It's hard to believe, but I've been teaching young kids how to read for about 20 years! In that time I've watched my struggling readers working so hard to get the words off the page only to then look at me with confused little faces. I can get them to decode the words but if they don't know what those words mean, it does them no good.
We use the word "Click" to mean that things are clicking in our brains and we are "getting the text" we are understanding what we read.
The word "Clunk" means the mind movies are not working. Something is getting in the way of our understanding. When I investigate further and I begin talking about the text, it becomes clear that often the stumbling block has to do with word meanings.
For that reason, I've come to the realization that vocabulary instruction matters in a BIG way.
Implementing a solid vocabulary routine can help give our readers exposure to words they don't always pay attention to in conversation. Tier two word knowledge is essential if they are to have success reading and understanding third grade text. After all, reading is thinking!
I will be using a vocabulary plan to aid me in helping my students to expand their limited vocabularies. Without a spare second in the day, I'm working on making this a manageable and workable routine. We will again refer to these words as our "Word Wiz" words and we will spend time working on these tier two words each week.
We will record the words, meanings, illustrations, synonyms, antonyms and sentences in our word journals.
We will add them to lanyards so we can wear our words and interact with them during meaningful and playful practice sessions.
We'll add words to our Word Wall so that we can refer to them and use them in our speech and writing ALL year long!
I've offered separate sets of the Word Wiz Journal and Resource Set in monthly packs in my TPT store. I've added the last set I use to my TPT store this summer.
Here is the March set. I stop after March due to the need to focus on review.
Click this link to access the final set:
I've also now bundled them ALL and am offering them in one set at a discounted price.
You can check below for the link.
How do you handle vocabulary instruction in your classroom?
Would love to hear!!
youngdor8@gmail.com
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