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  • Ideas by Jivey

    Jivey shares ideas and lessons to make literacy accessible for all.

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    Vocabulary

    Make Vocabulary Stick With These Five Activities

    September 15, 2017

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    Vocabulary must be taught in context, and should be an ongoing process, in order for students to truly comprehend the words. Learn about five easy ways you can make vocabulary stick with your students.

    As you learned in my previous post, it’s time to throw the vocabulary list OUT! Students need the words in context, and they need practice with the words over the course of the year- not just the week you introduce them.

    This post is going to give you five ways you can keep vocabulary instruction alive all year long!

    INTERACTIVE WORD WALL

    Yes, that’s right. INTERACTIVE. That means it doesn’t stay the same all year. Get student input on how to arrange, and later, rearrange, the words. Words could be sorted by parts of speech. They could be placed on individual strips with room under the words to allow for lists of synonyms. You could even allow students to create illustrations to be displayed with the words. I’m sure students will even have their own ideas of how to sort them!


    Vocabulary must be taught in context, and should be an ongoing process, in order for students to truly comprehend the words. Learn about five easy ways you can make vocabulary stick with your students.

    DETERMINE WORD FUNCTION

    In order to use the vocabulary words well, students need to know HOW to use them in a sentence. Determining the function (or part of speech) will help students learn to use them in a sentence. Model for students how to look for patterns to determine the function of the word by looking at suffixes (-ed and -ing often show verb tense, and -ly often indicates an adverb). It might even help to replace the word with another verb or noun to check it.

     

    ACTIVATE PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

    “Warm up” the students by discussing a topic the words fall under when applicable (for example, if the book is about bats… ask, “What do you know about bats?”) Show the vocabulary words and allow them to share what they know about how the words relate to bats.

    PLAY GAMES

    Get students moving!! Allow students to act out vocabulary words (old and new) by asking them, “What does it look like when you…?” Another fun game resembles the game HedBanz. Write the word on a strip of paper long enough to go around their head, stapled (like a crown) – students should not see the word on their head. Students should ask questions about their word to others to help them guess the word that is on their crown.

    MARZANO’S WORD WORK

    This should be used as a front-loading activity, if you wish to use it. It should NOT replace reading the mentor text and discussing the word in the context of the story, but it is a great way to integrate various learning styles in order to help the words “sink in.”

    I had the privilege of hearing Robert Marzano present on his six step process several years ago, and it was a nice way to change up how I had been teaching vocabulary. My kids showed a lot of growth, especially in content-area words. This process is not something you want to do for EVERY word (as in all six steps every time) – you don’t have the time, and the kids would get bored FAST.

    Read this great article that explains Marzano’s Six Step Process in more detail.

    Here is a short summary of the six steps:

    1. Provide a description, explanation, or example of the new term.
    (Tell a story that integrates the term or show a picture of the term)
    2. Ask students to restate the description, explanation, or example in their own words.
    (Correct misunderstandings)
    3. Ask students to construct a picture, symbol, or graphic representing the word.
    (Draw your own example, too)
     
    Use the following page to create a word journal:
    4. Engage students periodically in activities that help them add to their knowledge of the terms.
    (Identify prefixes, suffixes, synonyms, antonyms, analogies, reminders of confusion)
    5. Ask students to discuss the terms with one another.
    (Compare drawings and descriptions)
    6. Play games periodically that allow them to play with terms.
    (Pictionary, Jeopardy, Charades, Headbands)

     

     

    Interested in an entire year of vocabulary taught through mentor texts? Visit the vocabulary category in my TpT store!

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    by Jessica Ivey 

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    Welcome!

    Welcome!

    Hi, I'm Jessica, also affectionately known as Jivey! I am passionate about making literacy accessible for all students using research-based strategies. Students learn best through content integration and in-context skills, and my goal is to help you deliver your instruction with these best practices!

