VoiceThread Vocabulary Examples

VoiceThread was one of the new web tools I dabbled in during the last class.  I decided to look for ways in which other teachers had used VoiceThread to teach vocabulary and then to create my own.  There were lots of vocabulary examples in the public folder.  One very simple idea is shown below.  The teacher had her students illustrate and record words and word meanings.

Another example is a VoiceThread of vocabulary from The Emperor's Egg.  The teacher read each word and its definition.  Students were asked to create a sentence with each word.

The final example is one called Reinforcing Vocabulary and Reading Comprehension and Making It Fun.  Titles can often be deceiving.  Take a look, and you'll see the "making it fun" portion of these lessons appear to be missing. 




Finally I created a simple VoiceThread with four slides.  The task is to look at each slide and to come up with words that describe the pictures.  Descriptive language is so often missing from our students' speaking and writing.

Using Quizlet to Practice Vocabulary

In my weekend search for all things vocabulary related, I happened upon Quizlet.  It looks like a handy tool for reinforcing vocabulary with students.  There is a version for  iPad and iPhone.  I downloaded the free versions, but if you were going to track student progress, you'd likely have to go with the $25 upgrade.

Here are several vocabulary quizlets created by others.  They are all quite similar, but I can see where they could be useful tools.  Quizlet allows students to view vocabulary cards, to play spelling games, to play a "scatter" game (matching the term to the definition), and to do several other activities with their vocabulary words.  I was able to type in the name of our new reading series and to find vocabulary lists from Reading Street.  

Quizlet #1

Quizlet #2 (Reading Street, Grade 3, Unit 1, Week 1)

Quizlet #3  (Reading Street Grade 4 Vocabulary)

Prezi and Vocabulary Instruction

Prezi is a great presentation tool that can, when used correctly, seem more engaging than a standard PowerPoint.  It seems to me that the trick is to navigate the Prezi canvas in a manner that doesn't make the audience "seasick."  Zooming in and out needs to be done carefully!

I've attempted to make Prezis in the past, and I've been somewhat successful a couple of times.  I like the idea of beginning with a canvas and having ideas be free-flowing, but navigating the tools has been a challenge.  Sometimes I've seemed to zoom right off the page and can't figure out how to return to my work.  So . . . when the time came to blog about using Prezi, I decided to use presentations created by others.  The first link below takes you to an article that focuses on the use of Prezis to introduce vocabulary.  The final four are public Prezis dealing with parts of speech.  

Why use Prezi?

Noun Prezi

Verb Prezi (This one has a really cute video embedded.)

Adjective Prezi 

Adverb Prezi

Pinterest Vocabulary Board

One of the simplest ways to collect vocabulary activities is the creation of a Pinterest board.  I created a new board titled Vocabulary.  I intend to add to it during the summer months.

As is often the case, one idea leads to another.  I actually used one of the items I pinned as a template for one of my QR Code activities.  I've found so many activities on Pinterest in the last couple of years!  As teachers we so seldom have the opportunity to get together and share ideas.  Pinterest allows for that sharing via the Internet.

Vocabulary Pinterest Board 

QR Codes with Sight Words and Vocabulary Words

I enjoyed working with the QR codes in our Web 2.0 class.  I can see how it could be a tool for engaging students in the classroom.  Using the SAMR Model, I would categorize it as augmentation since the task hasn't really been altered by the technology.

I created a couple of different QR code activities.  The first was a sheet for sight words.  I used vocaroo.com to create a recording.  It allowed the recording to be saved as a QR code.  I then copied the created image and put it in a word document.  Students practicing their sight words could click on the codes to see if they have mastered a word list. I'm not sure if I would actually use this in the classroom, but there may be other options for recordings I haven't considered. 

QR Sight Word Sheet

The second activity involved vocabulary words.  I selected a group of vocabulary words from our Reading Street series and used those to create a classroom scavenger hunt.  The definitions to vocabulary words were listed on a sheet.  Students should match the definition to the QR code containing that word.

