The emphasis on vocabulary has increased over the years. It is acknowledged that having a wide range of vocabulary knowledge considers you smart. Sadly that has become the case within our society and we need to prepare our students to be able to utilize and expand their knowledge with vocabulary use. One strategy I really enjoyed in the Vocabulary Lessons article was the development of word awareness through word play. The teacher created a word wall and allowed students to add to the wall whenever they discovered a word they did not know. If a child had a word to add to the wall they were rewarded and in turn making learning vocabulary fun. Another strategy I found interesting was engaging students activity with the vocab through reading. Children gain a plethora of information and word recognition through reading. This can be displayed independently, within class instruction, or through a read aloud. You are able to show students how words sound and verbally use them within the context of a reading or passage.
Questions to Consider:
1. What other ways can you utilize and encourage vocabulary use within your future classrooms?
Another way to encourage vocabulary is to play a game with the children and tell them they need to use the vocabulary words. I thought about playing the game Bananagrams like we learned in class and telling them they need to make sure at least one vocabulary word is part of their personal board. I enjoyed this game very much and I think it is a great game to play with your students.
ReplyDeleteWord walls are another way to help build vocabulary. They can be done as a class, or they can be used individually.
ReplyDeleteOther ways to incorporate curiosity among students discovering new vocabulary would be to allow them to use the internet when discovering vocabulary. The eVoc article gives many different websites and programs that are available on computers to expand a child's playful nature and understanding of vocabulary.
ReplyDeleteI think another way for students to discover vocab words is to pick words while they are reading that they are unfamiliar with. I think this promotes comprehension, discovery, as well as encouraging students to read. Plays and helping students understand root words are so helpful. I wish my teachers taught me in these type of ways while growing up!
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