Introduce Vocabulary: Happy Birthday, Moon (Asch)

From FreeReading

What to Do

Prepare

Select three Tier Two vocabulary words to teach your students. A list of suggested words appears below. Write the vocabulary words on the board or on chart paper.

Model/Instruct

1. Introduce the story.

Today we are going to read a story entitled Happy Birthday, Moon.

2. Introduce the three vocabulary words you have chosen.

Before we read the story, I want to introduce some new words that we will come across. Please repeat each word after I say it.

3. Read the story.

Let’s read the story. Make sure to listen for today’s vocabulary words and to think about how they are used in the story. If you hear a vocabulary word while I am reading, raise your hand.

4. Define key vocabulary words. See definitions below.

Let’s think about our vocabulary words. The word ______________ means ____________. Does anyone remember how this word was used in the text?

Call on students to answer the question. Then refer to the text to show how the word was used in context. Repeat this process for each vocabulary word

Practice

Now let’s practice what we’ve learned.

chat

Chat means to talk in a friendly, polite way. What's the word?

I heard the friends chatting. When you first meet someone, you chat to get to know them.

I'm going to name some places and times. If you think it's all right to talk in the place or time, say chat. Otherwise, just stay quiet. Ready?

• In the library
• When your teacher is reading to the class
• At recess
• On the telephone
• To your mom in the car

echo

Echo means a sound that repeats. What's the word?

Sometimes an echo is fun to listen to. In a canyon, your voice will echo.

I'm going to name some places. If you think talking in the place would make the sound of your voice repeat, say echo. Otherwise just stay quiet. Ready?

• Under your bed
• In a big empty gym
• In a closet
• A car
• A microphone

perfectly

Perfectly means with no problems, or just right. What's the word?

She played the flute perfectly. When you try really hard, you can do something perfectly.

I'm going to name some assignments your teacher might give. If you think you can do the assignment with no mistakes, say perfectly. Otherwise, just sit quietly. Ready?

• Build a computer
• Write the alphabet
• Say your name
• Touch your toes
• Learn to drive

Adjust

For Advanced Students:

If time permits, have students create more examples for the vocabulary words.

For Struggling Students:

If time permits, have students record the words on a Vocabulary Discovery Chart or in a Word Journal.

For ELL Students:

In order to help ELL students learn the words, it may be helpful to use realia and/or to teach cognates.

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