New Words in an Information Book
A 30-minute Kindergarten lesson on noticing a subject word in a fact book and asking what it means.
New Words in an Information Book is a free 30-minute Kindergarten English lesson plan for Common Core standard RI.K.4 — ask what a new word in a fact book means. It is timed across 5 sections, gives the exact wording to use where the wording carries the meaning, 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:
- RI.K.4
Kindergarten · Reading: Informational Text
RI.K.4
With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text.
Objective
Students will be able to notice a subject word they do not know and ask what it means.
Students are successful when they can
- Signals at "burrow" and asks "What is a burrow?"
- Uses the picture or the next sentence to work out a meaning: "a hole under the ground."
- Uses one new word in their own sentence: "A fox has a burrow too."
What you need
- The fact text "Rabbits" (in Teach), with a drawing for each sentence, containing burrow, kits and nibble
- A word wall that will grow all year
- The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan
The lesson
Warm-up — words that only live here
4 min- Say: "Some words live in fact books about one thing. In a book about space, we meet rocket, planet and astronaut."
- Ask: "What words might we meet in a book about the sea?" Fish for "fish," "waves," "shark," "shell."
- Teach the signal: thumb on chin means "I just heard a new word."
Teach — the picture usually helps
10 min- Read: "Rabbits live in a burrow. A burrow is a hole under the ground. Baby rabbits are called kits. Kits stay in the burrow until they are big. Rabbits nibble grass and leaves."
- Stop yourself at "burrow," thumb on chin. Say: "I wonder what a burrow is." Point at the drawing of a tunnel under the grass. Then read on: "A burrow is a hole under the ground." Say: "The book told me in the very next sentence. Fact books often do that."
- Read on to "kits." Wait for thumbs. Ask: "What are kits?" Reread "Baby rabbits are called kits." Fish for "baby rabbits."
- Read to "nibble." Point to the picture of a rabbit taking tiny bites. Mime tiny bites. Ask: "Is nibble big bites or little bites?" Fish for "little bites."
- Add each word to the word wall with a small drawing: a hole, a baby rabbit, a mouth taking a tiny bite.
“Thumb on chin. Stop. Ask what it means. Look at the picture. Read the next sentence.”
Guided practice — you spot them
8 min- Read a new text with pictures: "Owls hunt at night. They have big eyes to see in the dark. Owls swoop down to catch mice. An owl's home is called a nest."
- Children put a thumb on their chin at any new word. Expect "hunt" and "swoop"; some may signal at "nest."
- For each signal, ask the class: "What could help us?" For "swoop," point to the picture of the owl diving. For "hunt," reread "to catch mice."
- Ask pairs to say what swoop means with their hand: a diving movement.
- Add swoop and hunt to the wall.
“Thumb on chin if you heard a new word. Then let us find what helps.”
Independent practice
6 min- Read the text on the sheet aloud twice.
- Children circle what the new word means, or match each word to its meaning as you read the words and meanings aloud.
Close
2 min- Point to "burrow" on the wall. Ask a child to use it in a sentence about another animal.
- Fish for something like "A fox lives in a burrow too."
What goes wrong, and why
Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.
Never signals; says "I knew all the words" after the rabbit text but cannot say what kits are.
Why: The child got the gist and let unknown words slide past, which is how they understand most talk around them.
Fix: Ask direct questions: "What is a kit?" When they cannot say, celebrate: "That is a new word for you! Readers stop and find out."
Says "kits are toys you build with."
Why: The child knows another meaning of kit and uses it, which is sensible but not checked against this text.
Fix: Say: "Kit can mean that. In this book, read the sentence: Baby rabbits are called kits." One word, two meanings: the book tells you which.
Waits for the teacher to explain every word.
Why: Being told is faster and has always worked, so the child has no reason to look at the picture or the next sentence.
Fix: Before giving any meaning, ask: "What do you see in the picture? What does the next sentence say?" Give the meaning only after they have tried.
If they are not there yet
- Show the picture for each new word before reading the page.
- Act each word: burrow by crouching, nibble by tiny bites.
- Use one new word per text.
If they finish early
- Find a new word in another fact book and teach it to the class with a picture.
- Draw and label a rabbit burrow with kits inside.
- Sort word-wall words by topic: rabbit words, owl words, bee words.
Exit ticket
"Rabbits live in a burrow." What is a burrow? How did you find out?
What to look for: "A hole under the ground," from the picture or the next sentence. A sound-alike guess ("a donkey") means the child heard "burro"; reread the next sentence. A right meaning with no strategy may be prior knowledge; try a fresh word.
Printable practice for RI.K.4
Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.
- New Words in a Fact BookRead the text, then answer the questions.
Questions about New Words in an Information Book
How long does the New Words in an Information Book lesson take?
30 minutes, split across 5 timed sections: warm-up 4 min, teach 10 min, guided practice 8 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 New Words in an Information Book teach?
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.K.4 — RI.K.4, Reading: Informational Text for Kindergarten: “With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text.” In plain terms, ask what a new word in a fact book means.
What do I need to teach this lesson?
The fact text "Rabbits" (in Teach), with a drawing for each sentence, containing burrow, kits and nibble, a word wall that will grow all year 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: never signals; says "I knew all the words" after the rabbit text but cannot say what kits are; says "kits are toys you build with." and waits for the teacher to explain every word. 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: “"Rabbits live in a burrow." What is a burrow? How did you find out?.” "A hole under the ground," from the picture or the next sentence. A sound-alike guess ("a donkey") means the child heard "burro"; reread the next sentence. A right meaning with no strategy may be prior knowledge; try a fresh word. 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 New Words in an Information Book?
Yes — 1 printable RI.K.4 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 New Words in an Information Book 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 October 8, 2026. Please do not resell it or republish it as your own.
Last reviewed 2026-10-08. Aligned to RI.K.4 of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.