On pages 208 to 220 of Chapter 8, our authors introduce us to a series of strategies that we can use in order to help our students build conceptual knowledge of context terms even before we have them read a selection. The authors are advocating that students be encouraged to make connections among key concepts before assigning them textbook pages to read and before beginning any class discussions. Which of those many strategies listed and explained on those pages do you find most interesting and which would you like to try in your content-area classroom? Briefly describe the strategy and tell us why you feel this strategy would be helpful to you in teaching your students to make the necessary connections that will help them understand the concepts and vocabulary being introduced.
I have used graphic organizers extensively for literature, and used word sorts in science. However, I use VSS the most. For many of my students, the connection simply isn't made well prior to reading a passage. In September we read Gilgamesh together. We went through sections, read them, and the students picked out words. Some of them drew visuals, others acted skits, others did note cards. My classroom has a huge range of students - 2 with ASD, 1 non-verbal, 2 gifted, 4 dyslexic students, 50% have ADD or ADHD. So I let them pick what works for them. Some make pretty cards with colorful borders, and others draw something or make a word map. After doing that, we go back over the text and read it all over again, out loud, with dramatic emphasis. As we get to the words they picked, students will usually react: some shout out that this was their word, sometimes there is just a happy hum, and someone smiling, sometimes someone calls out the meaning. It is after that second reading that students gain a much deeper appreciation and understanding for the text. When they read it a third time at home (or listen to it, as some are not reading), they can refer to their word lists if needed. I also encourage and reward students when they use their vocab words in a classroom conversation or in written work.
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