Meaning of Verbs and Identifying Action Words for Pre-School Level 4

Class: Pre-School Level 4
Term: Third Term
Week: 4
Age: 5 years
Duration: 30 minutes
Subject: Literacy
Curriculum Theme: Language Domain
Previous Lesson: Identifying and naming common objects.
Topic: VERBS: MEANING AND IDENTIFYING ACTION WORDS
Subject Matter: Weekly focus: Verbs: Meaning and Identifying Action Words.

Specific Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils should be able to:

Cognitive Domain

• Define a verb as an action word.
• Identify action words in isolation.
• Point to pictures that show actions.
• Recognise simple verbs in short sentences.

Affective Domain

• Participate enthusiastically in demonstrating action words.
• Show interest in identifying verbs during activities.
• Cooperate with peers during group tasks.

Psychomotor Domain

• Demonstrate various action words physically.
• Circle verbs in a simple passage or list with guidance.
• Match action words to corresponding pictures.
• Attempt to write simple action words.

Social Domain

• Take turns demonstrating actions and responding to questions.
• Share materials respectfully during activities.

Reference Materials

• NAPPS National Unified Teaching Scheme for Pre-School Level 4
• Early Childhood Care and Education resources
• Relevant early-years literacy workbook

Instructional Materials

• Charts displaying various actions (e.g., running, eating, sleeping, jumping)
• Flash cards with action words and corresponding pictures
• Real objects for demonstration (e.g., a ball to kick, a book to read)
• Simple reading book with action words
• Crayons and paper
• MP4 player or tablet for video demonstration

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson introduces pupils to verbs, which are fundamental to understanding and constructing sentences. By learning to identify action words, children can better describe events, understand instructions, and develop clearer communication skills, connecting language to their everyday experiences and movements.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Pupils can recognise and name common objects, understand simple instructions, and have a basic vocabulary of everyday activities. They can also identify some letters and simple words.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

VERBS: MEANING AND IDENTIFYING ACTION WORDS

A verb is an action word. It tells us what someone or something is doing.

Think about what you do every day!

Examples of Action Words (Verbs)

• Run (move quickly with your legs)
• Jump (push off the ground with your feet)
• Eat (put food in your mouth)
• Sleep (rest your body and close your eyes)
• Play (have fun with games or toys)
• Sing (make music with your voice)
• Dance (move your body to music)
• Walk (move slowly with your legs)
• Clap (hit your hands together)
• Read (look at words and understand them)
• Write (make letters and words on paper)

What the Teacher Should Show or Draw

• Display a chart with pictures of children performing various actions (e.g., a child running, a child eating, a child sleeping).
• Write simple action words clearly on the board or flash cards.
• Demonstrate each action word physically.

Action Word Rhyme

Tune: “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”

Run, run, run, what do you do?
Jump, jump, jump, me and you.
Eat, eat, eat, yummy food,
Sleep, sleep, sleep, feeling good.
Verbs are action, yes they are,
Showing what you do, near and far!

Actions: Pupils perform the actions as they sing each word (run in place, jump lightly, pretend to eat, close eyes, etc.).

How to use the rhyme: Sing the rhyme several times, encouraging pupils to perform the actions. This helps them connect the word to the physical action.

Adding ‘-ing’ to Action Words

Sometimes, we add ‘-ing’ to an action word to show that the action is happening *now*.

• Run + ing = Running (e.g., “I am running.”)
• Jump + ing = Jumping (e.g., “He is jumping.”)
• Eat + ing = Eating (e.g., “She is eating.”)
• Play + ing = Playing (e.g., “They are playing.”)
• Sit + ing = Sitting (e.g., “We are sitting.”)

Explain that sometimes a letter changes when we add ‘-ing’, like in “run” to “running” or “sit” to “sitting”. Focus on the sound and the idea of “doing it now.”

Watch and Practise

Let’s watch a video about action words and do the actions together!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4fSj0P05XU

The teacher will pause the video to allow pupils to repeat the action words and perform the actions shown.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Play-based Learning, Demonstration, Guided Practice, Songs and Rhymes, Picture Talk, Question and Answer, Role-play, Imitation, Manipulation of Objects, Repetition, Practical Activity.

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Engaging/Motivation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the pupils and starts with a simple “What are you doing?” game. The teacher performs an action (e.g., clapping) and asks, “What am I doing?”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond, “You are clapping!” and imitate the action. They guess what the teacher is doing.

Learning Point: Pupils are engaged and introduced to the concept of “doing words.”

