Lesson Focus

Learning how to use precise nouns enables writers to create specific visual details for their readers. As writers, we need to consider our word choice.

Writing Warm Up

Our 5-minute fluency exercise focused on inflected endings—suffixes added to the end of words (nouns, verbs, adjectives, or adverbs) to modify their meaning and grammatical function, in this case, tense.

Using the anchor chart, we built on the base words of play, walk, and stand.

Whole

Learning Intention: To use precise nouns to make our writing specific.

To begin with, we came together to break down the meaning of our Learning Intention.

We used the SCRIIBI writing lesson on precise nouns as our framework to explain that precise nouns strengthen writing by being more specific. They help readers form clear mental images of people, places, and things so they understand exactly what we mean.

Students were asked to close their eyes and imagine a dog playing in their backyard.

Then they were asked what sort of dog they visualised.

Answers varied because they were not specific enough. It was explained that if we’re not specific in our writing, readers will have to fill in the gaps with what they know.

We considered examples of precise nouns within mentor texts, describing people, places and things in detail.

Then we modelled writing a description of the picture prompt, below

On top of a hill sits a small white wooden house with an orange roof.

Green ferns cover the walls of the house. There is a large vegetable garden

with lettuce, spinach and carrots. Apple and pear trees surround the little house.

Small

With support, students completed the Precise Nouns activity sheet. The instruction was to change ordinary nouns to make them more specific and descriptive. We then wrote sentences using our precise nouns.

Whole

We came together again, to reflect:

Comprehend

What is a noun? Turn and Talk to the person next to you

A person, place, thing or idea.

Analyse

Why should we use precise nouns in our writing? Think, Pair, Share with another person

It helps readers create strong mental images.
To describe people, places and things in more detail.
It makes writing interesting and memorable.

Evaluate

How did you go? Turn and Talk to the person next to you

Find a general noun that you changed to a precise noun and share this with your partner. Think, Pair, Share

Continue the Learning at Home

Encourage your child to read more types of texts, including fiction, nonfiction, and multifiction (the children coined this term).
When you are reading together, notice new ways with words and explicit vocabulary that heighten the reader’s mental image of what is happening in the text. Encourage them to use those words and ideas in their own writing.
As you read together, bring their attention to how the writer has used different techniques. Ask them what a certain writer does in their writing, that they could do too – uses precise nouns or descriptive words(adjectives) or comparisons or alliteration.
Read aloud daily to expose your children to new ideas, different styles of writing, other structures and ways of looking at the world.
Continue to encourage your child/ren to write for pleasure at home, and share their writing and ideas with you. You might like to write a poem or story together, alternating each line or collaborating on ideas.

Jocelyn and Steph

Year 2 Team

Jocelyn.Evans@education.vic.gov.au

Stephanie.Drzewucki@education.vic.gov.au

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