Teaching sensory words can be a lot of fun with the right activities. In first grade, the common core state standard for teaching sensory words is RL.1.4: Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses. This is one of my favorite reading units to teach! Mainly because I love all the new vocabulary introduced to our students.
To help you plan your reading unit, I am going to walk you through the different activities included in our Sensory Words Reading Unit. You can see it here on TPT or here on our website!
Make sure to check out our blog post: 8 Books For Teaching Sensory Words
Lesson Plans
When introducing sensory words, it is important to let our students explore with their senses with interactive activities. One way to do that is with popcorn! Popcorn allows your students to use all of their senses. You can taste it. You can hear it crunching in your mouth while you eat it. You can smell it as it’s being cooked. You can see it. You can feel it in your hands and in your mouth. After discovering all the different senses unlocked with your popcorn, students write a sensory poem about popcorn using sensory words.
Pre- And Post-Assessments For Progress Monitoring
As teachers we know how important data is in driving our instruction! Measure your students’ growth with our pre- and post-assessments, specifically tailored to gauge their understanding before and after the reading unit. Choose between two versions of the assessment, ensuring a customized approach to your teaching goals.
Sensory Poems and Reading Passages
In our reading unit, there are carefully crafted sensory poems and reading passages included. Students will highlight sensory words and categorize them based on the respective senses, reinforcing their comprehension skills and expanding their vocabulary. These printable worksheets can be used during reading small groups, independent work, or take home work.
Reading Centers For Interactive Learning
Our reading unit includes four interactive reading centers to keep students engaged during independent work or small group sessions:
- Clip Cards: Students use clips to identify and categorize sensory words.
- Sensory Match: Matching sensory words with corresponding pictures for a visual learning experience.
- Sensory Ice Cream: A fun matching activity linking words to sensory images.
- Puzzle Center: Students piece together the 3 words that match the picture.
Go More In-Depth With Teaching Sensory Words
Consider incorporating additional activities like a scavenger hunt, creating collages, or exploring interactive online games to make learning even more dynamic. These strategies not only align with the first-grade reading curriculum but also cater to diverse learning styles.
Whether through hands-on experiences, assessments, or interactive centers, our Sensory Words Reading Unit is designed to make your life easier with done-for-you lesson plans so you don’t have to scour through the Internet or Pinterest for ideas!
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