Extreme Vocabulary Lesson [Extra Quality]
Albracca Silveira
Based on its official statement, Pitt County Schools seems confident that the vocabulary lessons are in compliance with three Common Core standards related to literacy. If you want to look up those standards, reference CCSSELA-Literary L11-12.4.A, 12.4.D and 12.6.
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Many schools require students to learn specific lists of high-frequency words as a system to promote sight words. Unfortunately, the practice of memorizing lists of words will not lead to a sight word vocabulary if it is not paired with the teaching of phonics and phonemic awareness.
Teaching vocabulary in high school? It can be difficult but also rewarding. In this post, read about ideas for teaching vocabulary to older students. Included, details for a simple but meaningful fun vocabulary activity to extend learning.
What are the keys to effective direct vocabulary instruction? Pinpointing the answer to this question can lead to powerful transformations in the way you approach vocabulary in your classroom. According to research, several key factors play into ensuring that students learn the words instead of simply memorizing them.
In my high school classroom, lists consist of ten to fifteen words, and I allow students two weeks to interact with them on a daily basis before I expect mastery. Less is more. Quality over quantity. When it comes to vocabulary lists, the cliches apply.
Using brain-based vocabulary approaches will help to ensure the practice time you provide is worthwhile. When I complete a vocabulary unit, my students know we will continue coming back to those words throughout the year. This repetition reinforces the likelihood that students will retain the new words.
Looking for a fun vocabulary activity? They are my jam. Click on the image below to view the details of the differentiated vocabulary practice assignment that allows students to interact with their words from various angles in meaningful ways.
Games have proved to be a better way to engage students and help them retain information in the classroom. And one game that could apply to new vocabulary words is Pictionary. Have students divide into groups and then diagram word definitions as best as they can, as their peers attempt to guess them. Another game might consist of students acting out words in short skits for classmates to guess. Such games are fun and are sure to produce a lot of laughs as students learn new words.
As you can see, in the first group of words, abase, demean, and humiliate can all be related, but extol does not fit. So, it gets bumped to group two, where students look for another ill-fitting word that is then bumped to group 3, and so on. When creating this activity, you can use words that are not on your vocabulary list to complement the ones that are.
A fun way to incorporate writing into your brain-based vocabulary instruction is through the use of pictures, short films, and music. They can all be used similarly for this assignment. Although numerous options exist, these three ideas are a good place to start:
1. Simply ask students to do some research and find a certain number of pictures, short films, or songs that relate to words on their vocabulary list. You could have them focus specifically on one word and find a picture, a short film, and a song that relates to it, or you could ask them to choose ten words off the list and find one connection for each word. Either way, students are building onto existing knowledge about a word and using critical thinking skills to make meaningful connections. I like to have my students write a short paragraph (3-5 sentences) explaining their connections to the word.
Another way to use these elements is to incorporate them as bell ringers. Each day, begin the class by projecting an image, showing a short film, or playing a song for students. After watching or listening, ask students to make connections between the artwork and words on their vocabulary list. To elicit more participation, I have my students write their thoughts first, then talk with a partner, and finally share with the class.
Give your students a sheet of small images (I like to using small pictures they can color), and tell them to match each picture to a word on their vocabulary list. They can then explain in a few short sentences why each picture and word relate. Simple but effective. Here is a resource you can use for any list.
I use mind maps as choice assignments throughout the year with various aspects of my curriculum. Mind maps are excellent brain-based vocabulary . activities that help students retain the definition of a word instead of memorizing it for a quiz and forgetting it.
Before using any of these brain-based vocabulary strategies in your classroom, you will need to establish a solid list of words. For some inspiration regarding how to strategically and effectively select word lists, click on over to Lauralee at Language Arts Classroom. She has some insights to share with you!
Subject-specific vocabulary goes hand-in-hand with a deep and meaningful knowledge of content. It allows us to engage with that subject, unlocks understanding, and promotes clear and precise communication.
This is great as a starter activity for a lesson that falls at the end of the topic. I like to keep it visible and accessible throughout the lesson for students to add to if inspiration strikes them later on.
There is no definitive list of which high frequency words should be taught at which grade level or at which time of year in a grade level. Reading programs typically incorporate some instruction of high frequency words into daily lessons. Teachers can also select words to teach from word lists such as the Fry 100 List (the 100 most common words used in English, ranked in order of frequency, Fry, 1980). See the list at the end of this post.
Pete Bowers and his colleagues have made some excellent contributions to our field with SWI. Especially for students beyond grade 2 when it is important to focus on morphemes in words to support both advanced decoding of multisyllable words and for a vocabulary strategy for figuring out the meaning of an unfamiliar word. Thanks for your comments and link to info on SWI!
This free Vocabulary Packet for Kids Discover Extreme Weather will help you teach kids core vocabulary about our cataclysmal climate, and help you answer all of their queries with a look at everything from heat waves to hurricanes.
Oral vocabulary refers to words that children can understand or use while speaking and listening. Oral vocabulary is closely related to their reading vocabulary, which is the words that children can recognise and use in their reading or writing.
Children need to have a rich vocabulary that continually grows through language and literacy experiences, in order to comprehend and construct increasingly complex texts, and engage in oral language for a variety of social purposes.
Focussing on vocabulary is useful for developing knowledge and skills in multiple aspects of language and literacy. This includes helping with decoding (phonemic awareness and phonics), comprehension, and also fluency.
Learning vocabulary is a continual process of language and literacy development, which begins in the early years of life, and continues through schooling and beyond. Sinatra, Zygouris-Coe, and Dasinger (2011) note that:
It is crucial that children have explicit and robust instruction in vocabulary, to support their verbal and written communication. The explicit teaching of vocabulary allows students to access academic language and discourse, and facilitates their comprehension of increasingly complex texts.
Translation alone is not a sufficient strategy to help students learn how to use new vocabulary. Students require ongoing support to infer the meaning of words using contextual clues, and to break words into morphemes and understand how each part relates to the meaning of the word.
Developing translation and vocabulary learning skills and strategies also helps EAL/D students continue to develop their home language and literacy, which in turn supports learning in English. During the translation process, students may notice gaps in their vocabulary, and become aware of the differences of meaning between words and grammatical structures in different languages.
When introducing vocabulary it is crucial for students to know the type (or class) of word it is. If ever students are unsure, they can be encouraged to check a paper or online dictionary, which will always provide the word class in the listing.
When using personal dictionaries (where new vocabulary is added progressively as students learn new words), students should be encouraged to record the word type in their entries. Adding an example sentence can also be useful. These strategies help develop students' independence in their understanding and use of new vocabulary.
Morphemes are important for vocabulary, as well as phonics (reading and spelling) and comprehension. Teaching morphemes is useful because they help to analyse the parts of words, often have a consistent purpose and/or meaning, and are often spelt the same across different words (even when the sound changes).
The most effective way to teach vocabulary is to show how new words relate to other words, especially ones that students already know. It is important to explicitly teach the relationships between words.
Some common synonyms of extreme are excessive, exorbitant, extravagant, immoderate, and inordinate. While all these words mean "going beyond a normal limit," extreme may imply an approach to the farthest limit possible or conceivable but commonly means only to a notably high degree.
Not only is vocabulary an important part of reading comprehension, but knowing what words mean also allows students to make connections between previously learned information (background knowledge) and new information. Studies have shown that students with greater background knowledge about a topic learn more, remember more, and are more interested in what they are learning (p. 5).
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