English Language Arts — Kindergarten

Story sequencing

This multi-faceted lesson teaches students how to sequence stories. It reinforces the following concepts: first, last, before, after, left, right. This lesson can also focus on carryover of articulation skills to answering questions as well as story telling.

Format: lesson plan (grade K English Language Arts)

By Michele Christon.

My favorite women: My Great Aunt Arizona

These three (or four) 45-minute lessons will introduce kindergarteners and first graders to Women's History Month. The students listen to the story of author Gloria Houston's great-aunt, Arizona Houston Hughes. During and following the listening and viewing experiences, the students will discuss their experiences with women in their own history who are helping them become good citizens and grow up well.

Format: lesson plan (grade 1 English Language Arts and Information Skills)

By Floanna Long.

MaraLIMAthon

Kindergarten students will work with an older grade buddy (we worked with 1st grade students) to make predictions, and then over a two-week period, see changes in lima bean growth, and be able to document the lima bean's progress. The buddies will work together to create an illustrated short story about lima bean characters that they create.

Format: lesson plan (grade K English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science)

By Kristi Waddle.

Look and listen: Exploring the five senses

This group of shared reading lessons is based on the book Look by Jillian Cutting. They are designed to be used as a part of an integrated classroom unit on the five senses.

Format: lesson plan (grade K English Language Arts)

Life cycle of painted lady butterflies

Students will make a chart of the life cycle of the painted lady butterflies that the class observes over a period of several days.

Format: lesson plan (grade K English Language Arts and Science)

By Anne Allen.

Inching through oral language for ESOL students

This lesson will use the book The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle to help the student use clear and precise language to demonstrate comprehension.

Format: lesson plan (grade K English Language Arts)

By Angela Goldberg.

Imaginative writing

This plan addresses emerging writing skills by engaging the student's interest in creating original drawings.This plan is for Special Needs students, non-readers with limited writing skills, and reluctant learners.

Format: lesson plan (grade K–1 English Language Arts)

By Ann Franklin.

Gingerbread Man Fun

This lesson will allow students to demonstrate sense of beginning, middle, and end of a story. They will also use various objects to create patterns comparing these objects using appropriate vocabulary (small, medium, large).

Format: lesson plan (grade K English Language Arts and Mathematics)

By Rebecca Jones.

Getting in order: "Jack and the Beanstalk"

The students will read "Jack and the Beanstalk" as a group and create flip books to illustrate and sequence the main events.

Format: lesson plan (grade K–1 English Language Arts)

By Leslie Robinson1.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

The learner will be doing curriculum integrated activities using Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

Format: lesson plan (grade K English Language Arts and Mathematics)

By Shannon Zerniak.

A Birthday Basket For Tia

This lesson will provide your students with an opportunity to brainstorm, predict, and check for understanding throughout this wonderful story about a little girl, Cecilia, who is preparing a special birthday gift for her 90 year-old Aunt Tia. Cecilia collects objects that represent her favorite memories with her aunt. Many uses of technology are suggested to integrate math and science with language and reading.

Format: lesson plan (grade K English Language Arts)

By Jenny Walters.

Resources on the web

Readers theatre with Jan Brett

In this ReadWriteThink lesson, first- or second-grade students interact with the book Hedgie's Surprise by Jan Brett and create a Readers Theatre experience that is performed for other groups of students. Students make predictions about the... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–2 English Language Arts)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Navajo weaving

In this ARTSEDGE lesson, students explore various aspects of Native American cultures and Navajo weavings. Using the patterns on the Navajo Rugs, they devise dance patterns and perform a traveling pattern based on Navajo weavings. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–3 Visual Arts Education, Dance Arts Education, and English Language Arts)

Provided by: ArtsEdge

Junie B. Jones introduces literacy mystery boxes

In this lesson from ReadWriteThink, the teacher reads aloud the Junie B. Jones selection Junie B., First Grader (at last!). Students discuss the text with a partner, and then individually record key events from the story. Each student also... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–2 English Language Arts)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Have Journal...Will Travel: Promoting Family Involvement in Literacy

This lesson from ReadWriteThink is designed to engage families in shared literacy activities. The students take turns taking home a book bag that includes a stuffed toy, a book, art supplies, a topic to discuss with their families, and a journal to share... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–2 English Language Arts)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

From fact to fiction: Drawing and writing stories

Getting children to use their imaginations when writing a story can sometimes be difficult. Drawing, however, can create a bridge between the ideas in a child's head and the blank piece of paper on the desk. In this ReadWriteThink lesson, students use factual... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–2 English Language Arts)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Deeper reading response: A template for teachers

Interacting with and responding to various texts is an important foundation to build in the primary years of a child's education. This lesson from ReadWriteThink details the five expressive and performative engagements for responding to text, as identified... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–2 English Language Arts)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Creating a wall story

In this ARTSEDGE lesson, students create a wall story as a means of retelling a story. After hearing a picture book read aloud, students sketch their favorite part of the story. The pictures are shared with and sequenced by the class. Gaps in the storyline... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–1 Visual Arts Education and English Language Arts)

Provided by: ArtsEdge

Comparing Tales through Performance

In this ARTSEDGE lesson, students identify the similarities and differences between a traditional and a contemporary version of The Three Little Pigs. Students act out scenes from each of the stories and are assessed based on how well they... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–4 English Language Arts and Theater Arts Education)

Provided by: ArtsEdge

Collaborating on a class book: Exploring before-during-after sequences

In this ReadWriteThink classroom project, students and the teacher produce a class book through a group-writing activity focusing on a basic before-during-after sequence of events. In this case, the book focuses on the carving of the class jack-o-lantern,... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–2 English Language Arts)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink