Let's dive into some new options to teach vocabulary, for those who have the time and energy to pursue them. In this post and podcast, I'm sharing ten ideas for making the study of vocabulary something students might even look forward to.
Back when I was a student, there is only one vocabulary activity I can ever remember doing in class or for homework. It was looking up the word in the dictionary, writing the definition, and using the word in a sentence. I can recall this assignment itself (probably because of the sheer number of times I had to do it), but ask me how many of those actual words I am able to remember. Couldn’t tell you a single one, to be honest!
Hello darlings! Do you teach vocabulary to your students? I think this is one thing we are missing in the upper grades and we are doing a disservice to our students. As they move up levels in reading, the thing that I notice that holds my students back the most is the challenging vocabulary they ... Read More about Adding Vocabulary to your ELA Block
Need to help your students get more hands on practice for their vocabulary words? I've got 5 fun vocabulary games you can use right away!
The following infographic offers some simple Dos-and-Don'ts for how to teach vocabulary in any content area.
Grab a muffin tin and play these super easy and fun learning games!
Make word study fun and engaging for your students.
Are you required to teach a list of vocabulary words each week? This list of vocabulary activities will help teach students to read!
Teachers like vocabulary strategies that make learning more meaningful and lasting. Check out these 15 Strategies to Ramp Up Vocabulary Instruction.
This reading response worksheet is ideal for practicing story elements, reading strategies, comprehension, text connection, author study, vocabulary work and so much more!
Are you required to teach a list of vocabulary words each week? This list of vocabulary activities will help teach students to read!
Are you making one of these mistakes when you teach language arts?
ESL Vocabulary Workshop - Teach terms and more with different games and activities that will keep students engaged and invested in learning!
Morphology and syntax are an integral part of linguistics. They are subdivisions of the study of languages and together with phonetics, semantics and phonology contribute to the understanding of how a language is formed. Morphology
Padlet is an excellent tool for virtual vocabulary instruction. See how easy it is for students to use padlet to share vocabulary word meanings.
Looking for a way to get students to have fun learning new words AND remember them longer? Try these brain-based vocabulary activities.
Over the last few months I've discovered interactive notebooks and folding resources - and I've fallen hard for them! I love the ways you can combine folding, colouring, words and ideas to create an interactive resource which helps students to explore and engage with the topic they are learning.&
4 Games to Help Kids Think Critically about Vocabulary Guest Post by Rachael Parlett from Classroom Game Nook Blog.
As the old adage goes, if you teach a man to fish, he eats for a lifetime. It turns out the same can be said about a student’s vocabulary: Teach her what a word means, and she’ll become a stronger reader. Even better, say researchers, teach your students what eight to 10 words mean, over the course of 37 to 50 weeks, and even your lowest readers could experience a 30 percent increase in word knowledge… And the more words your students know, the more likely they are to comprehend what they read. But as any of us who has memorized lists of vocabulary words knows, it can be – well, boring. As with many things school-related, the key to your students’ success with building their vocabularies is to make it fun! Check out these three No-Prep, No-Hassle, No-Excuses Vocabulary Games you can use with any sets of words. Tip: These work best as a review, after students have already heard the words and had a chance to use them (either during class warm ups or in homework). And...great news! I've compiled everything you need to play the games in an EXCLUSIVE FREEBIE! Guess Who? Write the vocabulary words on index cards (or have students do this). Here's a set of figurative language vocabulary cards... Without letting the students see, tape the cards to their backs. Have the students walk around the room and give clues to one another about the word on their backs. (For example, if Sam is wearing the word “onomatopoeia,” his partner may say, “The bacon sizzled in the frying pan.” Sam then takes a guess at what the word is. And so on.) When In Doubt, Bluff Divide your class into two teams. Write a vocabulary word on the board or write the words on cards and just display them inside this poster... Students who know the definition should stand up. Students who are bluffing and don’t know the definition also should stand. (Students who are unsure also may remain seated.) Call on a student at random to define the word. If the student gets it, his team gets points for every team member that is standing. If the student does not get it, the team loses points for every team member standing. The team with the most points at the end wins. Fast Talker Type the vocabulary words onto a SmartBoard or Powerpoint template (or use a visualizer) and project each word, one at a time, so the class can see it. Or, write the words on strips of paper for students to pull out of a bag or basket. Once students have a word, instead of asking for the definition of the word, call out alternative commands: · Part of speech · Synonym · Antonym · Roots · Use in a sentence (You can also write those commands on a beach ball and have students toss it to each other as you go through the words.) Or, you can put the commands on a paper cube that students roll for their "vocabulary fate." See how quickly the students can come up with an answer as you randomly call on them. It's a great idea to keep throwing in old words as the year progresses, so your students have a better shot of retaining the vocabulary words. Consider giving points or prizes when students identify vocabulary words in their reading material or outside of class. They’ll have fun. They’ll become better readers. And you won’t break a sweat! Everyone wins! Since we're on the topic of vocabulary, I thought I'd share my favorite way to teach vocabulary words. It's through doodling! Yes, doodling! I've found that combining vocabulary instruction with doodles...and then writing, is an amazing way to expand students vocabulary. I even created a set of 160 Daily Doodle Vocabulary words for grades 3-5 and grades 6-8. Ready for your freebie? Just click HERE for a set of vocabulary word cards, a poster, and the vocab cube. Thanks for stopping by! Mary Beth
What does the research tell us about best practices in teaching vocabulary?
