vocabulary

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Archive : 2007 : December : 21

vocabulary
By phoenixeagle

I teach vocabulary with concept definition maps. I give my kids the new word with a graphic that could represent it (I prepare the pictures on a power point and then print and laminate them. They go up on the word wall after...)
anways, the kids get a concept definition map (a graphic organizer - put the new word in the middle, write what it means above, what it is like to the side, and examples of it below). This map is laminated and the kids use the vis-a-vise markers to fill it out. SO basically, they talk about the word for five minutes and come up with a definition for it on their own. THey can use

the internet (i have a one-to-one computing classroom) a dictionary, thesaurus, whatever they want to figure the word out.

It's best to have the kids work in triads - then you have one reader, one writer, and one speaker. The reader does the research, the writer fills out the concept defintion map, and the speaker presents it to the class... which is the next step. After the five minutes, all the kids get out their composition books for whatever content area we're in and take notes on each word. Notes include a word defintion and a graphic representation. I do not script any definitions for them, but just lead them in a conversation about the word.

Afterwards, they will have an assignment or two with the words, and then see the words in the content we read. If we do writing afterwards, I try to incorporate those words there too. I think in my developmental reading class i just took the teacher said you need 7 exposures to a word before you own it. So the more the better.

There's a great book on vocab by Marzano. Google that book...most of this stuff is out of there : )

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vocabularyBy phoenixeagle

vocabulary
By phoenixeagle