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    Ideas By Jivey

    21 hours ago

    Ideas By Jivey
    😍Teachers LOVE using the paired texts I've written! 📖With original passages (differentiated for two reading levels) and multiple-choice & constructed response questions that require students to go back into the text for the answers (not basic-level comprehension), you are able to tackle rigorous reading standards while integrating social studies and science content into ELA to maximize much-needed time!Plus, bonus!! Students actually enjoy the passages' topics (no yawns through lessons)! 🚫😴Check out this set for Westward Expansion here! 👉https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Paired-Texts-Print-Digital-Westward-Expansion-Grades-4-6-1811055 ... See MoreSee Less

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    Ideas By Jivey

    2 days ago

    Ideas By Jivey
    Happy World Poetry Day!! 📖🖋️☕️Need a ready-to-teach close-reading poetry resource? Grab it here! www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Close-Reading-Poetry-Through-the-Year-Printable-Digital-2216146 ... See MoreSee Less

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    Ideas By Jivey

    3 days ago

    Ideas By Jivey
    🦎Here's another fantastic book you won't want to miss for Women's History Month on this Mentor Text Monday!🐉Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor: The Woman Who Loved Reptiles by Patricia Valdez is the inspiring biography of the pioneering female scientist who loved reptiles.Get the resource I've made to go along with the book to have:★a mentor sentence lesson for the book★an interactive notebook activity to review/teach abstract nouns★eight reading ideas suggested with three activities provided: supporting an inference, key details and main idea, and vivid verbs★one writing idea suggested with a writing prompt given★contextual vocabulary activitiesGet it in the All-Access Mentor Text Membership: members.ideasbyjivey.com/all-accessGet the unit on TPT: www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Joan-Procter-Dragon-Doctor-Mentor-Text-Digital-Print-Unit-802...Get the unit on Jivey's website: www.ideasbyjivey.com/product/joan-procter-dragon-doctor-mentor-text-digital-print-unit/ ... See MoreSee Less

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    😍Teachers LOVE using the paired texts I've writ 😍Teachers LOVE using the paired texts I've written! 

📖With original passages (differentiated for two reading levels) and multiple-choice & constructed response questions that require students to go back into the text for the answers (not basic-level comprehension), you are able to tackle rigorous reading standards while integrating social studies and science content into ELA to maximize much-needed time!

Plus, bonus!! Students actually enjoy the passages' topics (no yawns through lessons)! 🚫😴

Check out this set for Westward Expansion at the link in my profile!

#ideasbyjivey #fabulousfeedback #pairedtexts #pairedpassages #iteach456 #upperelementary #teacherspayteachers #teachersfollowteachers 
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Paired-Texts-Print-Digital-Westward-Expansion-Grades-4-6-1811055
    Happy World Poetry Day!! 📖🖋️☕️ Need a Happy World Poetry Day!! 📖🖋️☕️

Need a ready-to-teach close-reading poetry resource? Grab it at the link in my profile! 

#worldpoetryday #worldpoetryday2023 #ideasbyjivey #teacherspayteachers #teachersfollowteachers #iteachtoo #iteach456 #poetryintheclassroom 

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Close-Reading-Poetry-Through-the-Year-Printable-Digital-2216146
    🦎Here's another fantastic book you won't want t 🦎Here's another fantastic book you won't want to miss for #womenshistorymonth  on this #mentortextmonday!

🐉Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor: The Woman Who Loved Reptiles by Patricia Valdez is the inspiring biography of the pioneering female scientist who loved reptiles.

Get the resource I've made to go along with the book to have:
★a mentor sentence lesson for the book

★an interactive notebook activity to review/teach abstract nouns

★eight reading ideas suggested with three activities provided: supporting an inference, key details and main idea, and vivid verbs

★one writing idea suggested with a writing prompt given

★contextual vocabulary activities

This is just one of over 150 books in the All-Access Mentor Text Membership! Join at the link in my profile! https://members.ideasbyjivey.com/all-access

#ideasbyjivey #picturebooks #mentortext #mentorsentence #teachersfollowteachers #iteach345
    When do YOU teach grammar? 🤓 📓If you're usi When do YOU teach grammar? 🤓

📓If you're using the #mentorsentences routine, I suggest beginning your writing time with it! You want grammar and language to be directly connected to their writing.