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What does the research tell us about best practices in teaching vocabulary?
In my last post, I shared briefly about a strategy that I use to build vocabulary for my beginning English Language Learners (ELLs) called the K.I.M. Strategy. Today I want to share with you in more detail about what this strategy is, why I use it, and how I differentiate it to meet the needs of ALL students. The K.I.M. Strategy is a low prep, high yield strategy that supports ALL levels of learners across ALL content areas. Now, you can't get much better than that! What is it? It's a direct vocabulary instruction strategy. The acronym stands for Key word, Important information, Memory clue and Sentence. I have my students do this right inside their notebooks (no-prep), but you could also use a graphic organizer or vocabulary booklet (low-prep). K.I.M. strategy in a science notebook K. I. M. Strategy Graphic Organizers FREEBIE! Vocabulary Booklet - Click HERE! Why I use it! I use it because it's effective in building vocabulary, and my students enjoy it. As vocabulary grows, so does comprehension. I teach English language learners who happen to be of low socio-economic status. Those are two subgroups who come to school with significantly lower vocabulary knowledge than their English only and higher SES peers. I believe explicit vocabulary instruction is a crucial component of instruction, especially for kids in these subgroups. However, as we know, every child benefits from direct and purposeful vocabulary instruction. I say purposeful because looking up definitions in a dictionary is not purposeful, or meaningful, IMO. How I use it! In my students' notebooks, I have designated a section to vocabulary. This includes notebooks across content areas (math, science & social studies). The K.I.M. Strategy format is easily modified to meet the needs of students. For example, my beginning English language learners build their basic vocabulary using K.M.S. because they are new to the language, I do not have them add "Important information;" I simply want them to learn words and what they are. My "new to English" students learn monthly themed vocabulary each month. My intermediate and higher students always include K.I.M., and usually add "S" for a sentence as a follow up activity. A typical vocabulary lesson looks something like this... Before I give my students a word, I show them examples, pictures or drawings of the word. Then I'll say, this is a "_____." So, what do you think "_____" means? I let them explore the meaning first based on the visuals that I provide. I then steer them to the important information that they need to add in their notebook. Here's a recent example with my 6th grade math group. They were starting a geometry unit and needed to learn some new vocabulary. I used the document camera to project my notebook. The visual of my notebook provides them with a scaffold to ensure accuracy with their spelling and the "important information" of new terms. Memory clues and sentences are independent activities. First, they drew 6 KIM boxes for their 6 new words... ... then, I drew various sized and shaped quadrilaterals on the whiteboard. I said, "These are all quadrilaterals. What do you think a quadrilateral is?" Hands shot up and students shared their guesses. With teacher support, we narrowed down the information to the most important information. Students then filled in the Key word - quadrilateral, the Important information - 4 sided shape with 4 angles, then they drew a quick picture for a Memory clue. Next, I drew several examples of parallel lines and told them that these lines are parallel. "What do you think the word parallel means?" Again, hands shot up. After that, a right angle, and so on... On this day I did not have them write a sentence because of time constraints, but that could be a follow up activity at a different time or day. When I do direct vocabulary instruction, I typically teach about 5 new words in a lesson, but that can vary. I also typically add a fun, kinesthetic activity as an exit ticket. Recently I needed to teach my students just 2 words, "ascending" and "descending." We did the K.I.M. Strategy for those 2 terms, then towards the end of class we did a quick human number line activity! I passed out index cards with a percent written on each, then told them to get into "ascending" order. Once that was complete, I mixed them up and told them to get into "descending" order. "descending" order - exit ticket to reinforce new vocabulary For the follow up activity of the geometry terms, I wrote each term on an index card, and corresponding pictures on another. I randomly passed out all the cards and told them to find the classmate who has the matching term or picture for their card, then stand next to each other. That was their exit ticket for that day. We are a good ways into the school year now, so my students know the process and expectations of using the K.I.M. strategy, however, when the strategy was first introduced, I did provide an anchor chart for students to use as a reference. K.I.M. strategy anchor chart If you are looking for a new way to incorporate direct vocabulary instruction into your lessons, I think you'll find this strategy to be effective, engaging and super easy to implement. I also think that your students will find it to be a fun way to learn new vocabulary. It's my go-to strategy this year for teaching new vocabulary. If you have a great strategy for direct vocabulary instruction, I'd love to hear about it!
