English lesson plan · Kindergarten (Reception and Year 1 in England) · 60 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 · 6 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 is something you can do (an action)? cat, duck, kick, book (cat / duck / kick / book) → kickPrompt: Can you say 'I can ___'? (I can jump)
- Which word is something you can do (an action)? cake, ball, car, sit (cake / ball / car / sit) → sitPrompt: Can you say 'I can ___'? (I can jump)
- Which word is something you can do (an action)? sock, throw, tree, cup (sock / throw / tree / cup) → throwPrompt: Can you say 'I can ___'? (I can jump)
Hook · 6 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 · 12 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 · 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.
- Which action word (verb) fits in the gap? Fish ___ in the sea. (fins / wet / water / swim) → swimPrompt: An action word is something you can do.
- Which word is an action word (something you can do)? read, big, shell, pillow (read / big / shell / pillow) → readPrompt: Can you act it out?
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.
- Which action word (verb) fits in the gap? We ___ the ball in the park. (round / kick / grass / ball) → kickPrompt: An action word is something you can do.
- Which word is an action word (something you can do)? green, leaf, hat, paint (green / leaf / hat / paint) → paintPrompt: Can you act it out?
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