English lesson plan · 1st grade (Year 2 in England) · 60 minutes
Key details
Reading Comprehension
CCSS RL.1.1CCSS RI.1.1England: Y1 Reading (comprehension)England: Y2 Reading
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Key details.
- 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: Who, where and what happened?
Leads to: What is it mostly about?; Order of events; Finding and retrieving information
Materials: A short text or extract (one copy each), Highlighters, Question cards, Mini whiteboards, A short model text on the board, Printed student sheet (below).
Warm-up · 6 min
- Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Who, where and what happened?). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- Ben has a red ball. He kicks it to his dog, Spot. What color is the ball? (yellow / blue / green / red) → redPrompt: Find the part of the text that talks about this.
- Ana fell off her bike. Leo ran over and helped her up. Who helped Ana? (a dog / Ana / Leo / Mom) → LeoPrompt: What does the character say and do?
- The wind blew Tom's hat into a tree. Tom began to cry. How did Tom feel? (sad / silly / sleepy / happy) → sadPrompt: What does the character say and do?
Hook · 6 min
- Read the first lines of a short text aloud and ask what students predict will happen and why.
- Share the objective: Key details. 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: Penguins are birds, but they cannot fly. They use their wings to swim. What do penguins use their wings for?
- Step 1: The answer is stated directly in the text.
- Step 2: So the answer is: to swim
- Answer: to swim
- 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.
- The fire truck is red. It has a long ladder and a hose for water. What does the fire truck have? (wings / a bell tower / a sail / a long ladder) → a long ladderPrompt: Find the part of the text that talks about this.
- Ducks have webbed feet. The skin between their toes helps them paddle. What helps ducks paddle? (the skin between their toes / their tails / their beaks / their feathers) → the skin between their toesPrompt: Find the part of the text that talks about this.
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.
- Ducks have webbed feet. The skin between their toes helps them paddle. What helps ducks paddle? (their tails / the skin between their toes / their feathers / their beaks) → the skin between their toesPrompt: Find the part of the text that talks about this.
Watch out for
- Answering from memory or opinion instead of evidence in the text.
- Copying a long quote without explaining what it shows.
Support and stretch
Support
- Review first: Who, where and what happened?.
- Use concrete materials: a short text or extract (one copy each).
- 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: What is it mostly about?; Order of events; Finding and retrieving information.
- 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/grade-1.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder