MODULE 3

1. The three most important concepts I gleaned from the readings:


Vocabulary learning has gotten a bad rap over the years. In the past few decades, teaching vocabulary has been: copy the words, learn the words, study with flash cards, take a test on Friday. It is no wonder that young adults don’t have rich vocabularies and that the thought of vocabulary lessons bring a resounding groan. My daughters, who just graduated last year studied vocabulary words in this manner and we all hated it! Research proves how important vocabulary is and we must step up to the plate and make learning vocabulary words fun and exciting enough to have students hungry for more word activities. The first concept in teaching vocabulary that I though insightful and important is teaching with puzzles. This is a fun tool that I personally would love to use to increase my own vocabulary. Get Thee To A Punnery is one game that would be a hit at all grade levels. I also love the word splash. I think that implementing this in a first grade classroom could be so simple and fun. I could use word art and make a computer presentation, but just as easily for a first grade audience, I can use different colored markers and “fancy” up my writing to keep the students’ interest. Finally, I am amazed that 50,000 words is the “norm” for middle school. I would be amazed if we were there, and it will take some major changes in teaching vocabulary to get there. Perhaps research and an action project are ahead?


2. How I plan to implement the research into my classroom? What changes I will make to my classroom teaching knowing this new information:


I plan to use the word splash in my classroom. In our basal readers the vocabulary words the author deems necessary are already listed, but I know my students and our particular needs in vocabulary. I will use word splash at the beginning of each new lesson to introduce the vocabulary words. This will keep their attention as we go over the meaning of the different words and then as we do a read aloud, we will stop and discuss each word as we come to it in our story.


3. The before/during/after reading strategies I used while I was reading and the effects of it after implementing it in my classroom.


I wanted to try the after reading strategy of retelling as I feel this is an extremely effective and important strategy. So I read the chapter and then “retold” it to an imaginary person in my office. I used a during-reading strategy of quick-write to help me as I read the chapter. However, to implement in my classroom, I have to get a bit more creative and age appropriate for a first grade classroom. In my classroom I used the chalk talk (using my smartboard) strategy as I read a Junie B. Jones chapter to my classroom. Then as the children retold the story they understood how this would help. I then asked them to use a piece of copy paper and draw the story they were reading in small groups before we came to groups. Again, as we entered into our small group time, they had ownership and were ready to contribute to our group. I plan to use the other retelling strategies: Flannel Board, Prop Talks, Puppet Stories, Sound Stories in greater detail than I do now as preparations are made.