Step 2: Presentation – Meaning of Verbs

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Demonstration

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains that words that tell us what someone or something is doing are called “action words” or “verbs.” The teacher shows flash cards of actions (e.g., run, jump, eat) and demonstrates each action, saying the word clearly.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, observe the demonstrations, and repeat the action words after the teacher. They try to perform the actions.

Learning Point: Pupils understand that verbs are action words and associate words with physical actions.

Step 3: Identification of Action Words

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Picture Talk/Guided Practice

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher displays a chart with various action pictures. The teacher points to each picture and asks, “What is happening here?” or “What is the child doing?” The teacher guides pupils to say the action word.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils identify the actions in the pictures and say the corresponding verb. They may point to the correct word if displayed.

Learning Point: Pupils can identify action words from visual cues.

Step 4: Rhyme and Movement Activity

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Song/Movement

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher leads the pupils in singing the “Action Word Rhyme” from the Lesson Content. The teacher encourages pupils to perform the actions for each verb mentioned in the rhyme.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils sing along and actively perform the actions (run, jump, eat, sleep) as guided by the teacher.

Learning Point: Pupils reinforce their understanding of verbs through kinesthetic learning and repetition.

Step 5: Guided Practice – Identifying Verbs in Sentences and Adding ‘-ing’

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Guided Application

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher writes or displays very simple sentences on the board (e.g., “The boy can run.” “Birds sing.”). The teacher reads them aloud and asks, “What is the boy doing?” or “What do birds do?” The teacher then introduces adding ‘-ing’ to show ongoing action with simple examples like “running,” “jumping,” “eating.”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils identify the action word in each sentence orally. They repeat the ‘-ing’ forms of the verbs and understand they mean “doing it now.”

Learning Point: Pupils begin to identify verbs within a sentence context and understand the concept of ‘-ing’ for ongoing actions.

Step 6: Application – Writing Simple Verbs

Time: 3 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Writing

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher provides paper and crayons. The teacher writes a few simple action words (e.g., “run,” “eat,” “play”) clearly on the board and guides pupils to copy or trace them. For more advanced pupils, the teacher might guide them to form a very short sentence like “I run.”

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils attempt to copy or trace the action words. Some may attempt to write a simple sentence with teacher guidance.

Learning Point: Pupils practise writing simple action words and begin to connect words to sentence structure.

Step 7: Evaluation/Review

Time: 4 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher checks pupils’ understanding through short questions and practical tasks.

1. “What is an action word called?” (Verb)
2. “Show me how you ‘jump’.” (Pupils jump)
3. “Point to the picture where someone is ‘eating’.” (Pupils point)
4. “In the sentence ‘The girl can sing’, what is the action word?” (Sing)

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond orally and demonstrate the required skill where appropriate.

Learning Point: Pupils demonstrate understanding of the lesson.

Step 8: Conclusion

Time: 1 minute

Teaching Skill: Summarising/Reinforcement

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher praises the pupils for their participation and reminds them that verbs are “doing words.” The teacher encourages them to look for action words at home.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond positively and acknowledge the lesson learned.

Learning Point: Pupils consolidate their understanding and are encouraged to apply learning outside the classroom.

Lesson Keywords

• Verb – A word that shows an action or doing.
• Action – Something someone or something does.
• Run – To move quickly on foot.
• Jump – To push off the ground with your feet.
• Eat – To put food into your mouth and chew.
• Play – To engage in an activity for enjoyment.

Differentiation

• Support: For pupils who are struggling, provide larger flash cards, more one-on-one demonstration, hand-over-hand guidance for tracing, and allow them to only identify actions by pointing rather than naming. Use fewer choices when asking them to identify verbs.
• Extension: For pupils who grasp the concept quickly, encourage them to think of more action words, use an action word in a simple oral sentence, or identify verbs in a slightly longer story read by the teacher. They can also try to write two different action words.

Note for teachers using this lesson plan

Prepare all instructional materials (charts, flash cards, real objects) before the lesson. The key to teaching verbs at this level is through active demonstration and participation. Ensure you perform each action as you say the word. Encourage all pupils to move and imitate the actions. For the “doubling rules by adding ‘ing’,” focus on the *sound* and *meaning* (doing it now) rather than the complex spelling rule itself. Simply show examples like “run” becomes “running” and “sit” becomes “sitting,” highlighting that sometimes a letter changes. Observe pupils’ physical demonstrations and verbal responses to gauge their understanding. Praise effort and participation to build confidence.