Word Study

I have to agree with most researchers saying that vocabulary is learned indirectly through teacher read-aloud and independent reading. I want to make sure and have a classroom where children can learn how to evaluate their own vocabulary knowledge and develop a sense of word curiosity that will push them to continue to develop rich, lively, and valuable vocabularies.

How can I do that?

I like the scale for the kids to hold up fingers to describe how well they know a word.

1= I have never heard of that word

2= I heard the word but I don’t know what it means

3=I think I know what the word means

4=I’m sure I know what that word means

5= I can make a good sentence with that word

It not only lets the students evaluate themselves but also the teachers have a good understanding of what words the students struggle with.

How can I encourage independent reading?

When I was a kid, I remember not really liking to read. There is one thing though that always encouraged me to read: the reading couches and loft. In Kindergarten, we had a center in the room that was for reading time. It had a big loft with pillows and comfy couches. I remember looking so much forward to reading just because of that center in the room. I will definitely have a reading center when I am a teacher. I feel it encourages every student to enjoy reading and try new things. I know it did to me.