Miss Shields 2cuteclassroom

Words are the building blocks of communication, and they play an important role in a student’s academic success. A robust vocabulary also enhances your reading comprehension and overall communication skills. And, as today’s tests are becoming more and more complicated, it is important that our students have a better understanding of grade level vocabulary words. So, let’s look at all of the reasons that teaching vocabulary is important.

Why Vocabulary Matters

Language is a dynamic entity that evolves over time, and it is essential to keep up with its transformations. Here are a few reasons why teachers need to teach vocabulary:

Precise Expression:

Vocabulary words allow you to convey complex ideas and emotions with accuracy. Instead of relying on generic terms, our students can choose the perfect word that captures the essence of their thoughts.

Improved Comprehension:

When reading, our students are bound to encounter new words. These new words may challenge them to grasp the meaning of the word from the context. This process will strengthen their reading comprehension skills and enriches their understanding of texts.

Enhanced Communication:

Another reason that teaching vocabulary is important is that a rich vocabulary empowers your students to engage in more meaningful conversations.

Testing

Why is it important that you teach your students vocabulary? One of the main reasons that teaching vocabulary is important is because your students will need to have a wide range of vocabulary in order to do well on their reading comprehension assessments. These tests are loaded with words that your students may or may not have been exposed to. The key is for them to know how to use the context clues that they are given to determine the meaning of those unknown words.

Tips for Helping Your Students Learning New Vocabulary Words

Read…Read…Read…

Help your students immerse themselves in diverse texts, such as books, articles, essays, and poetry. The more that they read, the more exposure they will have to different vocabulary words.

Book Club Meetings

Book club meetings are a great way to introduce your students to new vocabulary words. I pick a book that my club members will be reading. I have a list of vocabulary words that the students will encounter in the text already prepared. I hand this list out as we begin reading the book. My book club members get to see the word as it is used in the text. We get to talk about the words as we go, and we get to talk about how the words affect the mood or tone of the story. When we finish reading the book, we have a meeting to discuss the book. I always like to have a light meal planned and invite guests to attend. They can either just listen as the students discuss the book or they can be guest speakers. This is one of my favorite ways to “trick” students into learning vocabulary words.

Context Clues

One of the skills that I found to be vital to my students was learning how to use context clues. Teach your students that when they encounter an unfamiliar word while reading, they should try to use the “clues” surrounding the words to help them figure out the meaning of the unknown word. Yes, they can still use a dictionary, but it is a much better practice to try to figure out the word and its meaning from the text around it. This method helps them better understand the word, and it improves their chances of remembering the meaning.

Vocabulary Journal

One way to teach vocabulary is to have your students keep a vocabulary notebook. They can use this notebook to jot down new words that they come across in their reading along with their meanings and usage examples. Make sure that they regularly review and revise the journal.

Word Games and Apps

Engage in word games, crossword puzzles, and vocabulary-building apps that make learning enjoyable. These interactive tools can boost your students’ vocabulary while having fun.

One of my favorite games to play with my students is Vocabulary Bingo. I create a board that has the students’ vocabulary words for the week on it. I then called out the definitions as I pulled them from the bag. The students would have to match the correct definitions with the words.

Another vocabulary game I love using to teach vocabulary is “I Have…Who Has…”. With this game, I hand out Vocabulary cards. These Vocabulary Cards have a vocabulary word on them along with a statement. Each students reads their card. Cards state, “ I have (vocabulary word). Who has the word that means (Vocabulary definition)”. The student who has the word that fits the definition of the word who respond by reading their card. And, the cycle would continue until students reached the last card.

Here’s a list of vocabulary games that can help improve language skills and make learning new words fun:

Scrabble: A classic word game where players create words using letter tiles on a board, with each tile having a specific point value.

Boggle: In this game, players find as many words as possible within a grid of letters within a limited time.

Crossword Puzzles: These puzzles provide clues for words that fit into a grid, encouraging players to expand their vocabulary. This one brings back memories of reading the Sunday paper and being super excited to try to solve the crossword puzzle for the week.

Hangman: Players guess letters to complete a word before a stick figure is fully drawn.

Taboo: Players have to describe a word without using specific “taboo” words, encouraging creative language use.

Pictionary: A drawing and guessing game where players illustrate words for others to guess.

Word Charades: Similar to regular charades, but players act out the meaning of words instead of phrases or titles.

Word Association: Players take turns saying a word associated with the previous word, testing their vocabulary and quick thinking.

Word Bingo: Players receive bingo cards with various words, and the caller reads definitions or uses the words in sentences. This is basically the same as Vocabulary Bingo.

Word Memory: A memory card game where players match pairs of words and their meanings.

Apples to Apples: Players match nouns to adjectives, creating funny and creative word combinations.

Balderdash: Players create fake definitions for obscure words, and others have to guess the correct definition.

Vocabulary Jenga: Regular Jenga but with vocabulary words written on each block, making it educational and challenging.

Word Search: Players find specific words hidden in a grid of letters.

Word Ladders: Players try to transform one word into another by changing only one letter at a time, making new valid words at each step.

Synonym/Antonym Match: Players match words with their synonyms or antonyms to reinforce vocabulary relationships.

Online Vocabulary Quizzes: Many websites offer interactive quizzes and games to test and expand your vocabulary.

Vocabulary Board Games: Various board games specifically designed to teach and test vocabulary skills are available.

Hangman Online: Online versions of the classic Hangman game with various themes and difficulty levels.

Know Your Audience

Using Vocabulary Words Effectively in Writing

While a broad vocabulary is impressive, using overly complex words can alienate readers. Tailor your vocabulary choices to suit the target audience and the writing context.

Use Words in Context

Teach your students how to incorporate new words naturally into their writing. Show them how to seamlessly use them within the sentence structure. Emphasize the importance of not using words for the sake of using words.

Avoid Overuse

Teaching vocabulary to your students is important, but it is also important that they know to mix and match vocabulary words to add diversity to their writing.

Master the Art of Synonyms

Dive head first into the world of synonyms with your kiddos. Another reason that teaching your students vocabulary is important is to help them to stop using the same old boring words and find more colorful words to use. By teaching them to use synonyms, you will allow your students to add depth to your writing and prevent repetitive phrasing.

Teaching your students a wide range of vocabulary words will not only enhances their writing, but it will also enriches their language. By learning new words in context, your students will be able to add spice to their writing. And, they will be able to perform better on their assessments. Remember, teaching your students vocabulary strategies that they can use can be difficult. But, you can make it an enjoyable and continuous process.

Happy Teaching!!!