The Tiny Word with Three Jobs
Bat is tired of being misunderstood and demonstrates three different jobs in one afternoon.
Read together at your own pace. Pausing, rereading, or stopping is always okay.
The word BAT arrived at the workshop carrying three name tags. “Are you an animal?” asked Jo. “Sometimes,” Bat replied. “Are you sports equipment?” “Sometimes.” “Do you mean to blink quickly?” Bat nodded again.
Context gave each job a room. A bat flew from the cave. Jo swung a bat at practice. A cat batted a paper ball beneath the sofa. Nearby words helped readers choose the intended meaning.
Jo tried a sentence with no clues: “I saw a bat.” The workshop imagined wings, wood, and a quick paw all at once. Adding “above the cave” made one picture clearer.
Bat kept all three name tags. Words did not always have to choose one life forever. Readers simply needed enough context to know which life had entered the sentence.
Story workshop
Notice, talk, and play
Words to notice
- context
- nearby words or circumstances that help explain meaning
- intended
- meant or planned
- equipment
- items used for an activity
Talk about the story
- Which three jobs did “bat” have?
- How did added words clarify the sentence?
- Can you name another word with two meanings?
Try it together
Choose a multiple-meaning word with an adult. Draw two meanings and write a clue-filled sentence for each.
Activities are designed for shared use. An adult should choose materials and supervision appropriate to the child.
Keep reading
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