Vocabulary Strategies
CCSS RI.6.4 states students should determine meanings of symbols, key terms, and other domain specific words as they are used in a specific context. To help students learn and understand domain specific words, I post a word wall because it's best practice and when it's interactive it's even better. Word walls are strategies to increase vocabulary achievement through repeated daily exposure to these terms. Interactive word walls:. use as graphic organizers. identify important ideas and how they fit together. visually show relationships among concepts. create a deeper understanding.
Effective strategies for learning vocabulary help students understand and learn new words, make sense of new vocabulary by integrating it with what they already know, and remember the meaning of words when encountered at a later. Vocabulary Strategies in 15 Minutes! BACKGROUND Direct instruction of vocabulary can help students learn enough words to become better readers, and becoming a better reader can in turn help students learn even more vocabulary.
Vocabulary Strategies For Reading
can even have student generated material as a visual support Good vocabulary can help you say what you mean. Everyday students must communicate (SP#8) ideas and thoughts, so it is important to build strong vocabulary skills. It's best practice, directly linked to student achievement, and there is a strong relationship between reading comprehension and vocabulary knowledge. This lesson, will help you learn more about teaching key terms and other domain specific vocabulary in the content area. I have students create a Science Vocabulary Journal where they write and draw about important vocabulary terms. I create a template for students to use with each word. This template includes: the term, a definition, a visual representation of the term, and examples and non-examples of the term.
Giving students time to write and draw about each term will increase their overall achievement. Encourage students to use a dictionary and/or thesaurus to get ideas of examples(synonyms) and non-examples(antonyms). In this lesson, students will complete the templates in their vocabulary journal for the terms: rotate, revolve, orbit, and eclipse from this unit (Earth, Sun, Moon). Teacher Tip: Some extended vocabulary activities to use in your classroom include: reading non-fiction text like newspapers and articles, playing dictionary games, doing word puzzles, using a thesaurus, knowing root words, and understanding prefixes and suffixes. Games and interactive activities are important to student achievement. Playing games is a powerful because:. Students learn through the process of playing games.
Games provide a context for engaging practice. Students learn a variety of important skills through games. Students develop an assortment of connections to the content. Games grab their attention and actively engage them. By giving students time to play a game as a way to review, they will increase their use and understanding of precise domain specific vocabulary. For each group of students, I provide a, a baggie with one die and pawns for 4-6 players, and with the vocabulary term and definition.
Allow time (10 minutes) for students to personalize their by using colored pencils and/or markers and adding pictures and/or images. On the game board, I ask students to add the words Start and Finish, draw some arrows, write ideas in some squares (ie - move forward 5 spaces), and write a title on the board. Students Playing Blurt Game Student Reflection on Playing Games.