Introduce vocabulary: Gregory The Terrible Eater (Sharmat, 1989)

From FreeReading

Activity Type: Introduce

Activity Form: Standard

Grade: K, 1

Group Size: Small Group, Whole Class

Length: 30 minutes

Materials: Gregory The Terrible Eater, Mitchell Sharmat

Goal: Given a word, the student can say its meaning

Items: average, develop, fussy, revolting

What to do

1. If more than three words are listed below, choose three. (It's tough for students to take in more than three new words in one go.) Write the three words on sentence strips (so they can easily be displayed after the lesson).
2. I'm going to read a new book to you today. It's called Gregory The Terrible Eater. It uses some words you might not know, so I'm going to tell you the words now. Then, when I read the story, I want you to raise your hand when you hear the word. Okay?
3. Tell students the three words and their meanings. Have them repeat the words back to you.
4. Remember, when you hear any of our three words, raise your hand. Ready?
5. Read the story. Praise students who correctly identify the words as you read. Repeat each word's meaning as you encounter it.
6. When you finish reading, go through the three words giving the complete sequence below for each word. You can give the examples/non-examples either to the whole group or to individual students. Feel free to add your own examples and non-examples, particularly if students seem unclear.
7. Optionally, read the story again.
8. Students need to encounter a word multiple times before learning it. So:
   • Try to find opportunities to use the three words during other activities in the next 24 hours.
   • Ask students to use the word themselves and praise them strongly when they do.
   • Be particularly excited about usage in contexts different from that in the book you read, since students often have difficulty dissociating a word and the specific context in which they first came across it.

average

• Average means right in the middle, not really great or really bad. What's the word?
• She wasn't too upset that she scored average on her test. If you have just started taking piano lessons, you might be average when you play.
• I'm going to name some items. If you think the item is not too hot, or not too cold, say average. Otherwise, stay quiet. Ready?
  • A snowball
  • The porridge Goldilocks liked
  • Ice
  • Cereal
  • A fire

develop

• Develop means to grow or turn into something else. What's the word?
• The seed will develop into a big tree. You will develop better reading skills as you get older.
• I'm going to name some things. If you think these things will grow or turn into something else, say develop. Otherwise, just stay quiet. Ready?
  • A bird's egg
  • A baby
  • A doll
  • A tadpole
  • A pair of shoes

fussy

• Fussy means upset and noisy. What's the word?
• The baby hadn't had anything to eat, and so she was fussy. You have been fussy when you get too tired.
• I'm going to name some things that happen. If you think the thing would make a little child upset and noisy, say fussy. Otherwise, just stay quiet. Ready?
  • A bad sunburn
  • A cool drink of water
  • A toe that hurts
  • Dirt in the eyes
  • Flying a kite

revolting

• Revolting means really yucky. What's the word?
• Garbage piled in the alley is revolting. If you find a worm in your lunchbox, you might think that's revolting.
• I'm going to name some items. If you think the item is really yucky, say revolting. Otherwise, just stay quiet. Ready?
  • Gum stuck under a table
  • Dead fish on the beach
  • A yummy sandwich
  • A clean bed
  • New shoes