Vocabulary Strategies
These are some strategies and resources I encountered in an Orion course. Feel free to use them, modify them, and share them with others.
First, a few important things to remember about teaching vocabulary:
First, a few important things to remember about teaching vocabulary:
- Don't have kids copy a dictionary definition. Help them associate the new word with concepts they're already familiar with and create a workable definition/understanding.
- Don't "dumb-down" the terminology used by people in your discipline. Instead, use academic language and encourage the kids to also. Kid-friendly definitions/synonyms can be a good scaffold, but encourage the students to move toward using the professional terms.
- Repeatedly use new words & concepts to increase exposure. Repeatedly use new words & concepts to increase exposure. Repeatedly use new words & concepts to increase exposure.
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Character/Concept Map
This graphic organizer shows connections between items/concepts. My version is about characters in a story, but it can be modified to go with almost any content. Click here to download the original. |
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Frayer Model
This is a very popular way to teach vocabulary. My version contains a sample for an ELA term, but it can also be used in any content area. It can be used electronically or can be printed out for students to write on. Click here to download it. |
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Word Wall
This is a popular idea for teaching younger students, but it has huge potential with middle & high schoolers, too. It's all about the presentation; you can make it look academic or cutesy, depending on your audience and your purpose. The main thing is to give the kids exposure to words, words, and more words. You can even have the students help create the Word Wall, as long as you check to make sure everything is spelled correctly, etc. A quick online search will show you hundreds of examples and tips for how to make them. |
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Vocabulary Notebook
Students encounter a lot of new words at school, and it's unrealistic to expect them to remember so many words & concepts. A vocabulary notebook provides a way for visual learners to have something to review while they're in the process of internalizing the words. You might even want to let them use the notebook during casual/formative assessments. This picture is of an electronic version, but some students might learn better with a paper copy. Click here to download a template. It's the same file as the Frayer Model above, but the pages/slides can take on any format that works for the students and you. |
Vocabulary Websites
These sites offer terrific ways to get kids engaged in learning vocabulary and other concepts. They each have their strengths, so try them all and see what you and your students think.
These sites offer terrific ways to get kids engaged in learning vocabulary and other concepts. They each have their strengths, so try them all and see what you and your students think.
Other Ideas?Do you know of some other great learning/teaching websites? Please use this form to share them with me and I might add them to this site later.
Thanks! |
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