I am always looking for ways to make vocabulary stick. An article I read was titled A Vocabulary Flood: Making Words "sticky" with Computer-Response Activities. This article focused on children from low socioeconomic backgrounds and teachers that are often frustrated with teaching vocabulary and how computer-based activities play a role in addressing this problem. The article underlined a five-day instructional plan that developed uses for computer based technology in teaching vocabulary. A curriculum coach contacted a professor of the Technology Literacy department at the University of Georgia at Athens. The curriculum coach stated how teachers were reading great literature, talking about the vocabulary; yet, students were still not connecting the vocabulary to their own lives. The local Kindergarten teachers were “doing all the right things”, yet the words weren't “sticking” with the students. Based on Beck & McKeown’s and other researchers in vocabulary development, developed a plan to “flood” students with vocabulary. The professor at UGA had worked on the Digital Language Experience Approach which was based on the Language Experience Approach. The Language Experience Approach found that the children from high-SES had a vocabulary of 1,000 compared to 500 words from children in low SES. This approach also suggested that students of all ability levels can learn how to sequence events, generate high quality oral language, and use highly descriptive vocabulary when they discuss digital photos and arrange them in presentation software. So, the professor of UGA took that idea and had students of this local kindergarten do the same. They also used Digital whiteboard because it is easily viewed by all students, work can be saved, printed out, viewed on demand, and teachers can take students on virtual field trips. The teachers worked for five days “flooding” the students with vocabulary using digital resources. They used a thematic word chart. The teachers read the book Ella Sarah Gets Dressed and made a word chart in the shape of a dress. They made word associations charts, where words with the same meaning were put on the chart such as purple vs. lavender. The children dressed up the book characters and had to describe it. The teacher took digital photos of the children dressing up and then the students retold what happened. In just four months, the students were generating lists of rich vocabulary words; students were talking about words more, and using the rich vocabulary words in their writing. I think this is a great idea! I have found if you can connect vocabulary to any real world connection it seems to help the vocabulary words “stick.” A fellow teaching friend and I have discussed the Language Experience Approach and the lack of vocabulary that students of low SES begin school knowing. Those students of low SES already start off that far behind yet, I could see these activities helping with that. My students would love dressing up as book characters, taking pictures, and retelling the stories! I can't wait to try it!
I was just recently reading the NY Times Article: Click and Jane. It discusses is it beneficial for children to learn to read with all this technology. I havent had a student yet distinguish or make the connection that they are actually reading when they use online programs like starfall. As a teacher, I like the idea of ereading or online reading for student because it "tricks" them into reading when they may not know they are. I think it's for motivating students. I do think there is value in old fashion book reading. I have heard of student trying to swipe the book pages rather than turn them. Are we going to have to drop teaching concepts of print from our Kindergarteners and teach how to swipe the screen?
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AuthorI am a Special Education Teacher who has also taught Kindergarten and 1st grade for 5 years. Archives
September 2017
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