Teacher Resources for Instructional Planning

Grade 4, Reading
Std Vocabulary IVA: Demonstrate reading vocabulary knowledge, including recognition of a variety of synonyms (SAT 10), antonyms (AL COS 2), and homonyms

A. Use word study strategies to expand vocabulary

sight words (AL COS)
multi-syllable words and compound words (AL COS) (SAT 10)
contractions (AL COS)
multiple meaning words (AL COS ) (SAT 10)
context clues (AL COS) (SAT 10)
analogies
possessives (AL COS)
prefixes, suffixes, inflectional endings (AL COS)
root (or base) words

Lesson Plans:

Homophones
Twin Words
A printable activity for students to become familiar with words that are often paired together.

To, Too, or Two: Developing an Understanding of Homophones
This lesson uses multiple modalities to introduce and practice many common homophones. This lesson uses multiple modalities to introduce and practice many common homophones.

Synonyms and Antonyms
Thesaurus Power
Given a thesaurus entry, the students will list and apply its synonyms to sentence writing.

Matching with Synonyms and Antonyms
In this lesson students will identify synonyms and antonyms.

Manipulating Sentences to Reinforce Grammar Skills
IStudents learn how to modify the meaning of a sentence with antonyms and enhance the meaning of a sentence with synonyms. They also examine prepositions, adverbs, adjectives, and other parts of speech. This lesson assumes that students have basic knowledge of verbs, nouns, adjectives, adverbs, and other sentences elements.

Using Word Webs to Teach Synonyms for Commonly Used Words
This lesson uses word webs as a tool to expose students to synonyms for common words, to help students choose synonyms that are appropriate for a given context, and to encourage students to use more descriptive words in written and oral language.

What is a Surrey?
This lesson explores the magic of the vocabulary used by Oscar Hammerstein in his lyrics. Students will “translate” the lyrics of the song, “Surrey with the Fringe on Top,” from the musical Oklahoma!. They will then determine if the translated lyrics provide the same meaning and feeling as the original Hammerstein lines. Taking the translation one step further, they will rewrite the lyrics using contemporary slang.

Compound Words
Compound Words
Overview/Annotation: In this lesson the students will be introduced to compound words through the use of a multimedia presentation. Students will then form compound words through the use of teacher-made puzzles. Finally, the students will participate in a game in which they "catch" compound words projected from an overhead projector by using strips of white poster paper.

Compound (word) Conjure

Students will practice joining compound words and using them in sentences.

Contractions
Green Eggs and Ham Contractions
Contractions lesson based on the Green Eggs and Ham story.

Contraction Action
The learner will identify contractions and their meanings.

Multiple Meaning Words
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
In this lesson students will distinguish and interpret multiple meaning words, as well as reading comprehension.

Context Clues
Minibeasts and Reading Strategies
An activity for literacy centers designed to use context clues, sentence structure, and phonetic cues to identify words.

Learning New Words Using Context
With guided practice students will use context clues to determine meanings of unfamiliar words in short passages.

Analogies
Analogies
This site offers references and activities for teaching analogies.

Possessives

The Power of Possessives
Students will use apostrophes to show possession for nouns.

Prefixes, Suffixes, Inflectional Endings, and Root Words
Spelling Words Correctly Using Prefixes
This strategy will focus on the prefix "re-" to help predict the meaning of words. The same strategy can be used to introduce other common prefixes such as "dis-", "in-" and "im-".

Prefixes and Suffixes
Students will create two Mini Books. One will incorporate prefixes and the other will focus on suffixes. Each book will include the meanings, sample words, and two well- written sentences for each suffix or prefix.

Making Singular Nouns Plural
This lesson involves the use of the Structural Analysis element of the Inflectional Ending "-s" to make singular nouns plural.

Vocabulary Root Word Drawing

A Lesson Plans Page lesson plan, lesson idea, thematic unit, or activity in Language Arts and Art called Vocabulary Root Word Drawing.

