{12 Days: Tool 10} Infographic: Top 10 Characteristics of Effective Vocabulary Instruction We know that there is a strong relationship between vocabulary and reading comprehension. Systematic vocabulary instruction is an integral part of a K-12 comprehensive literacy framework for instruction. I consider it a privilege to have supported many teachers, coaches, & administrators in building a community that values word learning across classrooms and content areas. Common characteristics of effective vocabulary instruction have been documented in numerous professional journals and books. Effective vocabulary instruction across grade levels and content areas is key. I write frequently about vocabulary. You can put this infographic to use tomorrow. Download today’s tool by clicking on the tag at the end of this post. Like this post? Please read our Reblogging and Reposting Policies here before reblogging or reposting. Have you found these posts helpful in supporting your literacy efforts? The following two tabs change content below. Kimberly
5 Ways to Make Class Discussions More Exciting Classroom discussions have been a staple of teaching forever, beginning with Socrates. I have taught using discussions, been a student in discussions, and observed other teachers' discussions thousands of times -- at least. Some have been boring, stifling or tedious enough to put me to sleep. Others have been so stimulating that I was sad to see them end. The difference between the two is obviously how interesting the topic is, but equally important is the level of student participation. It's not enough for students to simply pay attention -- they need to be active participants to generate one of those great discussions that end far too quickly for both the teacher and students. The best discussions keep everyone active, either by sharing or thinking. 1. Just the name "lightning round" suggests energy. 2. When you ask a discussion question, call on students by letting them catch a ball. 3. 4. Keep each question going longer by engaging more students in the discussion. 5.
Express 9.15 - Supporting Effort by Pairing Rubrics with Checklists Supporting Effort by Pairing Rubrics with Checklists Cynthia Kube In my position as a gifted resource teacher, I often see students struggle with the planning required for a challenging task. Too often, they have only a vague idea of what is required and are easily overwhelmed by the effort involved. It is crucial for teachers to carefully construct a task rubric and explicitly review it with their students, clearly delineating performance level criteria. As Kay Burke explains in her book Balanced Assessment: From Formative to Summative (2010), checklists can be used as thinking tools to provide students with a self-monitoring strategy. Checklists not only serve as a self-assessment for students, but can also be used as a formative assessment by teachers, as well as a tool for feedback. Thinking tools such as rubrics and checklists have an important place in the sequence of teaching and learning. Reference Burke, K. (2010). ASCD Express, Vol. 9, No. 15.
70 useful sentences for academic writing Back in the late 90s, in the process of reading for my MA dissertation, I put together a collection of hundreds of sentence frames that I felt could help me with my academic writing later on. And they did. Immensely. After the course was over, I stacked my sentences away, but kept wondering if I could ever put them to good use and perhaps help other MA / PhD students. So here are 70 sentences extracted and adapted for from the original compilation, which ran for almost 10 pages. This list is organized around keywords. Before you start:1. Arguea. Claima. Data a. Debate a. Discussion a. Evidence a. Grounda. Issue a. Premisea. Researcha.This study draws on research conducted by ___.b. If you found this list useful, check out The Only Academic Phrasebook You’ll Ever Need, which contains 600 sentences, as well as grammar and vocabulary tips.
No Tears for Tiers: The CCSS Tiered Vocabulary Made Simple The Common Core State Standards place an importance on academic vocabulary. In addition to developing an advanced vocabulary, the CCSS calls for increasing the amount of nonfiction and informational text in classrooms. We know that vocabulary knowledge influences fluency, comprehension, and student achievement. And, vocabulary plays an even more important role in understanding nonfiction and informational text. In Appendix A of the Standards, the Tiered Vocabulary framework by Isabel Beck is summarized. Tiered Vocabulary: Definitions and Examples Definition: Tiered Vocabulary is an organizational framework for categorizing words and suggests implications for instruction. Tier 1: Common, Known Words Examples: big, small, house, table, family Tier I words are basic, everyday words that are a part of most children’s vocabulary. Tier 2: High-Frequency Words (aka Cross-Curricular Vocabulary) Examples: justify, explain, expand, predict, summarize, maintain Instructional Implications 1. 2. 3. 4.
