: Read both sentences carefully.

You do: independent practice · 17 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 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

Exit ticket · 7 min

  • Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
  1. What does the word mean in THIS sentence? The duck swam across the pond. (a bird that swims / to bend down quickly) → a bird that swimsPrompt: Read the whole sentence, not just the word.
  2. Which sentence uses the word with this meaning: fly (move in the air)? (Shoo, fly! / Kites fly on windy days.) → Kites fly on windy days.Prompt: Read both sentences carefully.

Watch out for

  • Picking a "bigger" synonym that doesn't fit the meaning.
  • Ignoring the clues in the rest of the sentence.

Support and stretch

Support

  • Review first: Sorting words into groups.
  • Use concrete materials: word cards.
  • 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: Literal or figurative? Phrases that don't mean what they say.
  • 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

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One word, two meanings (bat, duck, ring)

Name

Date

Score/ 8

  1. Question 1

    What does the word mean in THIS sentence? The tree has rough bark.

    • A. the sound a dog makes
    • B. the hard outside of a tree

  2. Question 2

    Which sentence uses the word with this meaning: bark (on a tree)?

    • A. I heard the puppy bark.
    • B. Moss grows on the bark of the oak.

  3. Question 3

    What does the word mean in THIS sentence? Duck! The ball is coming!

    • A. to bend down quickly
    • B. a bird that swims

  4. Question 4

    What does the word mean in THIS sentence? I heard the dog bark.

    • A. the hard outside of a tree
    • B. the sound a dog makes

  5. Question 5

    Which sentence uses the word with this meaning: light (a lamp)?

    • A. My bag is light.
    • B. The light in my room is too bright.

  6. Question 6

    What does the word mean in THIS sentence? The bat flew out of the dark cave.

    • A. a stick to hit a ball
    • B. an animal with wings

  7. Question 7

    What does the word mean in THIS sentence? The duck swam across the pond.

    • A. a bird that swims
    • B. to bend down quickly

  8. Question 8

    Which sentence uses the word with this meaning: bark (a dog's sound)?

    • A. Dogs bark at the postman.
    • B. The bark of the tree is rough.

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Answer key: One word, two meanings (bat, duck, ring)

  1. 1. B. the hard outside of a tree

  2. 2. B. Moss grows on the bark of the oak.

  3. 3. A. to bend down quickly

  4. 4. B. the sound a dog makes

  5. 5. B. The light in my room is too bright.

  6. 6. B. an animal with wings

  7. 7. A. a bird that swims

  8. 8. A. Dogs bark at the postman.