I pretty much agree with all of these, but for #4 I would go further and not make ANY assignment looking up definitions. I might perhaps do it in class as a whole class thing, but having them look up lists of words in the dictionary to copy definitions they don't understand doesn't seem like the best use of time in learning vocabulary.
I know he said not to rely only on context clues, but honestly, too many *don't* teach kids how to figure out words using context clues, so many students - especially struggling readers do not use any strategies at all when reading. Most words you can figure out using context clues or morphology, so I strongly believe in teaching both of those. On Feb 3, 2008 12:33 PM, Bill IVEY <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Hi! > > Rick Wormeli has a good article entitled "Teaching Vocabulary : Work > Smarter, Not Harder" in the current issue of "Middle Ground" from NMSA. > He lists and explains 10 principles: > 1. Spend time reading > 2. Teach words for their own sake, in addition to the terms associated > with units of study > 3. Build integration, repetition, and meaningful use into vocabulary > instruction > 4. Do not make the first night's vocabulary assignment looking up the > definitions in the dictionary and using them properly in a sentence > 5. Don't rely purely on defining the words or asking students to figure > out a word using context cues > 6. Help students relate words to their world > 7. Start teaching students Latin and Greek prefixes and roots > 8. Teach students a lexicon for studying vocabulary > 9. Spend considerable time helping students with subtle difference > analysis > 10. Express great enthusiasm for words and their wise use > > I know we've been talking vocabulary instruction lately, but I'm wondering > what practices you have found successful which relate to these ten > principles or if there are any questions you might have surrounding any of > these principles. > > Take care, > Bill Ivey > Stoneleigh-Burnham School > > > _______________________________________________ > The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org > > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive > -- - Heather "The world of books is the most remarkable creation of man. Nothing else that he builds ever lasts. Monuments fall; nations perish; civilizations grow old and die out; new races build others. But in the world of books are volumes that have seen this happen again and again and yet live on. Still young, still as fresh as the day they were written, still telling men's hearts of the hearts of men centuries dead." --Clarence Day "While the rhetoric is highly effective, remarkably little good evidence exists that there's any educational substance behind the accountability and testing movement." —Peter Sacks, Standardized Minds "When our children fail competency tests the schools lose funding. When our missiles fail tests, we increase funding. " —Dennis Kucinich, Democratic Presidential Candidate _______________________________________________ The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive
