Function of Words: Definite and Indefinite Article

Materials:     

  • Box or basket.

  • Objects whose names correspond to the level of reading of the child – mostly phonetic with maybe a few phonograms.

  • Some of the objects are in quantity to reflect the indefinite article and some are single to reflect the definite article, ex.: 1 clip, 1 pen, several buttons.

  • Papers, pencil, underlay, scissors (teacher’s writing materials).

Independent Work:

Prepared slips that correspond with the objects 

Prepared slips with the appropriate articles on separate slips

Purposes:      

  • To bring awareness of the function of the article. 

  • Preparation for future work in grammar.

  • Practice in reading.

Age: 4 ½ and up

Preparation:

  • The child is reading phonetically and knows some phonograms.

  • The child must have had the first envelope of Puzzle Words that include ‘a’ and ‘the’. 

Presentation: 

  • Invite the child for the lesson and to bring the box to the table. You will bring the teacher writing materials.

  • Remove each object asking the child to name it. After the child answers you say the object’s name with ‘a’ if there are many of the items and ‘the’ if there is one.

  • Using the appropriate article in your request, one at a time, ask the child to hand you one of the objects there are multiples of. Ask for them in groups and line them up along the left edge of the table. Example: “Hand me a button” and repeat for all buttons until they are placed on the left.

  • Repeat for the other objects grouping the like indefinite in a line and the definite in its own column

  • At some point, make an intentional mistake and say, “Oh I made a mistake there is only one of those, I should have said ‘the’.”

  • Write the name of an object including its article. 

  • The child will read and match the slip to the object.

  • Continue for each group of objects (all of one kind then the next). 

  • Once all objects are labeled, shuffle the labels, and have the child place them again

  • Fade and observe

Note: If the child has trouble stop here.  If not, continue on.

  • Cut the article off the label.  Place the noun slips in a pile and the articles in another.  

  • Ask the child to place the noun labels next to the objects.

  • Explain that they now get to place the other labels where they feel they belong

  • When they are done, show the prepared labels.

Control of Error:  None

Following Exercises: None

Pedagogical Notes:

  • You may play a verbal game prior to the lesson where you ask the child to bring you an object in quantity, reinforcing the article in your statement.  “Bring me a pencil.  Bring me a pencil. Bring me a pencil. Bring me the globe.”

  • Use inflection in your voice to draw attention to the word that represents the article. 

  • DO NOT use the words article or noun with the children.  This is a lesson in reading practice and awareness of what words do. The academic vocabulary of article and noun is too abstract. 

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Adjective