Using Vocabulary Notebooks in the Classroom
Hey, y'all! One thing we're working on as a campus this year is student vocabulary skills. With "rizz" and "skibidi toilet" making its way into student writing, it's time to get our students to spend more time strengthening their academic vocabularies.
By now, I'm sure you're familiar with Scarborough's Reading Rope and the importance of vocabulary acquisition in students' reading comprehension. In order to get them to include these subject-specific words in their academic talk and writing, they have to have ownership of the word in their own minds. How do we do this? We make vocabulary a central part of our classroom.
True story: As a kid, I sometimes mixed up words. My dad was an English major with an extensive vocabulary. I was 10. I mixed up two words that sounded the same in my mind, and, I kid you not, he pointed and laughed at me. It still bothers me 35 years later. We don't want that for our students. We want a space that is safe to learn new words, make mistakes, and grow from them.
We start off the year by reading The Word Collector. I love this book. It sets the tone for using "spicy" words in our writing and embracing academic vocabulary. We talk about the importance of finding and using new words. It becomes almost like a game with the kids getting excited when they learn a new one.
Now, you could just leave it at that. Or you could have students keep track of new words and definitions in a notebook. But that becomes cumbersome and there's no way that notebook is staying organized. So, in our classroom, we use vocabulary notebooks to keep our new words organized in a way that makes sense.
When we start a new unit, we get a new vocabulary notebook. It's just a little booklet with our words and definitions ready to go. And there are a couple of options to work with, depending on your students.
So, we're starting our plant unit. We have our vocabulary notebooks with all our definitions and visuals ready to go (a God-send for my SPED kiddos) and matching vocabulary cards to display during this unit so that we can refer back to both throughout. When our plant unit is done, the kids can either add their notebook to their book boxes, or take them home. Up to you.
Start a new unit, get a new notebook. Easy peasy.
Now, each notebook has four options for your students:
1. Vocabulary words, pictures, definition pre-printed
2. Vocabulary words, students draw a picture to match, definition pre-printed
3. Vocabulary words, pictures, students write in definition
4. Vocabulary words, students draw a picture and write the definition
Use what works for your students. Like I said, options.
And there are a ton of units to choose from:
* Science tools (aka Intro to science)
* Matter
* Plants
* Weather
* Habitats
* and more to come
If you want a little sneak peek at a small vocabulary notebook, this Five Senses unit is free and gives you good idea of what's involved.
I hope this makes sense and helps your students with their vocabulary acquisition and their writing. To check out the full list of vocabulary notebooks, head over to my TPT store here. While you're there, be sure to follow me so you don't miss anything new.
How do you support your students in learning new words? Let me know in the comments.
Have a wonderful week and I'll talk to you soon.
Stay cozy,
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