Introduce vocabulary: In the Small, Small Pond (Fleming, 1998)

From FreeReading

Activity Type: Introduce

Activity Form: Standard

Grade: K, 1

Group Size: Small Group, Whole Class

Length: 30 minutes

Materials: In the Small, Small Pond, Denise Fleming

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

Items: doze, hover, plunge, scatter, swoop, wade

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 In the Small, Small Pond. 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.

doze

• Doze means to sleep lightly. What's the word?
• I couldn't get comfortable on the train, so I only dozed. When you wake up a lot during the night, that's called dozing.
• I'm going to name some activities. If you think you might sleep lightly during these activities, say doze. Otherwise, stay quiet. Ready?
  • Getting in your bed after a long day
  • On a bumpy airplane ride
  • Watching a boring movie
  • On a long car ride
  • During school

hover

• Hover means to hang in the air, like flying but not moving forward. What's the word?
• A helicopter can hover and fly forward and backward. If you stand over someone to see what they're doing, it's called hovering.
• I'm going to name some animals. If you think the animal can hang in the air, say hover. Otherwise, sit quietly. Ready?
  • A hummingbird
  • A mosquito
  • A hawk
  • A penguin
  • A lizard

plunge

• Plunge means to jump down or dive. What's the word?
• The seal plunged in the ocean to catch a fish. When you jump into the swimming pool, that's called plunging.
• I'm going to name some things. If you think you'd jump in to that thing, say plunge. Otherwise, stay quiet. Ready?
  • A calm lake
  • A rushing river
  • A warm bathtub
  • A puddle of mud
  • A swimming pool

scatter

• Scatter means to run or move quickly in every direction. What's the word?
• The marbles scattered all over the kitchen when I dropped the bag. When you and your friends go outside for recess, you scatter over the whole playground.
• I'm going to name some items. If you think the item can spread or move quickly in different directions, say scatter. Otherwise, keep quiet. Ready?
  • Frozen peas
  • Blueberries
  • A peanut butter sandwich
  • A bunch of ants
  • A steak

swoop

• Swoop means to dive quickly toward something. What's the word?
• The eagle had to swoop in the air to catch a mouse. When you're running fast and bend over to catch a ball, that's called swooping.
• I'm going to name some games. If you might dive quickly toward something in the game, say swoop. Otherwise, stay quiet. Ready?
  • Frisbee
  • Monopoly
  • Baseball
  • Simon Says
  • Soccer

wade

• Wade means to walk through water. What's the word?
• It rained so hard yesterday, we had to wade to the car. When you want to cool your feet, you can take off your socks and wade in the pool.
• I'm going to name some activities. If you think you would walk in the water during the activity, say wade. Otherwise, stay quiet. Ready?
  • A concert at school
  • At the lake on a hot day
  • Cleaning your bedroom
  • Playing in a pool
  • Doing your homework