English · Year 1

Active learning ideas

Verbs: Doing Words

Active learning helps young learners grasp verbs because movement and games make abstract concepts visible and memorable. Acting out words and sorting actions builds neural pathways that connect physical motion to language, strengthening memory for this core grammar skill.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• KS1: English - Writing (Vocabulary, Grammar and Punctuation)

• 15–30 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Role Play
• 20 min · Pairs

Action Charades: Verb Guessing Game

Pairs take turns acting out a verb from a card, such as 'kick' or 'clap', while the other guesses and says a sentence using it. Switch roles after each turn. Record three sentences on mini-whiteboards for sharing.

Analyze how verbs show what is happening in a sentence.

Facilitation Tip

During Action Charades, stand back to let students lead the guessing, only stepping in with gentle prompts if they stall for more than ten seconds.

What to look for

Present students with a list of words, including nouns and verbs. Ask them to circle only the 'doing words' (verbs). For example: 'cat, run, ball, jump, house, eat'.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 02

• Role Play
• 30 min · Small Groups

Verb Hunt Scavenger: Classroom Sentences

Provide printed sentences around the room. In small groups, students circle verbs and underline nouns, then discuss findings. Groups create one new sentence with a found verb to share with the class.

Differentiate between nouns and verbs in a sentence.

Facilitation Tip

In Verb Hunt Scavenger, provide each pair with a highlighter so they can mark verbs directly on their sentence strips, making errors easier to spot and correct.

What to look for

Give each student a sentence strip with a simple sentence like 'The dog barks.' Ask them to underline the verb and write one new sentence using a different action word to describe what the dog is doing.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 03

• Role Play
• 25 min · Whole Class

Sentence Relay: Building with Verbs

Whole class lines up. First student picks a noun card and says it, next adds a verb card to start a sentence, continuing down the line until complete. Repeat with variations for fun.

Construct sentences using a variety of action verbs.

Facilitation Tip

For Sentence Relay, place verb cards face-down to ensure random selection and equal participation, rather than letting students pick their favorites.

What to look for

Show a picture of children playing. Ask: 'What are the children doing?' Encourage students to use action words (verbs) to describe the scene. Prompt further by asking: 'Can you think of other doing words for this picture?'

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 04

• Role Play
• 15 min · Individual

Movement Sort: Noun or Verb?

Individually, students receive word cards. They jump for verbs and sit for nouns, then pair up to justify choices and make sentences. Collect as a class vote on tricky words.

Analyze how verbs show what is happening in a sentence.

Facilitation Tip

In Movement Sort, use a timer for each round to keep energy high and prevent over-thinking, signaling the switch with a clear sound like a chime.

What to look for

Present students with a list of words, including nouns and verbs. Ask them to circle only the 'doing words' (verbs). For example: 'cat, run, ball, jump, house, eat'.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach verbs through multisensory experiences first, then move to written practice. Avoid starting with worksheets; instead, use movement and discussion to build intuition. Research shows that pairing physical action with language activates motor areas of the brain, reinforcing learning. Keep grammar talks brief and tied to what students are doing in the moment.

By the end of these activities, students should confidently point out verbs in sentences and use them correctly in their own writing. They will demonstrate understanding by distinguishing verbs from nouns and applying verbs to describe actions in context.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Action Charades, watch for students who confuse nouns with verbs when acting out words like 'throw' or 'ball'.

  Prompt them to notice how 'throw' makes you move while 'ball' makes you freeze when miming, then have them repeat the word aloud to feel the action.

• During Movement Sort, watch for students who label all active-sounding words as verbs, including 'happy' or 'sad'.

  Place a red sticker on adjective cards and have students wave their hands for verbs and stand still for non-verbs, reinforcing the difference physically.

• During Sentence Relay, watch for students who skip verbs or replace them with nouns, writing 'The cat the milk' instead of 'The cat drinks the milk'.

  Pause the relay and ask the group to read their sentence aloud, clapping on each verb to identify missing action words before continuing.

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Methods used in this brief

• Role Play