How does the first-grade teacher enhance students' recognition of the inflectional ending -ing in the lesson described?

The answer is grounded in the fundamental connection between language components and their functions. By linking the inflectional ending -ing to its impact on spelling and meaning, the teacher helps students understand not only how the form of a word changes but also how that change alters the word's function in a sentence. This approach supports vocabulary development and deepens comprehension, as students learn that adding -ing to a verb transforms it into a present participle, which can function as part of a verb phrase or as an adjective.

Connecting -ing to its effects on spelling and meaning is essential for developing students' understanding of language structure as they progress in their literacy skills. This understanding will aid them in their reading and writing, as they recognize the grammatical and syntactical rules that govern English sentence construction. The focus here is on fostering a comprehensive grasp of verb usage rather than simply recognizing them in isolation or limiting the discussion to forms or antonyms.