Vocabulary
Vocabulary
Vocabulary is the words that we use in our language. Vocabulary is something that may vary from person to person. Everyone uses different words to express themselves. Without vocabulary we would not be able to communicate with others. In Comprehension from the Ground Up, Taberki says "Literacy learning is socially constructed. Students do not learn to be literate in isolation, but through social interactions with others". This means that as a teacher, it is important to give students opportunities to interact with each other.Students have the ability to learn from one another. Each and every person chooses different words to use while socializing. Allowing students to communicate regularly can encourage growing vocabularies.
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In this activity the teacher will start out by handing bingo cards along with counters to each student. The teacher will have a stack of cards containing the letters B,I, N, G, or O on the back of the card. The front of the card will contain phrases such as "he will", "they will", "should not", and so on. The teacher will start by drawing a card and reading it to the class. The students will have to match the phrase to the contraction. When a student has the contraction that is called by the teacher, they will place a counter over that space. Once a student has placed counters on all the given spaces, depending on how much of the card the teacher has asked the students to fill out, they will call out that they have a bingo. When a student calls out bingo, the teacher should make sure that they have all of the counters placed correctly. If it is correct, students should clear cards and get ready for the next round.
I think that this is a good exercise for students in older elementary classes, such as third or fourth grade. This activity introduces contractions in a fun way. This exercise is presented in the form of a game, however, it will keep the students engaged and interested to learn each contraction.
In this activity students will be divided in groups of two or three. Each group will be given a stack of cards containing multiple pairs of antonyms. The students are to shuffle the cards. Each student should start with seven cards in their hand. The remaining cards should be placed between the players. Before the game begins the students should check and see if they have any antonyms in the stack of seven cards they begin with. The antonym pars should be stack in front of the player who has them both. The game will begin when the first player asks another player for a card. For example, if I have a card that says new, I will ask another player if they have a card that says old, because I know old is an antonym for new. If the player has the card they will hand it to me and I will place both cards in front of me. If they do not have the card they will say "go fish" and I will draw a card from the center pile.
This game is good to get students engaged. This would be a great activity to present to third or fourth graders. Even though this activity is presented as a game, the students will still be provided opportunities to learn. I think that when a teacher makes learning a fun process, students are more likely to want to learn more.
Activity One: Contraction Bingo
Activity Two: Antonym "go fish"