Improve Comprehension Using a Word Card With Root Words and Affixes

Providing educators and students access to the highest quality ... lesson, students practice analyzing word meanings by learning root words and affixes. Adaptable to 4th grade.

Common Root Words

This page, from Cuesta College, presents the meanings of common root words, common prefixes, number prefixes, and math and sciences affixes and roots.

Resources:

Video Clip on Homophones

BBC: Skillwise Words: Homophones Introduction
This site has a list of homophones, printable homophone worksheets, an interacive game, and a quiz.

Homophones: List of 105 Homophones
View a list of 105 homophones compiled by a British class.

Quia: Homophones
Take this online quiz about homophones.

Antonym Challenge
Play this game to test your knowledge of antonyms. There are four rounds and each round is timed.

Two’s Company, Three’s a Crowd: This is a card game designed to encourage creative thinking and recall or recognize compound words given clues.

Compound Word Fun
Lesson and Activity- animated lesson on compound words and then a compound word hunt ... Lesson Plans-ideas on how to teach compound words to your students .

Contractions Page

Online contraction activities

Contractions

Practicing Contractions With Trinh and Tai

Forming Possessives
Showing possession in English is a relatively easy matter (believe it or not). By adding an apostrophe and an s we can manage to transform most singular nouns into their possessive form:

ReadingQuest Strategies: Semantic Feature Analysis: This site offers an explanation of semantic features analysis.

Word Confusion: Students choose the correct word to complete the sentence in this online game.

Reading Vocabulary:

This site offers links for teaching vocabulary.

Suggestions for English Language Learners (ELLs):
(E/B=Entering/Beginning, D=Developing, E=Expanding)

E/B: Recognize and produce English phonemes and morphemes students already know in simple phrases or sentences.
E/B: Read one's own writing and/or simple narrative texts and begin to produce phonemes appropriately; D: Read simple narrative and expository texts with some elements of appropriate voice and expression; E: Read narrative and expository texts with appropriate timing, voice, and expression.
E/B: Using English At Your Command pp.80-81 (can check-out from ESL Dept.), read the captions in random order and have students point to the matching pictures. Give a new sentence for just for just one of the meanings. Have students identify which picture shows the same meaning; D, E: In random order, make up a new sentence for each multiple-meaning word. Have students say the word and point to the picture that shows the correct meaning of the word.
E/B: Using English At Your Command pp.37-39 (check-out from ESL Dept.), say synonyms for a key word and have students point to the correct picture as they repeat the word; D: Give students a list of five key words and have them write a sentence for each word. Then ask them to trade papers with a partner. The partner can rewrite each sentence, replacing the key word with a synonym; E: Have students write a fantasy (like the one on pg.167 about a dinosaur or other creature). When the students are done, have them revise their writing by replacing the adjectives and verbs with synonyms.
E/B: Using English At Your Command pp.37-39 (check-out from ESL Dept.), use gestures as you say the sentence under each picture. For example, wipe your forehead as you say "Wow, It's warm today!" Then have students follow your model, but use a synonym for the key word as they repeat the sentence; D: Have each student in a group use a synonym for 'go' and 'laugh' to finish a sentence. Encourage students to compare their sentences and count how many different synonyms for each word they used; E: Have students write a dialogue for a recent conversation they've had with their friends or family, or heard on TV. Encourage them to choose synonyms from the list for talk to tell exactly how the people talked.
D: Using English At Your Command pp.40-41 (check-out from ESL Dept.), have one student use a word in a sentence. Ask a partner to use its antonym in a sentence. Have students continue until each pair has been used; E: Ask groups to brainstorm other antonym pairs (i.e. above/below). Have students write and illustrate their antonym pairs to display in the Writing Center.
D: Recognize and produce some frequently heard synonyms and homographs; E: Understand most frequently heard synonyms, antonyms, and homographs.
E: Apply knowledge of roots and affixes to derive meaning from literature.
E: Identify and interpret words with multiple meanings.