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Heart Word Heroes

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Lesson Plan

Heart Word Heroes

Students will be able to confidently recognize, read, and correctly write the heart words: from, you, was, and are.

Mastering these high-frequency, irregularly spelled words (heart words) is essential for developing strong early reading fluency and comprehension. Understanding them helps students decode texts more efficiently.

Audience

1st Grade Students

Time

15 minutes

Approach

Direct instruction, guided practice, and independent application.

Materials

Whiteboard or Projector, Markers or Pens, Heart Word Heroes Slide Deck, and Heart Word Practice Worksheet

Prep

Teacher Preparation

5 minutes

Step 1

Introduction & Warm-Up (2 minutes)

2 minutes

  • Begin by asking students what they know about 'heart words' (words we need to learn by heart because they don't follow all the rules).
    - Introduce the day's heart words: from, you, was, are. (Refer to Heart Word Heroes Slide Deck - Slide 1-2)

Step 2

Direct Instruction & Guided Practice (8 minutes)

8 minutes

  • Go through each heart word using the Heart Word Heroes Slide Deck.
    - For each word:
    • Display the word.
    • Say the word aloud.
    • Use it in a sentence.
    • Point out the 'tricky' part(s) that students need to learn by heart.
    • Have students repeat the word and spell it aloud.
      - Engage students with interactive questions from the slide deck.

Step 3

Independent Practice (5 minutes)

5 minutes

  • Distribute the Heart Word Practice Worksheet.
    - Explain the instructions clearly, demonstrating if necessary.
    - Circulate around the room to provide support and answer questions.
    - Collect worksheets for review or assign as homework if time runs out.
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Slide Deck

Heart Word Heroes!

Words we learn by heart to become reading superheroes!

Welcome students and introduce the concept of heart words. Ask them what they think heart words are. Explain that some words don't follow all the spelling rules, so we have to learn them "by heart"!

What are Heart Words?

  • Words that don't always follow the rules.
  • Parts of the word are "tricky" and we need to learn them "by heart"!
  • Knowing them helps us read super fast!

Explain what a heart word is using simple language. Emphasize that knowing these words helps them read faster and understand more. Ask for examples of heart words they might already know.

Heart Word: from

from

Sentence: We are from different towns.

Tricky Part: The 'o' says /uh/.

Introduce the word 'from'. Say it, spell it, use it in a sentence. Ask students to repeat. Point out the 'o' is the tricky part, as it makes a /uh/ sound instead of a long or short 'o'.

Heart Word: you

you

Sentence: Are you ready to learn?

Tricky Part: The 'ou' says /oo/.

Introduce the word 'you'. Say it, spell it, use it in a sentence. Ask students to repeat. Point out the 'ou' as the tricky part, making the long 'u' sound.

Heart Word: was

was

Sentence: It was a sunny day.

Tricky Part: The 'a' says /uh/.

Introduce the word 'was'. Say it, spell it, use it in a sentence. Ask students to repeat. Highlight the 'a' as the tricky part, making an /uh/ sound.

Heart Word: are

are

Sentence: We are friends.

Tricky Part: The 'a-r-e' is tricky! The 'e' is silent.

Introduce the word 'are'. Say it, spell it, use it in a sentence. Ask students to repeat. Explain that the 'e' is silent and the 'a' says /ar/.

Let's Review Our Heart Words!

  • from
  • you
  • was
  • are

We are Heart Word Heroes!

Review all the heart words quickly. Ask students to say each word aloud as you click through them. Reinforce the idea of learning them by heart.

Time for Practice!

Now let's practice our new heart words on our worksheet!

Explain that students will now practice these words on their worksheet. Remind them to think about the tricky parts.

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Worksheet

Heart Word Practice

Name: ____________________________

Word 1: from

  1. Write it three times:









  2. Fill in the Missing Letters!
    fr_m



  3. Find it! Circle all the times you see "from" in the sentences below.
    I am from a small town. We received a gift from our aunt. She is from another class.

  4. Fill in the Blank! Complete the sentence with "from".
    The letter came ______ my friend.



Word 2: you

  1. Write it three times:









  2. Fill in the Missing Letters!
    y_u



  3. Find it! Circle all the times you see "you" in the sentences below.
    Are you going to play? I hope you have fun. Can you help me?

  4. Fill in the Blank! Complete the sentence with "you".
    I like _____.



Word 3: was

  1. Write it three times:









  2. Fill in the Missing Letters!
    w_s



  3. Find it! Circle all the times you see "was" in the sentences below.
    It was a great day. My dog was sleeping. He was very happy.

  4. Fill in the Blank! Complete the sentence with "was".
    She ______ at the park yesterday.



Word 4: are

  1. Write it three times:









  2. Fill in the Missing Letters!
    a_e



  3. Find it! Circle all the times you see "are" in the sentences below.
    We are going to the store. How old are you? They are playing outside.

  4. Fill in the Blank! Complete the sentence with "are".
    Where ______ my shoes?



Great job, Heart Word Hero!

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Heart Word Heroes • Lenny Learning