Vocabulary - it's more crucial than you may think!

Just like phonics, direct, explicit instruction is the best way to teach vocabulary.

Explicitly teach a New Word -

pronounce, write and read the word
tell students what it means - using student friendly definition, props or actions
say the words multiple times while giving examples, sentences, or asking questions using it
ask yes or no questions
ask students to use the words during the day

How to Practice Vocabulary Words

dimensions of word knowledge - look at synonyms, antonyms, categories of examples, multiple meanings, etc.. Four Squares are great graphic organizers for analyzing words in depth.

Multiple Meanings - one of the biggest confusions with students are words that have more than one meaning. As you get into the Upper Grades, there becomes more and more examples in grade level text. One way to practice, is by taking the word and using a web to show the various meanings.

Classification into Categories - sometimes we spend more time looking at the meaning of words that we miss how they connect to other words in categories. It helps the brain look for patterns and associate information.

put words/pictures on index cards and sort into buckets or baskets that represents different categories
pass out index cards to individual students and find the student who is holding the category it belongs to
show students a list of words that go together - determine what the category should be

Semantic Feature Analysis - This helps students understand semantic properties like synonyms, antonyms, attributes of concepts, etc..

Shades of meaning - this is a highly engaging lesson as students have to place the meanings of words on a gradient line.

In all of my resources, I include explicit vocabulary instruction and some form of vocabulary practice. I have made a few resources that are specific ONLY to vocabulary. If you would like to check those out, you can find them at the links below.

Vocabulary in the Ecosystem

Vocabulary Graphic Organizers

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