Fun and engaging ESL activities, games and worksheets in printable PDF format with full teacher's notes and answers for English teachers to use in class.
Students need a good vocabulary to understand what they read, and improve in writing papers. Free online vocabulary games are a fun way to learn vocabulary.
Inside: Spanish vocabulary games for the language classroom. The best way to “learn vocabulary” is in context. I use to give long lists of isolated words, until I switched to proficiency-based teaching and threw out my textbook. I realized my students were memorizing the words to pass a quiz, and then forgetting them. Our students really need to see
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Looking for resources for language teachers? Find fun lessons, ideas, and activities for teaching preschool and elementary Spanish.
Are your students reluctant to learn multiplication? Do you find that your students are struggling to understand the basics? I’ve watched far too many kids walk through the door of my class…
A district-wide unit that affirms the experiences of ELLs while teaching content and developing their language skills. ELLs voices were highlighted through this multi-grade, multi-school unit.
We can look at the SmarterBalance/Badger Exam as a stressor in our lives OR we can look at it as an opportunity to strengthen our universal instruction. We can look at some of our students and say "they can't" OR we can look at those students and say "they will" and find a new way to reach them. We can look at our colleagues and find their faults OR we can discover ways to share our strengths and make everyone around us stronger in the process. We can worry about how far we still have to go OR we can look at the exceptional things that go on at Van Brunt each day, and build on those positives. On a daily basis, I am impressed with what goes on at Van Brunt. Your hard work digging into curriculum, relationship building, and supporting each other are some of the things that make Van Brunt a great place to be. High Fives: *Our youngest learners were deeply engaged in a Lucy Calking writing lesson. They were so eager to share their thinking on paper. *I loved to see how excited students were when their classmates experienced success during a spelling lesson. It's great to see such positive responses from our students. *Teachers were using data to reassign students in RAZ-Kids. The students were challenged to work hard and meet new goals. *A science review game had the students so engaged that they may not have realized how much they were learning! Students were encouraged to pay attention as questions were asked in a variety of ways. *Teachers were coming together as a team to problem solve and think of creative ways to meet the needs of every learner. *Guided reading lessons are becoming stronger and even more focused. Students know the expectations and rise to the high standards you have set. Important Information/Updates: *RtI Committee Updates: Our current assessment tools were discussed and conversation was had around which one (MAP, AIMS, F&P) we want to put the most weight for determining interventions. It was decided that MAP is what people currently like the best. There was also discussion around the percentile cut-offs for intervention. The high school currently uses 1st-10th percentile for Tier 3 and 11th-20th for Tier 2. There will be further discussion on this topic. We have also received PRESS, a resource for Tier 2/3 intervention in reading. *Information: As you are sending home information to parents, please provide a copy for the office. This would include things such as newsletters, permission slips, field trip reminders, etc. If it is going home...we would like a copy in the office. This will make life much easier as we receive parent phone calls. *Attendance: We have been using the automated calling system for absences. It is so important that accurate attendance is taken each day. If a child comes in late, please make sure to change your attendance. I completely understand that mornings are busy, but we don't want to worry parents when unnecessary safe arrival calls are being made. As I was in classrooms this past week, I saw that book groups were being introduced. Here is an interesting article: Assessing Learning During Student-Led Book Clubs Week at a Glance: Monday, January 26 PBIS Committee Meeting 7:30 Tuesday, January 27 I am out of district at the Badger Exam Training (Morning) Wednesday, January 28 I am at an Admin Meeting 8:30 I am at Rotary 11:45 POPS Assembly 2:30 PLC 3:30 (Focus will be on the Badger Exam for 3rd-6th grade teachers and special ed. 4K-2nd, please use this time for your guided reading lesson planning or Lucy Calkins work. If these groups don't include you, and you have your data gathered for your SLO, you may use this time to work on TPES.) Please let me know if you have any questions. Thursday, January 29 ELA Committee Meeting 7:30 Friday, January 30 Have a great week!!
As you have probably noticed with your ELLs, there is quite a difference in an ELLs' conversational vocabulary compared to their academic vocabulary. According to Jim Cummins (1984), BICS (Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills) refers to
These three activities use Semantic feature analysis (SFA). Students use a grid to help students see how topics are related to one another.
HABLO - SPANISH LANGUAGE ZONE Why Learn Spanish ? Learning Spanish opens up a world of opportunities. From travel to...
Telling the Time in English O’clock Five past Ten past Quarter past Twenty past Twenty-five past Half past Twenty-five to Twenty to Quarter to Ten to Five to
