Words, Words,Words

1
Words, Words,Words

• Teaching Vocabulary in the Content Area

2
Objectives

• Learn how to present new vocabulary
• Examine variety of word walls
• Learn activities to reinforce vocabulary

3
What do we know about learning new words?

• Knowing a word is more than knowing its
  definition.
• Students need many exposures to a new word before
  they really know it.
• Different kinds of words require different
  learning strategies.
• Words are learned both incidentally and
  intentionally.

Scott Nagy, 2004
4
What is a word rich classroom?

• Students are surrounded by words.
• Students are motivated to learn new words.
• New words are frequently revisited and used in
  authentic contexts.
• Whenever possible, words come from students
  reading.

5
Process for Building Vocabulary

• Pronounce the new word
• Explain the new word
• Provide examples
• Elaborate
• Assess

Students should have opportunities to interact
socially with the new vocabulary (i.e.
think-pair-share)
6
One way to provide a word rich classroom
environment is through the use of word walls.
7
Types of Word Walls

• High frequency words
• Common word patterns
• Thematic words
• Content words
• Testing Vocabulary
• Current events
• Personal
• Genre

Poetry Word Wall Stanza Meter Rhyme
scheme Metaphor Simile Hyperbole Alliteration
8
Key Characteristics of Successful Word Walls

• memorable
• useful
• practical
• hands-on
• space-efficient
• Make it YOUR way

9
Vocabulary Houses
Velocity
Speed
Latin Veloxswift
Rate of change acceleration
10
Tips for Creating a Word Wall

• Use the same space all year long
• Do not overcrowd the space
• Add words in manageable numbers
• Make the display dynamic
• Make the words movable
• Do word wall activities regularly

11
Word Wall Activities

• Four Corners
• Put Frayer model on overhead with post-its
  covering the boxes
• Reveal the boxes one at a time as students
  attempt to guess the word

The magician was an expert at _____________.
picture
sentence
word
Definition
Sleight of hand
prestidigitation
12
Word Wall Activities

• Flashlight Review
• Divide students into teams
• Give each team a flashlight
• Teacher calls out definition
• Students shine flashlight on the answer

13
Word Wall Activites

• Beachball Vocabulary
• Divide class into 2 or 3 teams
• Toss a beachball to each team
• Teacher calls out a definition
• Team passes the ball to a student who can
  identify the correct word

14
Word Wall Activities

• Hangman or hangmouse

__ __ __ __ __ __ __
15
Word Wall Activities

• Academic Password
• Students work in pairs
• One student sits with his/her back to the board
• Words are displayed on the board
• One student gives clues
• Partner tries to guess the word

16
Passwords

• urbane
• egregious
• garrulous
• pedestrian
• intrepid

17
Electronic Jeopardy!
18
Word Wall Activities

• Oops!
• Put all word wall words on index cards
• For every 15-20 cards, create a card with oops
  written on it in red
• Students pull a card from the pile
• If they can give a definition for the word, they
  keep the card
• Move quickly to allow each student to draw a card
• When someone draws an Oops card, they must put
  all of their cards back
• The winner is the first one to accumulate a
  pre-determined number of cards, or the one with
  the most cards when time is called.

19
Word Wall Activities

• Mind Reader
• Choose a mystery word from the word wall
• Give 5 clues
• Each clue should narrow the choices
• Example, the mystery word is pollution
• 1. The word is on the word wall
• 2. The word has more than 6 letters
• 3. The word has 3 syllables
• 4. The word ends with the suffix tion
• 5. The word rhymes with solution

20
Word Wall Activities

• Word Sorts
• Give students words from word wall to be sorted
• Closed sort
• Teacher determines the categories
• Parts of speech
• Spelling patterns
• Open sort
• Students determine categories

21
Word Wall Activities

• Vocabulary Toss
• Get a mini sponge ball basketball game
• Prepare a list of questions that can be answered
  by word wall words
• Divide class into teams
• Ask questions to students
• Students earn one point for their team for a
  correct response plus the chance to double the
  score by shooting a basket

22
Word Wall Activities

• Hot Seat
• One student is in the hot seat
• Teacher, class or group chooses a word that is
  not seen by the hot seater
• Hot seater must guess the word by asking yes or
  no questions that help to narrow the
  possibilities
• Example
• Is it a noun?
• Does it have fewer than 10 letters?
• Would it be found in the first half of the
  dictionary?
• Is it an animal?
• Does it live in the rainforest?
• Does it rhyme with vapor?
• See who can guess with the least number of
  questions

23
Word Wall Activities

• Making sentences
• Challenge students to make sentences using 3 or
  more words from the word wall
• Bell work
• Time filler
• Word Wall Stories
• Start with two words add two words every ten
  minutes which student work into their story

24
For more resources

• www.itrc.ucf.edu/forpd/strategies/stratwordwalls.h
  tml
• www.markville.ss.yrdsb.edu.on.ca/mm/oise2005/bestp
  ractice/wordwall.htm
• http//www.k111.k12.il.us/lafayette/fourblocks/wor
  d_wall_grade_level_lists.htm
• http//www.teachers.net/lessons/posts/1138.html
• http//www.graves.k12.ky.us/tech/jeopardy_instruct
  ions.htm
• http//www.curriculum.org/tcf/teachers/projects/wo
  rdwalls.pdf
• http//www.santarosa.k12.fl.us/reading/WordWall.ht
  m

25
Have fun with words!!