8 Idioms to tell someone to “shhh” or be quiet Do you ever have the need to tell someone to be quiet? In some situations, you might have to tell people to quieten down and stop talking just before someone is about to speak (in a presentation, a meeting or conference) or a play is about to start in the theatre. In those instances, you would politely ask people to stop talking. However, there are many more situations when you don’t want to politely ask the person or people to stop talking, especially if they have really annoyed you or you are fed up with the noise they’re making or the things they are saying. In which case, the idioms below would come in extremely useful! It’s a lot easier to be polite than impolite in a foreign language no matter how proficient you are in that language. So, I wouldn’t expect you to be able to use these idioms naturally especially when angry, impatient or irritated. And what better way to do this than to share this fabulous infographic prepared by Kaplan International. Kaplan International English 2.
MET Project :: Welcome Story Map The Story Map interactive includes a set of graphic organizers designed to assist teachers and students in prewriting and postreading activities. The organizers are intended to focus on the key elements of character, setting, conflict, and resolution development. Students can develop multiple characters, for example, in preparation for writing their own fiction, or they may reflect on and further develop characters from stories they have read. After completing individual sections or the entire organizer, students have the ability to print out their final versions for feedback and assessment. The versatility of this tool allows it to be used in multiple contexts. Grades K – 2 | Lesson Plan | Standard Lesson Collaborative Stories 1: Prewriting and Drafting Students hone their teamwork skills and play off each other's writing strengths as they participate in prewriting activities for a story to be written collaboratively by the whole class. Grades K – 2 | Lesson Plan | Unit back to top
21 Digital Tools to Build Vocabulary If you follow this blog, you know that I believe effective vocabulary instruction is just about the most important instructional activity for teachers to get right. For lots of reasons. Vocabulary influences fluency, comprehension, and student achievement. How’s that for starters? In addition, a broad vocabulary is important for effective speaking, listening, reading and writing. I write frequently about the importance of effective vocabulary instruction and my recent infographic – the 10 Do’s and Don’ts of Effective Vocabulary Instruction – has proved very popular having been Pinned over 31,000 times. In today’s 21st century classrooms, digital tools must coexist alongside more traditional tools. Digital tools have advantages. The following digital tools show promise to support word learning, review, and playing with language. 21 Digital Tools to Build Vocabulary Reference Tools 1. Lingro is a cool tool for both the “wow” factor and for its usefulness. 2. “Jetty” as defined by Shahi 3.
50 "Best Practices" for language teachers 50 “Best Practices” For Language Teachers “It’s a funny thing. The more I practice, the luckier I get.” - Arnold Palmer Through practice and experience teachers get better. Here are my 50 suggestions for being the best teacher one can be. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. More ….. 9. 10. More ….. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. More ….. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. More …. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. Here are a few other posts related to “being a great teacher”. What makes great teachers great? It’s the small things that count. The 7 deadly sins of new teachers Read more with these articles and resources. Join the conversation at
Updated Padagogy Wheel Tackles The Problem Of Motivation In Education One of the biggest problems at the core of education is motivation. That’s according to the newest iteration of the popular Padagogy Wheel (pad for iPad instead of ‘ped’agogy) we showcased a couple weeks ago. Allan Carrington spent what must be counless hours thinking, revising, and refining the wheel you see below which is now at version 3.0. Be sure to click here to view version 2.0 of the wheel and click here to view version 1.0. What’s New In The Padagogy Wheel Version 3.0 The new version tackles a major question that is lurking in the back of everyone’s mind. So why yet another version only one week later? How It Works Start at the center. But it’s not how it has to be. Do you ever wonder how schools, universities, colleges, and large groups in general should use social media?