Whole Group
Sort Words into Categories
TEKS 1.3D; ELPS 1C, 2E, 3H
I will be able to:
- Sort words into categories to gain a sense of the concepts the categories represent.
- Identify and use words that name actions (feed, walk, give).
- Identify and use words that name categories (action words, animals).
Materials
Mentor Text: Baby Animals: Three Personal Narratives, Sort Words into Categories Anchor Chart from Unit 1, Mini-Lesson 8, markers, and self-stick notes
Focus (1–2 min.)
Link to Previous Learning
Readers, in our last mini-lesson, we looked for words that signal the order of events in a text. Then we practiced retelling the events in order.
State the Mini-Lesson Focus and Purpose
Today we are going to sort words into categories, or groups that have something in common. Sorting words and naming what they have in common helps us better understand how words are related to each other. Sorting words can also help us think more deeply about the meanings of the words.
Model (5–6 min.)
Model Sorting Words into Categories
Today we are going to look at some particular categories, or groups, that words can fit into. First, I’m going to look for words that name actions, or things that you can do.
Display and read aloud pages 2–3. Model answering a question:
Which words on this page name actions?
I noticed a few words that describe actions, or things people do. One of these words is feed. I can picture someone feeding a dog. Other action words I see are walk, and take care. These are all actions that a person can do. I can sort them into an “action word” category. Putting these words together in a group makes me think about what they have in common.
Add to the Anchor Chart
Add an “Action Words” category to the Sort Words into Categories Anchor Chart you created during Mini-Lesson 8 of this unit. Have students suggest action words they know that can go into the category.
Restate the Focus and Purpose
I just showed you how I look for words that fit together into a category. That helps me think about what the words have in common as well as the meaning of the category. Now you will practice sorting words into another category.
Guide Practice (2–3 min.)
I’m going to read the title page, page 16, and the inside back cover of the book. As I read, listen closely. What words do you hear that fit into the category “animals”?
Write or draw a picture of one of the words. Then work with your thinking partner to identify more words from the text that fit into the category.
Draw, Pair, Share
Monitor and observe readers as they identify words they can group into the category “Animals.” (See the Look Fors below.)
Check in with readers who seem confused about the task, and refer to the Sort Words into Categories Anchor Chart to support them. As needed, provide language stems to support English Learners.
Supporting English Language Development
Language Objective: Define a category using compound sentences.
Substantial Support
This is a picture of ____. The word ___ fit into the category “Animals.”
Moderate Support
I drew a ____. The words ____ and ____ fit into the ____ category because ____.
Light Support
This is a picture of a ____. The words ____ and ____ are ____, so they belong to the category ____.
Formative Assessment
Literacy Behaviors
- sorts words into categories
- explains the connections between the words in the categories
Observations
- Do students accurately identify words that fit into categories?
- Can readers name different categories and describe what words in the categories have in common?
Make observational notes about readers who need additional support to sort words into categories. Focus on developing this skill during small-group or conferring time.
Bridge to Transfer (1 min.)
Whole-Group to Small-Group and Independent Reading
Transfer the lesson focus.
We just practiced finding action words and words that name animals. Today, as you read, look for words that fit together into a category. You can look for action words, animal words, or words that fit into a different category that you notice.
Place a self-stick note next to each word you find, and think about what the words have in common. What is the category that the words fit into? Be prepared to share your words and your category with your thinking partner.
Small Group and Independent
Small-Group Reading
Provide differentiated reading instruction. Use the leveled texts, teacher’s guides, and strategic prompting cards to scaffold reading behaviors.
Independent Reading and Response
Ensure that all students read and respond independently to build volume and stamina. Remind students to focus on their personal learning goals.
Conferring
Confer with a few students. Provide scaffolding, invite students to reflect on their reading goals, or discuss and validate their progress as readers. You may also wish to administer a progress-monitoring oral reading record.
Research and Inquiry Project
Students may collaborate on the unit inquiry project. See pages 50–51.
Whole Group
Share and Reflect (5 min.)
Have partners share words they picked out and the category that the words fit into. Tell partners to explain why these words fit together into a category. Ask one or more volunteers to share their words and categories with the whole group.
TEKS 1.3D identify/use words that name actions, directions, positions, sequences, categories, locations; ELPS 1C use strategic learning techniques to acquire vocabulary; 2E use visual/contextual/linguistic support to enhance and confirm understanding; 3H narrate/describe/explain with specificity and detail.