vocabulary article
The article provided many great ways to incorporate vocabulary into various content areas. So often it is assumed that language usage and rules is something left solely to the English teacher, but it is possible to include it into classes like math and science. The article talked about four teachers and the methods that they used to teach language skills.
One of the lessons I really like was done by art teacher Ms. Link who encourage her students to think about vocabulary in some pretty unique ways. For an artistic work using plaster, Link asked her student to connect words to color and sensory experiences. Instead of sticking a word definition onto ‘isolation’, she asked her students to think about what isolation feels like, what color it is, what it tastes like, and what it sounds like. Students then created a visual representation of the word that reinforced the meaning of the word isolation.
It really is time that teachers started to get creative with the teaching of basic and often boring concepts like vocabulary and grammar. It is also important that concepts cross over content areas and that all types of concepts are being taught in every classroom. I really liked the article and the information that it offered. It was helpful in opening my mind to the possibilities that exist for teaching vocabulary and language.
Shelley Causey said,
April 27, 2009 at 1:25 pm
I think vocabulary can be a fun activity if teachers can find ways to connect with the students. I wish my teachers had done more creative ways to do vocabulary when I was in school because I woulnd’t have to use my dictionary so often!!
Shelley Causey