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DODO Learning
Think Once. In Both Languages.
Lesson 02
Little DODO · Phase 3

Action Words Wake Up Spring

Frog and Toad Are Friends · pp. 10-19 · Format B · Disposition: Observing & Describing · 25 min
Frog and Toad Are Friends
Pages this lesson: 10-19
Fluency · Poetry
Children practice reading fluency and rhythm using a simple action-verb poem with repetition.
Oral Fluency · Repetitive Text · Action Verbs · Rhythm And Rhyme
Introduce

Vocabulary Exploration· 5 min

Sound focus: action verbs with -ing ending
Target words
  1. shining 11: “The sun is shining!”
  2. melting 11: “The snow is melting.”
  3. lying 12: “Toad was lying in bed.”
  4. looking 18: “to see how the world was looking in the spring.”
Today we hunt for action words that end in -ing. These words tell us what someone is doing right now. When Frog says the sun is shining, we can act it out. Let's move like the words move.
Exploration steps
  1. Act out each action verb with full body movement
  2. Chorus the -ing words together three times
  3. Hunt for -ing words on pages; tap each one found
Expected responses
  • shining like the sun
  • melting down slow
  • lying flat in bed
Differentiation

Quiet kids: pair with movement partner; fast finishers: find two more -ing words on any page.

Transition cue

Tap head, shoulders, knees — Reading Time.

Anticipated pitfalls

Don't skip the movement — phonics without action loses the pre_mct band.

Why this matters: Movement anchors the -ing pattern for kids who can't yet read independently.

Reading in Class· 10 min

Required reading pages: 10-18
Opening move: Point to Toad's closed shutters on page 12 — the dark room shows he's still sleeping.
Frog wants Toad to wake up and see spring. Toad wants to sleep. Let's read their story together. When Frog calls out, we'll call with him. Ready?
Read-aloud steps
  1. Picture-walk pages 10-18: Frog tries to wake Toad; Toad stays in bed; Frog tears calendar pages
  2. Read aloud once at storytelling pace with character voices
  3. Read again; students chorus Frog's wake-up lines
Call-and-response refrains
  1. Toad, Toad, wake up. It is spring! 10: “"Toad, Toad," shouted Frog, "wake up. It is spring!"”
  2. The sun is shining! The snow is melting. Wake up! 11: “"The sun is shining! The snow is melting. Wake up!"”
Expected responses
  • Wake up Toad
  • It is spring
  • The sun is shining
Differentiation

Struggling readers: echo the refrain after navigator first; fast finishers: add hand gesture for each refrain.

Transition cue

Close book, open hands — Questions Time.

Anticipated pitfalls

Don't let one loud answerer chorus over quiet kids — count to three before accepting.

Why this matters: Chorus refrains protect kids who can't yet read independently.

Questions Time· 7 min

Comprehension questions
  1. Which word on this page has the -ing ending? 11: “"The sun is shining! The snow is melting. Wake up!"”
  2. Find the -ing word that tells what Toad was doing in bed. 12: “Toad was lying in bed.”
Extension

Pick one -ing word. Say a sentence.

18: “to see how the world was looking in the spring.”

What students produce: Students say one sentence using an -ing action word from the story.

Now we hunt for -ing words together. Point to the word on the page when you find it. Then we'll make our own sentences with -ing words. Who wants to go first?
Expected responses
  • shining and melting
  • lying
  • I am walking to school
Differentiation

Quiet kids: whisper sentence to partner first; fast finishers: make two sentences with different -ing words.

Transition cue

Clap twice, hands on lap — Closing Time.

Anticipated pitfalls

Don't correct invented sentences — celebrate the -ing pattern attempt first.

Why this matters: Picture prompt prevents grammar from blocking kids who can't yet read independently.

Conclusion· 3 min

Routine: I Noticed · Disposition: Observing & Describing
Student-facing prompts
Recap: I noticed Frog and Toad...
Take-home: Tonight, find three -ing words at home.
Today we noticed action words that end in -ing. Frog noticed spring was here. Toad noticed he was tired. What did you notice about the story or the words?
Expected responses
  • I noticed Toad stayed in bed
  • I noticed shining and melting
  • I noticed Frog tore the calendar
Differentiation

Quiet kids: point to favorite page instead of speaking; fast finishers: notice two things.

Anticipated pitfalls

Don't rush the noticing — silence means thinking, not stuck.

Why this matters: Same shape every day so kids own the close.