I work primarily with students who struggle with mathematics. My students are awesome kids and I would estimate that about 98% of the time, their struggles have little to do with their computation abilities, and more to do with solving word problems and the critical thinking that accompanies them. When I give my students a […]
vocabulary
Posted inLiteracy
Word Sorts: A Pre-Reading Strategy for Frustrated Students and Teachers
If I were to ask my middle schoolers what the hardest subject is for them, I can tell you right now, a majority (especially sixth graders), would say science. Even though my kids typically love science labs, they despise all of the reading that accompanies them. When I talk to students about what makes reading […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Eat Your Vocabulary– It’s Good for You!
“If music be the food of love,” as Shakespeare suggests, then the food for the mind is vocabulary. The term vocabulary is defined as “a list or collection of words or of words and phrases usually alphabetically arranged and explained or defined.” There are a number of reasons to think about these lists of words and phrases […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Opinion
Things Teachers Are Saying Wrong, and How to Correct Them
The insistence on vocabulary in education is a time-tested tradition of teachers. However, as curriculum changes and adapts, so does our subject-specific student vocabulary. That said, why hasn’t teacher vocabulary altered and upgraded throughout the years? Let’s look at a few things teachers say, what we should begin saying instead, and why… 1 – Start saying […]
Posted inFeatured, From the Front Lines, High School, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy, Uncategorized
The Quietly Rebellious Teacher
I’m a teacher. I believe in rules, structure, and consistency. To a point. I am not the end-all, be-all authority on education. I feel confident in my classroom and I know my students just like you know yours. But I am tired of people in positions other than in a classroom making decisions for my […]
Posted inFeatured, Parents
Vocabulary: Something to Talk About
Research shows a connection between early elementary students’ word knowledge and reading comprehension in both early elementary school and throughout upper grades (Juel and Deffes, 2004). As a fourth grade teacher and parent of three, I see this connection every day. I am often asked, “What can I do for my kids at home? What […]
Posted inCommon Core, Featured, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy, Middle School
Vocabulary Campaigns in the Content Area
While there are whirlwind changes in education such as new evaluation programs, digital devices in school, or flipped classrooms, one element remains constant: vocabulary. In order for students to succeed, they must understand the content area vocabulary in each subject area. “Vocabulary knowledge is fundamental to reading comprehension; one cannot understand text without knowing what most of the […]
Posted inBook Review, Featured, How to Fix Education, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy
Book Review: Vocabulary StrategiesThat Work: Do This – Not That!
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] In Vocabulary Strategies That Work: Do This-Not That! Lori G. Wilfong does an amazing job of bringing to light the importance of students actually learning vocabulary and making it useful instead […]