English Language Arts — Kindergarten

Animals on the Move

Students will choose an animal, draw the animal, write a sentence naming their animal and write a sentence about what their animal can do using inventive as well as conventional spelling.

Format: lesson plan (grade K English Language Arts and Computer Technology Skills)

By Anita Baldwin, Ann Loftis, and Genevieve Kiser.

Hear it, Spell it, See it!

This is an activity to help children develop visual recognition of basic sight word vocabulary at the kindergarten level. The words covered are: I, am, can, like, it, and is. This is a simple, quick activity that adds a new dimension to sight word building with the help of the computer.

Format: lesson plan (grade 1 English Language Arts)

By Vickie Hedrick.

Make That Chocolate Sundae

The student will write detailed directions for making and eating a chocolate sundae. S/he will then create and eat a sundae.

Format: lesson plan (grade 1–3 English Language Arts)

By Landa Latta.

Painting the Alphabet

After working on numerous letter names and sounds, the children will use a paint program to draw a picture and write the word to name the picture. The pictures will be printed out to make a class book or alphabet page.

Format: lesson plan (grade K English Language Arts and Computer Technology Skills)

By Jackie White, Kathy2 Moore, Kelley Turner, and Mike Christopher.

Surprise Box Descriptions

Students will learn to give oral definitions and descriptions. Each student will take a turn describing the contents of a plastic egg with a category plus attribute format. Other members in the group will have an opprtunity to guess the contents of the egg after listening to the description.

Format: lesson plan (grade 1–2 Information Skills and English Language Arts)

By Susan Karcher.

Thanksgiving story, Stone Soup

This lesson is for K–5 Exceptional Children who are mild to moderately disabled. This lesson will incorporate listening, daily living, fine motor, and augmentive communication skills.

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

By Christina Pond and Sarah Boling.

Wet Your Kinders' Chops on the Sound "Op"!

Kinders will explore the sound “Op” with a reading of Charlie Parker Played Be-Bop by Chris Raschka and a showing of the PBS Between the Lions episode #130 “Be Bop,” which also features the Charlie Parker book and explores the “op” sound.

Format: lesson plan (grade K English Language Arts)

By Dirk Robertson.

Lesson plans on the web

Action ABC's: Learning vocabulary with verbs

Students review the definition of a verb and then expand their vocabulary by using verbs they already know in sentences. (Learn more)

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

Provider: IRA/NCTE

An alternative to testing: Miss Alaineus: A Vocabulary Disaster

Students build on the idea of a vocabulary parade presented in Miss Alaineus: A Vocabulary Disaster in order to create vocabulary lists about a recent unit of study. (Learn more)

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

Provider: IRA/NCTE

As slippery as an eel: An ocean unit exploring simile and metaphor

Students explore simile and metaphor in fiction and nonfiction ocean books. (Learn more)

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

Provider: IRA/NCTE

A bear of a poem: Composing and performing found poetry

In this lesson, students select favorite words from read-alouds of childrens books to create a collective class poem that they will perform for an audience. (Learn more)

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

Provider: IRA/NCTE

Boys can dance

Reinforces the idea that dancing is a beneficial activity for both men and women. Students compare the benefits of dance training and sports then watch video clips of famous male dancers. (Learn more)

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

Provider: The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

Chinese instruments

Students identify and classify Western instruments and traditional Chinese instruments. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–4 English Language Arts and Computer Technology Skills)

Provider: The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

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

Students and the teacher produce a class book through a group-writing activity focusing on a basic before-during-after sequence of events. (Learn more)

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

Provider: IRA/NCTE

Connect with low-literate families: A three-tiered approach

This ReadWriteThink lesson involves giving children from low-literate families stories to read at home to enhance the home-school connection. (Learn more)

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

Provider: IRA/NCTE

Creating a wall story

Students create a wall story as a means of retelling a story. (Learn more)

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

Provider: The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

Creating question and answer books through guided research

Focuses on a “learn by doing” series of reading and writing activities designed to teach research strategies. (Learn more)

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

Provider: IRA/NCTE

Elephant seals on the beach

Introduces students to the habitat and life patterns of Elephant Seals. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade K–2 English Language Arts, Visual Arts Education, and Social Studies)

Provider: National Geographic

From stop signs to the golden arches: Environmental print

Students will help collect examples of environmental print, sort and classify these examples for inclusion in class books, and spend time reading the books as individuals, in pairs, or in groups. (Learn more)

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

Provider: IRA/NCTE

Going on a shape hunt: Integrating math and literacy

Students learn shape names, locate shapes in their environment, practice spelling out the names of items and shapes they locate, and reflect, in writing, on the process. (Learn more)

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

Provider: IRA/NCTE