Tier-2 Motion Verbs — Hesitated, Hurried, Paused, Glanced

Mime-and-guess: teacher mimes each motion verb (hesitates at door, hurries across room, pauses mid-step, glances over shoulder). Children call out the verb.

• Mime clearly with whole body
• Affirm name

Today's 4 Tier-2 verbs are MOTION verbs — verbs that show how a body moves and what's happening INSIDE while it moves. HESITATED — paused before doing something, usually because of doubt or fear. HURRIED — moved quickly, often because of urgency. PAUSED — stopped for a moment, usually for a reason (to listen, to think). GLANCED — looked quickly, often sideways or back. Notice these are all about BODY MOTION that also tells the reader something about the FEELING. HESITATED tells us doubt. HURRIED tells us urgency. PAUSED tells us listening or thinking. GLANCED tells us a quick look that might mean nervousness or curiosity. In your narrative, use a motion verb to add TENSION or PACING. A hurried verb speeds the reader up; a paused verb slows them down.

• The doorway pause carries uncertainty.

  model HESITATED — paused with doubt or worry.

  prompt Pick: 'When Mom called me to the kitchen, I ___ in the doorway before stepping inside.'
• Speed + urgency.

  model HURRIED — moved quickly with urgency.

  prompt Pick: 'After the bell, I ___ down the hallway, dodging the second-graders.'
• A nervous quick look.

  model GLANCED — quick sideways or backward look.

  prompt Pick: 'I ___ over my shoulder to check if anyone was watching.'

• What's the difference between PAUSED and HESITATED?
• Which verb shows urgency?

• Match each of the 4 verbs to a scenario card.

  scaffold Word cards + scenario cards
• Find ONE place in your draft where you can replace a tired verb (went, walked, looked, stopped) with one of the 4 new Tier-2 verbs. Annotate STRONGER VERB.

  scaffold Drafts on desks; green pencil

M-3-F-VOC-10-B Photograph

Photo grid 4x1: (1) child hesitating in classroom doorway, hand on jamb, half-turned; (2) child mid-stride in hallway, backpack bouncing; (3) child stopped at desk, head tilted toward door; (4) child seated at desk, looking back over shoulder. Multicultural, age-appropriate, classroom-natural lighting. Print-ready 4x6 grid.

• Use HESITATED in one sentence about your narrator. Use HURRIED in another.
• Which verb adds tension? Which adds urgency?

• Hold up your motion-verb replacement.
• Predict: tomorrow we keep building — IF and conditional sentences.

• Watch ONE motion-verb moment at home (someone hesitating, hurrying, pausing, glancing). Write the sentence with the right verb.