QR Codes - Vocabulary Definitions

QR Codes - Vocabulary Words

Affixes and Root Words Kahoot

An strong understanding of root (base) words and affixes is important for a couple of reasons.  It allows students to see relationships between words, and it encourages to "break down" words to determine meaning.  Our testing data has shown this to be a weakness for our students.  

I created a Kahoot that focussed on this skill.  The questions mirror the types of questions found on the SOL Released Tests.  The final two questions are the most challenging for students because they have to understand that words beginning with prefix letters are not necessarily words with prefixes.  An example would be the word pretend since it does not mean to tend before.  My Kahoot can be found in the Public Kahoot folder with the name Affixes and Root Words_Coleman.  Tags include root word, base word, prefix, and suffix.

Kahoot

LINCS Strategy

LINCS is a mnemonic strategy for learning new and/or complicated vocabulary.  LINCS stands for the following:

• List the parts (both the word and its definition)
• Indicate a reminding word
• Note a linking story
• Create a linking picture
• Self-test

For anyone familiar with the use of interactive note-taking in the classroom, many elements of this strategy will seem similar.  Students are encouraged to make connections between the word they are learning and their own prior knowledge (a reminding word).  They are expected to create a story connecting the new learning to that prior knowledge.  The illustration of the story is a powerful visual tool for most students.

The first video listed explains how to use the LINCS strategy, but it is geared to older students and adults.  The second video walks the viewer through the actual steps of creating a LINCS vocabulary card, and it is this step that I think is so essential for this strategy to be used successfully with younger students.

LINCS Strategy #1


LINCS Strategy #2 - Creating a Vocabulary Card

Video Tips for Vocabulary Acquisition

 Video Tips from the Teaching Channel

I've always found the Teaching Channel to be a great resource for classroom activities.  When searching for vocabulary videos, I found three that I think are particularly good.  The first two videos focus on ways to introduce or reinforce vocabulary.  The first teacher uses paint chips to introduce vocabulary words in their various forms (e.g. transient, transcendence, and transcendent). The second uses a version of the game "Kick Me" to have students complete analogies using the best or most precise word.  The latter strategy could be used for definition matching, for formative assessments, and for unit review.  What makes "Kick Me" appealing to students?  They are out of their seats, discussing words, and engaged in the activity.  The video links are below.

Paint Chip Strategy

"Kick Me"

The third video was particularly interesting because it demonstrated a vocabulary lesson at the end of the unit.  Most teachers tend to teach specific vocabulary words at the beginning of the unit.  This strategy flips that and has students working with the vocabulary as the text is read, reread, and discussed.  At the end of the unit the teacher has the students participate in a vocabulary jigsaw.  Students are heterogeneously grouped.  Each group has four clues for each word.  Clue A gives the beginning letter of the word.  Clue B states the number of syllables in the word, and Clue C gives the ending letter.  Clue D contains the definition.  The text is NOT available to the students during this activity.  They are asked to recall the words they have read and discussed.  I will try this activity next year!

Vocabulary Jigsaw

Why Focus on Vocabulary?

Vocabulary will be a major focus of Mt. Olivet's School Improvement Plan for the 2015-2016 school year.  This is an area of weakness for our students and one that we must address if our students are to be successful readers and writers.  Why the emphasis on vocabulary?  Many of our students come from homes that could be characterized as low socio-economic.  If the 30 Million Word Gap is anywhere near accurate, our students are coming to us with a serious vocabulary deficit.  Below is a link to a summary of the study.

30 Million Word Gap

We will address this deficit in a number of ways.  As a faculty we will have PD sessions that focus on vocabulary acquisition.  We will unpack our standards to find common vocabulary terms across the curriculum.  My hope is that this blog will contain information valuable to the teachers at my school.  It is my intention to share it with them so that it is more than simply a final project for class.