Nouns and Verbs — Year 1 Lesson Plan
National Curriculum: English Appendix 2 — Grammar: words (nouns, verbs) — Year 1
Overview
Pupils learn to identify nouns (naming words) and verbs (doing or being words) as the two most fundamental word classes. They practise sorting words into nouns and verbs, and understand that every sentence needs at least one noun and one verb to make sense.
Learning Objectives
- Understand that nouns are naming words for people, places, and things.
- Understand that verbs are doing or being words.
- Identify nouns and verbs in simple sentences.
- Write simple sentences using a noun and a verb.
Key Vocabulary
Suggested Lesson Structure
Play 'show me': say a word, pupils mime it if it is a verb (doing word) or point to something if it is a noun (naming word). Use words: jump, table, cat, swim, teacher, shout.
Explain: nouns name things (people, places, objects, animals); verbs show what something does or is. Model identifying each in simple sentences, colour-coding nouns and verbs. Show that removing either breaks the sentence.
Pupils sort a set of word cards into nouns and verbs. Then underline the noun (one colour) and verb (another colour) in a set of simple sentences.
Pupils write four simple sentences and circle the noun and underline the verb in each. Challenge: write a sentence with two nouns.
Teacher reads a sentence with the verb removed: 'The dog ___.' Pupils suggest verbs to complete it. Discuss: how many different sentences can we make by changing just the verb?
Common Misconceptions
- Pupils often think verbs are only physical actions (run, jump) — include being verbs: 'is', 'are', 'was', 'were'.
- Confusing adjectives with nouns — stress that nouns are things you can touch, see, or think of as a 'thing'.
Prior Knowledge
Pupils should already be able to:
- Ability to write simple sentences.
- Familiarity with basic word types from oral language work.
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