Greetings!
This month's newsletter is on vocabulary, a topic that cuts across all subject areas. One of the biggest challenges students face is a lack of vocabulary development, so it's critical that we focus on that in all classes.
What I've included in the main column is a research-based model from Robert Marzano for teaching academic vocabulary. The six-step process is excellent for helping students build vocabulary comprehension. Then, on the right, you'll find a couple of ideas for using poetry with vocabulary.
Finally, if you know someone who is interested in professional development, whether it is a workshop or a Skype session, please feel free to give them my contact information:(609) 474-4677 or bcgroup@gmail.com.
Barbara
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Marzano's Six Step Process
Teaching Academic Vocabulary
- Provide a description, explanation, or example of the new term. (Include a non-linguistic representation of the term for ESL kids.)
- Ask students to restate the description, explanation, or example in their own words. (Allow students whose primary existing knowledge base is still in their native language to write in it.)
- Ask students to construct a picture, symbol, or graphic representing the word.
- Engage students periodically in activities that help them add to their knowledge of the terms in their notebooks.
- Periodically ask students to discuss the terms with one another. (Allow in native language when appropriate)
- Involve students periodically in games that allow them to play with terms.
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Principal's Perspective
Marie Carbo, via NAESP, share the characteristics of effective literacy instruction. Specific to vocabulary, good vocabulary instruction:
■ Engages children in discussions about words.
■ Uses videos,visuals,and anecdotes to expand word meaning.
■ Provides readings of materials that help students become increasingly familiar with a variety of high-level words.
■ Provides strategies for deciphering unknown words,understanding prefixes, suffixes, and roots.
■ Uses many hands-on vocabulary games and weekly challenges to encourage children to expand their vocabulary.
■ Teaches children when and how to use dictionaries and reference aids.
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Using Poetry to Demonstrate Understanding
A great way to have students process and "play with" vocabulary is through poetry. For example, students can write a haiku, the Japanese patterned three-line poem. The first line must include five syllables, the second line must contain seven syllables, and third line must contain five syllables. It challenges to students to condense the information and present it following the pattern.
I read an article in the New York Times about a blogger who encourages the use of the Fibonacci sequence to write six-line poems. What an interesting idea for explaining math terms or other words. Here's a
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