by Christine Garas Though sometimes effective, practicing vocabulary or sight words with flash cards (one after another in isolation) can often become boring for children. Have you ever wondered how this practice can be taken up a notch? The Word Muncher is a simple and engaging way to accomplish this. Watch Rachel on the Global Literacy Channel, as she showcases how a desktop garbage can is transformed into a child’s new favorite learning tool. While practicing vocabulary words, a parent or instructor can introduce the “Word Muncher” to a child in a way that would provide the student additional practice in a needed literacy area. For example, a teacher might use this tool to assist a student rehearsing the definitions of new vocabulary words. The teacher might point to a word, ask the child to define it, and after defining it correctly, the student can “feed” the muncher, or place the card in the slot. With these simple steps, an ordinary vocabulary practice session has instantaneously changed into a fun, effective, worthwhile activity for the child.
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by Dan Hammonds Performing a text or seeing a performance of a text greatly increases the likelihood that students will understand what they have read. Teachers who use theater as a medium to connect to literacy help their students remember the plot points. This strategy also builds empathy by asking students to put themselves in the positions of the characters and try to understand the struggles of the character in question.
Visual representation of literacy can also be an incredibly powerful tool. Children can oftentimes find detail in illustrations of a text that they couldn’t find in the wording of the literal document itself. Asking students to look closely at a book’s illustrations or images helps students to connect to the text in a deeper and more genuine way. Similarly, a teacher might ask students to visualize while reading by imagining the text in their mind or by drawing on paper. by Dan Hammonds This strategy is primarily for middle schoolers who struggle with nonfiction texts. Based on the reading level of the students in question, this strategy should help the students to identify the main ideas of what they are reading.
To implement this strategy, teachers should segment the reading and encourage students to ask questions at various stopping points. This will allow the teacher to check for understanding and also help students to understand patterns that develop while they read. An activity that supports this process is asking students to annotate while they read. Middle schoolers often become overwhelmed with the reading and can’t remember parts of the passage that they have already read. Annotating (which might include writing the questions that arise as students read) will help students engage with the reading and increase their memory and comprehension. by Dan Hammond
The teacher might also help middle schoolers connect by showing a visual representation of a more current interpretation of Romeo and Juliet. The 1996 version of the film puts a modern spin on the iconic story. It infuses diversity and modern themes into a story that can be seen as older and out of touch to young people.
by Dan Hammonds The concept behind this strategy is that students use the title to predict and infer information about the upcoming reading passage. This strategy can help students with their prediction and inference-ing skills by helping them to build upon what they already thought as they learn more about the title. Teachers of younger students can pair this strategy with a quick overview of the pictures as well. The teacher asks the students to read the title and create as many possible plots to the story as they can. Once finished, the teacher gives the students 30 seconds to flip through the book to view just the illustrations. The students then modify what they have already written by adding or subtracting from their earlier predictions. This strategy can also serve as an anticipatory activity to get the students excited about what is to come in the book. by Patty George It’s often difficult to get children to elaborate on their writing. Oftentimes, they will write about a topic by providing only a few details. Three-dimensional graphic organizers are useful tools to help children as they develop ideas for their writing pieces. In this video on the Global Literacy Channel, Bryanna is modeling how to use a three-dimensional graphic organizer to help children plan out a writing piece after reading the book, Ganesha’s Sweet Tooth. Students can choose any topic. This will be the “main idea” of their writing piece. On each flap, students can write a supporting detail for the topic. Underneath each flap, children can write more information about each detail. After students fill out the organizer, they can begin crafting sentences. In this video, the organizer is used to write an opinion writing piece. This opinion piece makes the argument that cake is the best dessert. The reasons supporting this opinion are listed on each flap. One flap is labeled “has frosting”. Underneath that flap are the words “buttercream”, “whipped cream” and “royal icing”. When a student writes that cake is the best dessert because it has frosting, details such as the many types of frosting can be included. With tools like this, writing will be much easier and so much fun! by Rachel Nati Having a large vocabulary will help children increase both their oral language and writing abilities. However, some words can be hard to explain and even harder for children to understand. By using their five senses through an activity known as a “sensory bin,” children can gain a deeper understanding of these difficult words and concepts.
As you can see in this video on the Global Literacy Channel, I am modeling how to use a sensory bin to help children increase their vocabulary through play. A small clear box was used as the bin. The theme was birds, so items were added to the bin - nests, birds, eggs, sticks, moss, flowers, and a birdhouse. Textures are a very important part of the sensory bin. Adding various textures entices children to play and encourages them to describe what is in the box. Parents and teachers can also ask questions regarding the description of an item in the box to help the children learn new vocabulary. This type of activity is great for younger children, children with disabilities, children with sensory issues and children who learn best by using their senses. This bird sensory bin encourages dramatic play while increasing vocabulary. While children are playing and using their imagination, they can describe what is happening. For example, I describe a bird that is sitting on the eggs waiting for them to hatch or singing and chirping on a branch while waiting for other birds to join in. Choose any theme you’d like to create a fun, playful, sensory-based experience to increase your child’s word power! by Bryanna Hill Students want to be engaged in their learning, and what better way to actively involve them than by having them use their five fingers to retell a story! A child’s five fingers can represent the character, setting, problem, plot, and solution of a story, and the palm of their hand can represent the theme. A great way to help students remember the five finger summarizing strategy is by using a glove, and taping these categories onto the different parts of the glove. Students can put the glove on and practice retelling the story to a friend.
The five fingers can also represent the five W’s: Who, What, Where, When, and Why. Students can use the five W’s to help them answer these questions about a story as well as help them with writing about the five W’s. Whenever students need to think of something to write about, they can look at their hand and recall that each finger represents one of the five W’s. Whether you’re trying to help your young learner summarize a story or write one, the five fingers are a fun and interactive way to get them learning and engaged. This is a strategy that they can carry with them throughout their many years of learning! To learn more about this strategy and others, visit the Global Literacy Channel. Literacy and Music: Pedagogical Parallels |
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