English lesson plan · Kindergarten (Reception and Year 1 in England) · 60 minutes
Is it a sentence?
Grammar
CCSS L.K.1.FCCSS L.K.2.AEngland: Reception WritingEngland: Y1 GPS (sentences)
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Is it a sentence?.
- 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: Building a simple sentence
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 (Building a simple sentence). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
Hook · 6 min
- Show a sentence with the grammar point used wrongly and ask what sounds odd.
- Share the objective: Is it a sentence?. 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: Is this a sentence? The sun is hot.
- Step 1: It tells a whole idea and has a capital letter and a full stop.
- Step 2: So the answer is: yes, it is a sentence
- Answer: yes, it is a sentence
- 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.
- Is this a sentence? We can swim. (yes, it is a sentence / no, it is not a sentence) → yes, it is a sentencePrompt: A sentence tells a whole idea: who or what, and what happens.
- Which one is a complete sentence? (on the bed / I see a star. / in the park) → I see a star.Prompt: Look for a capital letter at the start and a full stop at the end.
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 one is a complete sentence? (in the park / on the bed / I like apples.) → I like apples.Prompt: Look for a capital letter at the start and a full stop at the end.
- Is this a sentence? the yellow ball (yes, it is a sentence / no, it is not a sentence) → no, it is not a sentencePrompt: A sentence tells a whole idea: who or what, and what happens.
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: Building a simple sentence.
- 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