Defining Words
Define words by category and by one or more key attributes (e.g., 'a duck is a bird that swims'), making real-life connections between words and their use
What a learner can do afterwards
- Define 'tiger' as 'a large cat with stripes' — naming category and key attribute
- Connect the word 'cozy' to real-life examples: places at home that feel cozy
- Sort words into categories and explain why each word belongs
1 · Read
A definition tells what a word means. To build one, do two things: name the group the thing belongs to, then add one special detail that makes it different from everything else in that group.
Mia sees a tiger at the zoo. She tells her friend: 'A tiger is a cat with stripes.' First she named the group: cat. Then she added the special detail: stripes. Now her friend knows exactly what she means.
Some words connect to feelings and places, not just animals. Cozy means warm and comfortable. A blanket on the couch on a rainy day is cozy. So is a soft fort made of pillows.
When you sort words into a group, ask yourself why. If you can say why a word belongs, you really understand it.
A strong definition names the group a word belongs to, then adds the detail that makes it special.
2 · Watch
Take it off screen
Where it sits
Where this leads
Jobs that lean on this skill. Follow one to see everything it is built on.
8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.