aidemia--modules-lessonstartideas_type	Give a creative idea how to begin a lesson
Which subject	English
What age group	Year or Grade 1
What topic	Comprehension
Quantity	1
Any other preferences

Creative Lesson Beginning: English Comprehension for Year 1

Introduction: "Story Time Adventure"

Objective

To engage Year 1 students in comprehension skills by exploring a story together, enhancing their listening and understanding abilities.

Materials Needed

• A big, colourful picture book (e.g. "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?" by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle)
• A storytelling prop (e.g. a stuffed animal or puppet representing a character in the story)

Lesson Hook

Welcome the Students!

1. Gather the students in a circle: Arrange the students on the carpet, creating a comfortable and inviting space.

2. Introduce the Story: Hold up the picture book and say, "Today, we're going on a special adventure through a story! But first, I want you to meet my friend [Stuffed Animal/Puppet’s Name]. [Name] loves to hear stories and needs our help to find out what happens next!"

3. Build Excitement: Encourage students to think about their favourite animals or colours. Ask, "What’s something exciting we might see in our story? A blue bird? A green frog?"

Engaging Activity

"Guess What Happens Next!"

4. Start Reading: Begin reading the story with enthusiasm. As you reach a key point where the reader has to guess what happens next (e.g., "What do you think [Animal] will see next?"), pause and encourage students to shout out their predictions.

5. Incorporate the Prop: Use the stuffed animal/puppet to react to the students' predictions. For example, if a student guesses "A red dog!", shake your head or nod excitedly, and say, "Oh, [Name] thinks that's a great guess!"

Transition to Comprehension Skills

Wrap Up the Hook:

After a few turns of predicting, finish reading the story. Congratulate the students on how well they guessed and explain, "Today, we're going to learn more about how to understand stories and share our thoughts about what we read."

Conclusion

This interactive approach of using a beloved story and engaging predictions sets a fun tone for the lesson on comprehension. It fosters excitement and curiosity, making students eager to delve deeper into understanding stories throughout the lesson.