Introduce Vocabulary: Pinkalicious (Kann)

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 Pinkalicious.

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.

acute

Acute means sudden and sharp. What’s the word?

The woman had an acute pain in her foot. Did you know that the flu is an acute illness, because it doesn’t last long, but it’s intense.

I’m going to name some feelings. If you think the feeling can be sudden and sharp, say acute. Otherwise, stay quiet. Ready?

• Hunger
• Boredom
• Pain
• Laziness
• Anger

mushy

Mushy means soft and without form. What’s the word?

My cereal had so much milk in it that it got totally mushy -- yuck! Do you prefer crispy toast or mushy oatmeal for breakfast?

I’m going to name some things. If you think the thing is soft and has no form, say mushy. Otherwise, stay quiet. Ready?

• A cracker
• Overripe bananas
• A brick
• Pudding
• Mashed potatoes

rare

Rare means something that is not common, or that you don’t find or see very often. What’s the word?

I’m excited that I took a photo of a rare bird on my field trip. It’s rare for a child your age to be able to take college classes.

I’m going to name some things. If you think it would be uncommon to see the thing, say rare. Otherwise, stay quiet. Ready?

• A monkey at the zoo
• A monkey in your backyard
• An apple at the grocery store
• Your dad wearing clown clothes
• Sand on the beach

steady

Steady means when something is not easily moved or shaken out of place. What’s the word?

Even though I was nervous, I was able to keep my hands steady. Will you help me to hold the table steady while I wash it off?

I’m going to name words. If you think the word means not easily moved out of place, say steady. Otherwise, stay quiet. Ready?

• Removable
• Firm
• Stable
• Shaky
• Solid

surrounded

Surrounded means when something is completely closed in or covered on all sides. What’s the word?

The children surrounded their teacher when she was holding a bag of candy. Have you ever been surrounded during tag and couldn’t get away?

I’m going to name some things. If you think the thing is completely closed in on all sides, say surrounded. Otherwise, stay quiet. Ready?

• A horse inside a corral
• A garden with a brick path going all around it
• A bird in the sky
• A man running in a field
• A fish in an aquarium

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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