Using Words You Have Met in Books
A 30-minute Kindergarten lesson on taking a word from a shared book and putting it into your own speech and writing.
Using Words You Have Met in Books is a free 30-minute Kindergarten English lesson plan for Common Core standard L.K.6 — use the new words you have met in books and conversations. It is timed across 5 sections, gives the exact wording to use where the wording carries the mathematics, names 3 misconceptions with the teaching move that addresses each, and ends with an exit ticket and a printable worksheet with its answer key.
- Grade:
- Kindergarten
- Length:
- 30 minutes
- Standard:
- L.K.6
Kindergarten · Language
L.K.6
Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts.
Objective
Students will be able to use a word met in a shared book in a sentence of their own.
Students are successful when they can
- Chooses a word from the class word wall.
- Uses it in a sentence that makes sense.
- Uses it about something other than the book it came from.
What you need
- The class word wall from the term's reading
- A tally chart for words used during the day
- The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan
The lesson
Warm-up — words we have collected
4 min- Read the word wall aloud together.
- Ask which book each one came from.
Teach — take it out of its book
9 min- Take 'enormous' from the wall. Use it in the sentence from its book.
- Then use it about something in the classroom. Then about something at home.
- Say why that matters: a word you can only use in one sentence is not yours yet.
- Do a second word. Ask the class for the third use.
- Start the tally chart: a mark every time somebody uses a wall word today.
“It came from that book. But it is your word now, so use it about anything.”
Guided practice — three uses
9 min- Pairs take one wall word and make three sentences with it, about three different things.
- Take one from each pair.
Independent practice
6 min- Students complete the new-words page.
- Read each frame aloud.
Close
2 min- Read the tally. Say which word was used most.
- Leave the chart running all day.
What goes wrong, and why
Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.
Uses the word only in the sentence it came from.
Why: The word and its sentence were learned together, so they come back together.
Fix: Require three different sentences about three different things. One is not enough to prove the word has come loose.
Uses the word in a sentence where it does not fit.
Why: The child has the register right — it is an impressive word — but not the meaning.
Fix: Ask what the sentence means with the word swapped for its meaning. A poor fit becomes audible.
Chooses only the easiest words from the wall.
Why: The easy ones are safe and get approval.
Fix: Choose the word for them sometimes, from the harder end. The wall is there to be climbed.
If they are not there yet
- Give the sentence starter with the word already in it.
- Ask for one new sentence rather than three.
If they finish early
- Use two wall words in one sentence.
- Use a wall word in a piece of writing, not just aloud.
- Add a new word to the wall from today's reading.
Exit ticket
Choose a word from the wall. Use it in a sentence about something in this room.
What to look for: A sentence about the room, not about the book. Reusing the book's sentence means the word has not come loose yet.
Printable practice for L.K.6
Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.
- Use the New WordFinish each sentence.
Questions about Using Words You Have Met in Books
How long does the Using Words You Have Met in Books lesson take?
30 minutes, split across 5 timed sections: warm-up 4 min, teach 9 min, guided practice 9 min, independent practice 6 min, close 2 min. The minutes are stated per section and add up to the stated length, so the plan can be cut or extended at a section boundary rather than abandoned halfway.
Which standard does Using Words You Have Met in Books teach?
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.K.6 — L.K.6, Language for Kindergarten: “Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts.” In plain terms, use the new words you have met in books and conversations.
What do I need to teach this lesson?
The class word wall from the term's reading, a tally chart for words used during the day and the printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan. Everything listed is either ordinary classroom equipment or a free printable from this site — there is nothing to buy and nothing to prepare beyond photocopying.
What mistakes should I expect in this lesson?
Three, each a reasoning error rather than carelessness: uses the word only in the sentence it came from; uses the word in a sentence where it does not fit and chooses only the easiest words from the wall. The plan gives the thinking behind each one and the teaching move that addresses the thinking rather than the symptom.
How do I know whether the lesson worked?
The exit ticket asks: “Choose a word from the wall. Use it in a sentence about something in this room.” A sentence about the room, not about the book. Reusing the book's sentence means the word has not come loose yet. That tells you whether the class needs a reteach or a thirty-second conversation before you plan tomorrow.
Is there a worksheet to go with Using Words You Have Met in Books?
Yes — 1 printable L.K.6 worksheet, linked at the end of the plan and free like the rest of the site. Each one comes with an answer key and 25 versions, so the practice after the lesson can be a different paper on every desk.
Is Using Words You Have Met in Books free to use?
Yes. The plan, its printables and their answer keys are free to read, print and photocopy for your own class, with no account and no email capture. It was last reviewed on 7 September 2026. Please do not resell it or republish it as your own.
Last reviewed 2026-09-07. Aligned to L.K.6 of the Common Core State Standards for English language arts.