This also helps get students into a writing frame of mind, and often gives them a purpose for writing that day! ✏️

Read more about the mentor sentences routine at the link in my profile!

#ideasbyjivey #mentortexts #teacherspayteachers #upperelementary #grammarteacher

https://www.ideasbyjivey.com/routine
    🔍Research has proven that #vocabulary words mus 🔍Research has proven that #vocabulary words must be presented in context for proper comprehension.

📖That means... throw out the word lists for kids to look up in a dictionary and memorize the definition!!!

📚Picture books are vital – yes, even in the upper grades – to allow students to use the images to help with context and infer the meaning of words. One way to present vocabulary words effectively is to teach through texts you are already using for other lessons!

😍You can find over 150 weeks' worth of contextual vocabulary activities just like these in the All-Access Mentor Text Membership- link in profile!!

#ideasbyjivey #upperelementary #mentortexts #teachingvocabulary #teachersfollowteachers #iteach345 

https://members.ideasbyjivey.com/all-access
    🍀What book are you reading this week for St. Pa 🍀What book are you reading this week for St. Patrick's Day?

Fiona's Luck by Teresa Bateman is a fun one!

Need some last-minute activities?

You can find an entire unit for this #mentortext in Ideas by Jivey's All-Access Mentor Text Membership, as well as on TPT (link in profile)!

#stpatricksdayintheclassroom #ideasbyjivey
#mentorsentences #upperelementary
#teachersfollowteachers #teacherspayteachers
#iteach345

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fionas-Luck-St-Patricks-Day-Mentor-Text-Digital-Print-Leprechaun-Book-Unit-7821146
    I LOVE reading #fabulousfeedback from you all! 🤩 This one makes me especially happy because I know committing to a new routine like mentor sentences is a mindset shift, but I always hear such positive results once teachers do! ❤

Check out #mentorsentences on my website or my TPT store! www.ideasbyjivey.com

#ideasbyjivey #iteach #iteachtoo #mentortexts #grammarteacher #elementaryela #teacherspayteachers #teachersfollowteachers
    🍀🌈💰For today's #mentortextmonday, let's g 🍀🌈💰For today's #mentortextmonday, let's get excited for St. Patrick's Day this week! 

I have the perfect #picturebook: 🍀Fiona's Luck by Teresa Bateman. It's an original folktale with a little girl power mixed in!

Get the resource I've created for it and you'll have: 
🍀a mentor sentence lesson for the book

🍀an interactive notebook activity to review/teach figurative and literal language

🍀six reading ideas suggested with three activities provided: citing evidence, character analysis, and defining using context clues

🍀one writing idea suggested with a writing prompt given

🍀contextual vocabulary activities

🍀science integration - design a leprechaun trap with simple machines

You can find this unit in Ideas by Jivey's All-Access Mentor Text Membership, as well as on TPT (link in profile)! 

#stpatricksdayintheclassroom #ideasbyjivey #mentortext #mentorsentences #upperelementary #teachersfollowteachers #teacherspayteachers #iteach345

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fionas-Luck-St-Patricks-Day-Mentor-Text-Digital-Print-Leprechaun-Book-Unit-7821146
    🤔 So what's so special about using #mentorsente 🤔 So what's so special about using #mentorsentences instead of lectures and worksheets?

💡Engagement in the daily class discussions around language is what will give many students a “lightbulb moment” and help those skills transfer to writing. 

Holding these high-level conversations are when the students are going to learn the MOST. 🥳

Read more at the link in my profile! 

#ideasbyjivey #teachersfollowteachers #iteach345 #mentortexts #upperelementaryteacher #grammarteacher 

https://www.ideasbyjivey.com/routine
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