[LIT] vocab / Middle Ground

[Pam]

Heather writes: #4 I would go further and not make ANY assignment 
looking up definitions.

Pam replies: I agree. I'd much rather just give them the definition 
that I expect them to know and go from there with other activities. Too 
often I've seen a student open the dictionary and IF they are able to 
find the word, don't know which part of speech (since that can often 
change the meaning) or don't know to take off the suffix or are 
completely confused by the dictionary definition. One thing I do like 
to do is to talk whole class or small groups about what the word means 
and then have the kids put the definition into their own words. When 
they use their own words, it just seems to stick with them. That is one 
component of the Frayer organizer that I have students do.


 :o) Pam/6th gr./FL
An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how 
much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you do 
know and what you don't.
Anatole France (1844 - 1924)



-----Original Message-----
From: Heather Poland <hpoland at gmail.com>
To: A list for improving literacy with focus on middle grades. 
<lit at literacyworkshop.org>
Sent: Sun, 3 Feb 2008 4:39 pm
Subject: Re: [LIT] vocab / Middle Ground



I pretty much agree with all of these, but for #4 I would go further 
and not
make ANY assignment looking up definitions. I might perhaps do it in 
class
as a whole class thing, but having them look up lists of words in the
dictionary to copy definitions they don't understand doesn't seem like 
the
best use of time in learning vocabulary.

I know he said not to rely only on context clues, but honestly, too many
*don't* teach kids how to figure out words using context clues, so many
students - especially struggling readers do not use any strategies at 
all
when reading. Most words you can figure out using context clues or
morphology, so I strongly believe in teaching both of those.

On Feb 3, 2008 12:33 PM, Bill IVEY <bivey at sbschool.org> wrote:

> Hi!
>
> Rick Wormeli has a good article entitled "Teaching Vocabulary : Work
> Smarter, Not Harder" in the current issue of "Middle Ground" from 
NMSA.
> He lists and explains 10 principles:
> 1. Spend time reading
> 2. Teach words for their own sake, in addition to the terms associated
> with units of study
> 3. Build integration, repetition, and meaningful use into vocabulary
> instruction
> 4. Do not make the first night's vocabulary assignment looking up the
> definitions in the dictionary and using them properly in a sentence
> 5. Don't rely purely on defining the words or asking students to 
figure
> out a word using context cues
> 6. Help students relate words to their world
> 7. Start teaching students Latin and Greek prefixes and roots
> 8. Teach students a lexicon for studying vocabulary
> 9. Spend considerable time helping students with subtle difference
> analysis
> 10. Express great enthusiasm for words and their wise use
>
> I know we've been talking vocabulary instruction lately, but I'm 
wondering
> what practices you have found successful which relate to these ten
> principles or if there are any questions you might have surrounding 
any of
> these principles.
>
> Take care,
> Bill Ivey
> Stoneleigh-Burnham School
>
>
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--
- Heather

"The world of books is the most remarkable creation of
man. Nothing else that he builds ever lasts. Monuments
fall; nations perish; civilizations grow old and die out;
new races build others. But in the world of books are
volumes that have seen this happen again and again and yet
live on. Still young, still as fresh as the day they were
written, still telling men's hearts of the hearts of men
centuries dead." --Clarence Day

"While the rhetoric is highly effective, remarkably little
good evidence exists that there's any educational substance
behind the accountability and testing movement."
—Peter Sacks, Standardized Minds

"When our children fail competency tests the schools lose
funding. When our missiles fail tests, we increase
funding. "
—Dennis Kucinich, Democratic Presidential Candidate
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