Action! -Adapted from Pica, Rae. (2007). Moving and learning through curriculum. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Cengage Learning.
Materials
- List of action words
- Travelling words (pounce, stomp, waddle, sneak, bounce, float, slither, crawl, etc.)
- Non-travelling words (melt, collapse, shrink, shake, wiggle, spin, sink, etc.)
- A story with multiple action words in it (i.e.: The Little Engine that Could, Rosie's Walk)
- Using your list of action words, discuss with the students what the word might mean. They may not know the meaning, so now is a great time to introduce new words. Remind them to use prior knowledge and comprehension strategies to predict the meaning of a word.
- As you call out a word, have the students perform the corresponding action.
- When students have a good understanding of the action words, read the story with the action words.
- As you are reading the story have the students perform corresponding actions. You could also have the students retell the story after your finish reading with actions.
- Make sure to start with words that students know well or can readily understand. When necessary, demonstrate.
- Incorporate stopping words such as freeze, pause, stop, flop, drop, halt, etc.
- Have the students work in partners and create word combinations. Give each group of students 2-5 words (depending on grade level) to create a combination for. Students can perform as many repetitions of the action as desired and in any order.
- GLO 1.1 - Discover and Explore
- Experiment with language and forms
- GLO 2.1 - Use Strategies and Cues
- Use prior knowledge
- Use comprehension strategies
- GLO 4.1 - Enhance and Improve
- Expand knowledge of language