Chapter 3: Making Introductions

While reading our book, I keep imagining a vocabulary center/literature group center.  Wouldn't these be cute?  I could also include activities in each crate. It's something I could think about anyway!

Maybe for the writing center, we could have activities put in this handy paper towel holder using rings and card stock.

A thought for vocabulary journals might be "Mini journals"!  Reportedly, Office Max will cut these in half for you.  The adapted Frayer model template from our book would fit in here nicely!

Reading A to Z books are great resources for reading, science, and history.  Laminated covers help them last longer yet I wonder if it individual copies to write in are better for students. 

(Please note, the pictures above were taken from Pinterest, they are not my pictures.)
 
Summer school was the perfect growing space for me to put into practice the instructional strategies from chapter 3.  It was fun to grow into the daily practice of vocabulary and watch the students grow into "Word Nerds".  (The kids love the term and actually brag about becoming a "word nerd".)

Using a Reading A to Z book we were going to read on week 3, I began choosing vocabulary words that were embedded in the non-fiction story.  Words such as "dictator", "oppression", and "repertoire" were chosen for our first week.  


As Margot suggested, we started with a cloze sentence activity.  I posted the sentence on a sentence strip with the vocabulary word missing, a underline served in its place. Using "heads together", I asked the kids to brainstorm words that could be used in the blank.  We listed those words on the board under the sentence and discussed the part of speech the word might be...noun, verb, adjective, adverb.  

After small group and class discussion (drum roll...) came the unveiling of our vocabulary word.  At this point, the students recorded the vocabulary word and the part of speech.  It was a challenge to get the students to record the word spelled correctly from the board.  Maybe it was due to the fact the class feels they are on summer break, I don't know, but we then began peer-checking each others paper for the correct spelling of the vocabulary term.  

Using the smart board, we looked for the word definition on Merriam Websters web page.  The class read the definition as  a group and discussed it as a group.  Looking at the words we listed that could be used in our cloze sentence, we noted which words could be synonyms to the vocabulary word and which ones could be antonyms.  

 Using a vocabulary sheet that Angela Drake and I created, the kids recorded information in their vocabulary journal.  If you'd like a copy of the journal page, email me :)


On day 2, the students worked on drawing a picture of the word and creating a sentence using the word in their journal.  This was a great time for the kids to review and discuss the word again.  

Reviewing chapter 3 now, after I've read it and practiced it, I realize that wasn't exactly how Margot practiced it in her classroom.  Yet, it worked really well for me.  How do you see it working in your classroom? 

I need to revamp it to include syllabication skills when looking for the root or affixes on the word.  I also inadvertently left out the activity with matching the vocabulary word to the definition.  I feel like this could be part of a center activity. 

Although this seems like a large amount of time that we don't have for daily routine, it really excited the students to learn and use the vocabulary.  It was time well spent!  Who knew that we could spend more than a few minutes discussing a vocabulary word?  This was more time than I had ever given to vocabulary.

Chapter 2 The Classroom Fostering Confidence in Vocabulary

Summer Book Studies are amazingly flexible.  It's a wonderful way to meet and discuss a professional book or any other book.  You can read the chapters at your own pace; there is no set time to meet and you don't have to plan your schedule around it.  I can read or post late at night, during the day, early in the morning, etc. 
If you are having problems posting a comment, please email me and I can walk you through it.

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I'm Lovin' Chapter 2

WOW!  Chapter 2 is a chapter that I've read twice, left myself sticky notes, and even written in or underlined important parts.  There is so much here to love and learn.  Where do we begin?

My big "ah-haa" from last year was to model, model and model appropriate behavior for the routine exercise.  Last year, we even modeled what was not acceptable behavior and what to do when it occurs.  This made a huge difference!

As Dr. Hensley challenged teachers to look at classrooms through the eyes of the kids, Is my classroom "teacher convenient or student convenient?"  Last year, I added a teacher desk back into my classroom after going without for a year and a half.  I loved the room without the desk, but my kids needed another work station.  (hahaha) I'm thinking about using the station differently this year and making it a writing center.  

The idea of a writing center caused me to look further into Writing Workshop (as a former math teacher, I'm always intrigued and learning how to teach reading and writing).  Thus, I began digging around and found a great buy (I hope) from Amazon.



Didn't you love the idea from page 28! ...the Popsicle sticks!  I am on this like white on rice!  Color coded sticks with a "number on one end, a letter on the other end, and a symbol in the middle."  This re-grouping strategy has so many possibilities!

Using IPad's in my classroom, I can't wait to see how the kids use yourdictionary.com or answers.com as a resource.  Currently, we use classroom dictionaries and yes, there is a lot of value in teaching students how to use them.  Yet, I'm thinking that many households don't have dictionaries for student use.  Giving students a resource that can be accessed by Smartphone or internet is just as important as teaching them how to use them. 

What did you love about chapter 2?

Be sure to check out what other teachers are saying about Word Nerds.  Teaching With a Touch of Twang http://teachingwithatouchoftwang.blogspot.com/ has posted some notes about the book.  Something I hadn't thought about was using Prezi to introduce new vocabulary.  I love this idea and want to play around with it this summer.

Building Background

“For students who arrive at school with a limited ‘school talk’ background, systematic

vocabulary instruction opens a door to a secret world.”

Word Nerds: Teaching All Students to Learn and Love Vocabulary

 

Introduction and Chapter 1 ....  I'm excited!  How about you?

 

The books are in!  (YEAH!)  This coming week, it is my goal to make sure you have the book in hand!  I'm teaching summer school, if you want to contact me at school...you know where to find me. :)  Otherwise, I will find you!

 

Obviously, our start date will need to change.  Let's try this: read the introduction and chapter 1.  After reading (or during the course of reading), post a comment about how the research presented new ah-ha's to you.  How does the researched-based content relate to your classroom? your students?