A pronoun is a word that substitutes for a noun or noun phrase. It can function independently ( e.g., ‘me’ or in place of a NP referring to someone or something present (e.g., I, you ) or to someone or something elsewhere (e.g., she, it, this ).
Strategy
Teacher actions are highlighted
-
Review the concept and activities from the “Pronoun in subject position (I)”
-
Ask: What do you know about the words 'she/he.'
-
Tell Emma: Walk to the window.
-
Ask the other students what Emma did. Elicit response: 'Emma walked to the window.'
-
Write the sentence on the board.
-
-
Tell Emma to look for the school bus.
-
Ask: What did Emma do?
-
-
Write the response on the board under the first sentence (Emma looked for the school bus).
-
Draw a line through the word ' Emma'
-
Write ''She' above 'Emma'.
-
-
Tell the students that instead of repeating the name, they can use another word ( pronoun) for a girl: 'she'.
-
-
Students say/sign/fingerspell the sentences with you.
Advancing the Strategy
-
Write three pairs of sentences on a chart.
-
-
Use names that are different from the names of students. For example:
-
Mary tripped on the rug.
-
Mary fell down.
-
-
-
Read the first pair of sentences. Support the student to cross out the name in the second sentence and replace with 'She'.
-
Students read the sentences.
-
Repeat with the additional sentence pairs.
-
Have more sentence pairs written on a second chart. Use a girl, a woman, a lady, and Grandma in the sentences instead of names, for example:
-
A girl bought a candy bar.
-
_____ paid 50 cents.
-
-
Repeat the steps using the pronoun 'he.'
-
Give each student a worksheet with sentence pairs similar to those used during explicit instruction.
-
Draw a line in the second sentence instead of writing in a name or a pronoun.
-
Students complete their papers by writing the correct pronoun 'he' or 'she' on the line.
-
Develop the concept of the pronoun 'it' using procedures and activities similar to those used for I, she, he.
-
Students read a story that includes frequent use of the pronoun ' it'.
-
Each time they read the pronouns I, she, he, or it, have them identify who is talking or who the pronoun references.
-
-
Incorporate the new pronouns into language experience stories and all other activities during the school day and emphasize the pronouns.