Vocabulary- Word Sorts- Part II

I am definitely a word sort fan, mainly because my students enjoy learning vocabulary and spelling this way.

Also, students have to pay close attention to patterns, features of words, sounds and their meaning. 

I learned, while teaching vocabulary using word sorts, that my students were more interested and excited about words. They were internalizing new vocabulary and spelling them correctly. In addition, they were making sense of words and patterns within words for the first time. It is crucial for students to construct their knowledge of words, creating a deep understanding of how language works.

Teaching spelling and vocabulary with word sorts is extremely beneficial; as a result, I made the risky decision to replace my traditional spelling tests with word sorts activities. It took a while to convince my students' parents and administrators, but the results spoke for themselves. 

Types of Sorts

1. Sound and Picture Sorts

Sound sorts are essential because sound is the first layer of English orthography. Sound study can be introduced at a very early stage and develop with a child’s individual ability. Sorting pictures or oral vocabulary is a manipulation of sounds, and this manipulation increases awareness. 

Picture sorts are one component of word study and are used to help beginning readers develop concept of word, phonological awareness, and phonics.Picture sorts most often begin with focusing on initial sound (single consonant, digraphs, or blends). 

2. Open and Closed Word Sorts

Word sort activities involve students comparing, contrasting, and classifying words - considering words from a variety of perspectives.

Open Word Sort activities are students directed. Students sort the words into any categories that make sense to them. They’re thinking creatively and critically.

  

Closed Word Sorts are teacher directed. Students place words under the correct category heading.

cat	make	car	miscellaneous
mad	race	star	fall
flat	game	hard	ball
cap	place	mark	x
grab	plate	park	x

3. Digital Word Sort

Digitized word sorts provide an efficient way for teachers to deliver spelling pattern differentiation. A variety of these are ready-made, including:

wordsortwizard.com

http://www.eduplace.com/kids/sv/books/content/wordsort/

http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/wordfamily/

Vocabulary Building Strategies- Part I

My biggest struggle as a dual-language teacher, is teaching vocabulary effectively. There are a myriad of meaningful and useful ways vocabulary can be taught and the internet is filled with a plethora of activities and lessons. 

It is so hard to choose from so many ways on how to teach vocabulary!

It is important to keep in mind, that academic vocabulary takes our ELLs 7-10 years to acquire (CALPS).

Also, students have to learn both content language and a new language at the same time. Sheltered Language Instruction integrates language and content.

Christen and Murphy suggest 3 major Instructional Interventions:

1. Teach vocabulary as a pre-reading step

2. Provide experiences
3. Introduce a conceptual framework (build background)

My main goal, is for my students to develop core vocabulary over time that will help them academically. I do take into consideration that state testing requires our students to have the "testing vocabulary" necessary to be pass these formal assessments.

Here are some activities that have helped my students to retain new vocabulary:

1. Word Web

• You can use it to preteach vocabulary and organize details about a word. How?
• Write the word in the center
• In each outside circle, write a meaning/characteristic of the word

2. Concept Definition Map 

• A great way to learn and remember content vocabulary and concepts. How?
• Choose a new word and define it, compare it and include 2 examples. 

3.  Four-Corners Vocabulary

• Enables students to contextualize words. How?
• Draw an illustration 
• Write a sentence that includes the word 
• Write a definition of the word

Do you have any vocabulary strategies or activities that have helped your students?

Part IV: Planning - DOK Levels

   When I started developing formative and summative assessments for my students using the DOK levels, my lessons became more meaningful.

 I have learned through trial and error, that implementing meaningful and rigorous activities is essential, but I am not able do this without effective planning.

    Although I have a very scripted curriculum, I still had to spend time changing my questioning strategies and recreating activities that were not rigorous. As a result, I spent the first month of this school year rewriting questions for my basal stories. It was a lot of work, but it was all worth it! Now, I spend less time re-teaching and my scores are improving drastically.

    There are so many lesson plan templates out there that it is difficult to choose the right one. I have been using this template that includes everything I need to teach with rigor.

Description:

1.      Standard- Focus on one or two standards. You can include one content objective and one language objective.

2.    DOK Level – Decide the standard’s DOK level.

3.   Formative assessments- Plan activities on the standard’s DOK level.

4.  Summative Assessment- Plan assessment questions on the standard’s DOK level.

5.   What do your students need to know? Deconstruct the standard and focus on the nouns and concepts (knowledge).

6.   What will students need to do? Deconstruct the standard and focus on the verbs to identify what students most be able to do.

7.   Guiding questions- Use question or sentence frames that will check students’ understanding. The STAAR Guide is a great tool for this!

8.   Activities- How will you deliver the lesson? Remember to include ESL strategies and to consider your students’ oral language proficiency levels.

9.   Vocabulary/Verbs- Identify 3-6 unfamiliar words from the standard that will need to be taught in order to understand the lesson.

o    Do you have any other planning templates that have helped you plan more effectively? 

      Please share any activities, guiding questions, formative assessments, etc that can help other teachers teach with rigor.