How to Teach Action Words to Kindergarten Children

Video Transcript

It's important for us to teach action words to children so that they know some common verbs that they can recognize while they're reading. One of the best ways to teach action words to children would be to create a word wall of action words. Now this is just simply any space that you have in your classroom that you can place the walls in alphabetical order so that they can see what words belong. Another thing that I would do when teaching action words is to find a picture that illustrates the action, and place it on the card as well. Here are a few action words to help get you started. Keep in mind that when teaching action words or verbs to young children, you should emphasize that any word is an action word is something that can be completed or an action that can be done. These words are ones that are easily acted out by children. A great game that you can play with the students is to provide them with an action doll that you then practice in making the action doll complete into the actions. After the child has been able to master the actions that appear on this list, things like run, jump, hop, you can then move on to action words that not quite as easily displayed. These might include playing, shopping, buying, some other words that you would want to introduce to them as well. Remember the best way to teach these to them is through repeated exposure and allow them the opportunity to act out the words on their own. When teaching the action words to children, the best way to do it is to introduce them in one to two words per week. I would teach them to the child by first acting the word out on their own, and then have each of the children mimic your actions. Repeatedly do this over and over while displaying the word to them until the children have mastered the word. Then the word may go on the wall so that it may be referred to when either reading or writing as part of a group or independent lesson.