Introduce Vocabulary: The Crayon Box that Talked (DeRolf)

From FreeReading

What to Do

Prepare

Select three Tier Two vocabulary words to teach your students. A list of suggested words appears below. Write the vocabulary words on the board or on chart paper.

Model/Instruct

1. Introduce the story.

Today we are going to read a story entitled The Crayon Box that Talked.

2. Introduce the three vocabulary words you have chosen.

Before we read the story, I want to introduce some new words that we will come across. Please repeat each word after I say it.

3. Read the story.

Let’s read the story. Make sure to listen for today’s vocabulary words and to think about how they are used in the story. If you hear a vocabulary word while I am reading, raise your hand.

4. Define key vocabulary words. See definitions below.

Let’s think about our vocabulary words. The word ______________ means ____________. Does anyone remember how this word was used in the text?

Call on students to answer the question. Then refer to the text to show how the word was used in context. Repeat this process for each vocabulary word.

Practice

Now let’s practice what we’ve learned.

complete

Complete means nothing is missing. What’s the word?

If I hadn’t lost that one piece, my puzzle would be complete. Do you have a complete set of Legos?

I’m going to name some words. If you think the word means nothing is missing, say complete. Otherwise, stay quiet. Ready?

• Total
• Whole
• Entire
• Broken
• Lost

drift

Drift means float. What’s the word?

A kite will drift in the wind. If you drift, it means you move slowly from one place to another.

I’m going to name some items. If you think the item could float in the air or on water, say drift. Otherwise, stay quiet. Ready?

• A leaf
• A piece of paper
• A feather
• A rock
• A truck

laid

Laid means set down carefully and placed flat. What’s the word?

The baker laid the cookies on the plate. Have you seen the papers I laid on the table?

I’m going to name some items. If you think the item could be placed out flat, say laid. Otherwise, stay quiet. Ready?

• Soap bubbles
• Marbles
• A sheet on the bed
• Plates on the table
• Carpet

overheard

Overheard means hearing or listening to something that’s not being said right to you. What’s the word?

In the restaurant, I overheard the girls at the next table talking about shopping. If you don’t want to be overheard, you should keep your voice low.

I’m going to name some things people might say. If you think you might hear someone say the thing in a restaurant, say overheard. Otherwise, stay quiet. Ready?

• Catch that tiger!
• May I have more coffee, please?
• This soup is delicious
• Watch out for the bulldozer
• I like butter on my toast

unique

Unique means the only one of its kind. What’s the word?

I’m happy to drive a purple car; it makes me unique. Would you like to be the same as your classmates, or would you rather be unique?

I’m going to name some things. If you think the thing would make a child the only one of its kind, say unique. Otherwise, stay quiet. Ready?

• Having the name John or Emily
• The child’s fingerprints
• Living in a house
• Living in an igloo
• Having a pilot’s license

Adjust

For Advanced Students:

If time permits, have students create more examples of the vocabulary words.

For Struggling Students:

If time permits, have students record the words on a Vocabulary Discovery Chart or in a Word Journal.

For ELL Students:

In order to help ELL students learn the words, it may be helpful to use realia and/or to teach cognates to help students learn the words.

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