Introduce vocabulary: Clifford the Big Red Dog (Bridwell, 1995)

From FreeReading

Activity Type: Introduce

Activity Form: Standard

Grade: K, 1

Group Size: Small Group, Whole Class

Length: 30 minutes

Materials: Clifford the Big Red Dog, Norman Bridwell

Goal: Given a word, the student can say its meaning

Items: habit, perfect

What to do

1. If more than three words are listed below, choose three. (It's tough for students to take in more than three new words in one go.) Write the three words on sentence strips (so they can easily be displayed after the lesson).
2. I'm going to read a new book to you today. It's called Clifford the Big Red Dog. It uses some words you might not know, so I'm going to tell you the words now. Then, when I read the story, I want you to raise your hand when you hear the word. Okay?
3. Tell students the three words and their meanings. Have them repeat the words back to you.
4. Remember, when you hear any of our three words, raise your hand. Ready?
5. Read the story. Praise students who correctly identify the words as you read. Repeat each word's meaning as you encounter it.
6. When you finish reading, go through the three words giving the complete sequence below for each word. You can give the examples/non-examples either to the whole group or to individual students. Feel free to add your own examples and non-examples, particularly if students seem unclear.
7. Optionally, read the story again.
8. Students need to encounter a word multiple times before learning it. So:
   • Try to find opportunities to use the three words during other activities in the next 24 hours.
   • Ask students to use the word themselves and praise them strongly when they do.
   • Be particularly excited about usage in contexts different from that in the book you read, since students often have difficulty dissociating a word and the specific context in which they first came across it.

habit

• Habit means something you do so much you don't even think about it. What's the word?
• The girl turns out the light when she leaves her bedroom; it's become a habit. You tie your shoes without thinking about it, because it's a habit.
• I will list some things people do. If you think the activity is done very often, say habit. Otherwise, stay quiet. Ready?
  • Turn on lights when it's dark.
  • Sharpen your pencils before class starts.
  • Put on shoes after your socks.
  • Open birthday presents.
  • Go to the zoo.

perfect

• Perfect means just right. What's the word?
• He was happy that the first cake he ever baked turned out perfect. You can practice a song until you can sing it perfectly.
• I'm going to name some things you will learn to do. If you think you can learn to do the thing with no mistakes, say perfect. Otherwise, stay quiet. Ready?
  • Say the alphabet.
  • Write your name.
  • Fly to the moon.
  • Build a house.
  • Tie your shoelaces.

(You can help FreeReading by adding more vocabulary from this book or by adding another book.)