Teach Students to Describe Actions in Writing

Narrative writing in the second grade goes beyond the basics of constructing sentences; it dives into the more complex territory of describing actions, thoughts, and emotions. This element of writing makes stories come alive for the reader. However, this can be a significant challenge, particularly for English learners navigating the intricacies of verb usage and tenses.

This post outlines an activity I did with my second-grade students to teach them how to use verbs to describe actions.

Why is Describing Actions Hard for Students?

For many elementary English learners, using verbs extends only to forming simple, often progressive tense sentences.

The leap to using more descriptive verbs requires an understanding of grammar, a familiarity with a broader vocabulary, and the ability to match verbs with the context of the narrative.

This understanding is vital for students to express themselves clearly and vividly in their storytelling.

So, how do we guide children to enhance their use of descriptive verbs?

Strategies for Teaching Descriptive Verbs

One effective strategy is to incorporate vocabulary activities that focus on action words. Such interactive and collaborative activities should keep students engaged and encourage deeper learning. Here is one activity that I did with my elementary students.

Day 1: Brainstorming and Exploring Verbs

The first step in our two-day activity was a brainstorming session. During a designated reading time, students were asked to pay attention to the verbs within the sentences they encountered.

This encouraged them to pay attention to the narrative and the specific words that animated the text.

Students can keep track of the verbs on sticky notes or use paper folded into a bookmark.

Capturing and Utilizing the Verb List

We compiled the list of verbs on chart paper. This was a complete list of the verbs students encountered with no organization. I just had students popcorn the words, and I wrote them down.

Note: If you create a list like this, leave more room between each word.

Once we had a list of verbs, I photographed it. I printed the photo and made photocopies for each table group to cut apart and use the next day.

Day 2: Sorting and Categorizing

The following day, groups were given the photograph and asked to cut out the verbs to sort them.

The sorting criteria were not predefined, allowing the students to exercise their reasoning and collaborative decision-making skills.

As a result, some groups arranged the verbs into columns, while others formed clusters based on their categorizations.

Facilitating and Naming the Categories

After sorting, I asked students to name their categories.

This was not just about organization but also about helping students see the connections between words and their uses.

I did help with synthesizing a name for some of the categories.

This activity was a fun, low-prep lesson that helped students pay attention to verbs.  

Whether or not it solidified their understanding of descriptive verbs, it gave them additional exposure to various action words. It also served as an open-ended sorting exercise, which is a beneficial practice for developing cognitive skills.

Through such hands-on and reflective activities, students can begin to appreciate the power of verbs in storytelling. By expanding their vocabulary and understanding of describing actions, they move one step closer to writing engaging and richly detailed narratives.