How to Make Vocabulary Stick! (Freebie Included!)

Have you ever tried teaching kids vocabulary words and noticed that they just aren't remembering them? I noticed this trend with my students and created different ways to engage with the words daily. I soon noticed they were remembering and USING their new words!

Here's the format I used: You can grab a free week here to try it out. This format can be used with any words you want!

My son did a great job remembering and using these words. We did this list a few weeks ago and he still shrieks every time he hears my husband or I say one of these words, hears it on a television show, or uses it authentically himself!

On Day 1: Introduce the pictures. Tell students the new words for the week and ask if anyone knows what the words mean. Read the students the words in a story  and give them the chance to guess what each word means. After the story, read them the definitions. Consider printing the vocabulary words page out and posting the weekly words in a place everyone can see and reference.

Day 2: Show the pictures again. Ask students if anyone remembers what the words mean. Review the definitions. Try to come up with a motion or action to remember each word. Read students the fill in the blank sentences and see if they can put the right words in the blanks. Show students how you can plug in different words and check to see if they make sense. Fill in the words and then read each sentence with the right word all together. Ask students what the sentences mean. See if someone can create their own sentence.

Day 3: Show the pictures again. Ask students if anyone remembers what the words mean. Review the definitions. Review any motions or actions from the previous day. Show students the Choose the Right Word slide. See if they can choose the best  word to go with the picture you point to. Even if the answer seems obvious. Allow students to justify their reasoning. They may find that more than one word fits if they really think about how to represent each word! (Higher order thinking!) For example, for the picture of the plan, someone might say that explore fits because you can use a plan to explore a new place. Someone else might say special because going on a trip is special. Someone could also say curious applies, because they are curious about where the plane is going!

Day 4: Show the pictures again. Ask students if anyone remembers what the words mean. Review the definitions. Review any motions or actions from the previous day. Give students dry erase boards or a paper divided into four parts. Display and read the words and ask students to make their own illustrations to show their understanding of each word and make their own connections. Allow students to share their drawings with partners or even with the whole class.

Day 5: Show the pictures again. Ask students if anyone remembers what the words mean. Review the definitions. Review any motions or actions from the previous day. By now, your students should  have an understanding of each word. Read them each of the writing prompts and allow them to choose one prompt to answer. Allow students to share their writing with partners or even with the whole class.

With my first grade class and son, I had them answer the questions orally. We only had 10 minutes each day so discussing instead of writing worked best for us!

*For any students that are struggling with this, work with them in a small group while the other students work independently. Pick one prompt, review the definition, and plan with students how to answer the question. Write with them and help them use the word in their writing.

*For students that master the words quickly, challenge them to make their own sentences, poems, or stories using the words and invite them to share with their peers. Challenge them to create a game that will teach their peers who still need help.

Again, you can grab this first week for free here.

Have fun learning!

Set 1

Set 2

Set 3

Writing Sentences Made Easy!

 

I've been teaching my son how to use a Bubble Map to make sentences. We put the topic that we are writing about in the middle and make three branches. Then we put can, have, and are in each bubble. 

We watched a YouTube video about lions and I told my son to pay attention so he could have AMAZING details to add to his writing about lions. We talked about how writers share their work with others so they have to make sure they are sharing interesting and true facts that can teach someone. (That someone is always my husband when he gets home after work! It's good to make sure your little writers get to share their work in some way.)

(Planning Sheet Available Here)

I read the sentences and he filled in the blank. 

For example, while pointing to the bubbles, I said, "Lions can  ________. What can lions do?" He thought for a minute and then said, "Roar!" We continued this same format to come up with words for the other have and are bubbles.

I labeled the bubbles 1-3 (though the order doesn't matter) and told him we were going to write three sentences using our bubble map to help us. We talked about how writers plan their writing and how it's a part of the writing process.

As he wrote, I reminded him about starting in the top left corner, capital letters, finger spaces, and punctuation. When he was finished, he used the checklist to check over his work.

After he can do this independently, we will move on to writing a paragraph. It's pretty easy after this is mastered!

This resource is available here! You can also do this on regular paper just make your own Bubble Map and choose a topic!

Preschool Notebook for Kids (Freebie)

 I created some notebook labels for my four year old son to work on each day in his notebook! We have been doing a page or two each day and he has been loving it!

I cut out all of the labels and arranged them randomly in the notebook so that we have a fun new prompt to respond to each day.

My son is phenomenal speller and writer so I always challenge him to label what he has drawn. If you have older kids doing this, you can have them add a sentence or two!

Sometimes we go out of order. He flips to a prompt he likes and he works on that one for the day!

If this looks like something your child might enjoy, please click here to grab these labels!

I hope these are helpful!

Teaching Controversial Issues in the Classroom

Teaching controversial issues can be a great challenge for teachers. Some teachers worry they do not have the right tools or background knowledge to adequately approach the topics, while others may fear repercussions for addressing these issues in such an unsettled climate.  However, teaching about controversies, especially current events like those that took place in Charlottesville and St. Louis, are even more important for students in today's classrooms.

As we continue to grow as a diverse nation (and world), we must work to make sure all students find their place. This includes reaching those marginalized students and giving them the support they need to find classroom success and to also feel loved and accepted in this world. More importantly, as a nation, it is only through education that we can make ourselves better.  Facing our shortcomings and finding solutions to breach our gaps is the key to guiding the next generations in the direction toward positive change.

To help you get started, Naomi O'Brien of Read Like a Rock Star and Michele Luck of Michele Luck's Social Studies have shared tips and ideas for breaking the barriers in your classroom to address the topics you know you need to address.

Tips and Ideas for the Elementary Classroom by Naomi O'Brien

In K-5, especially in the younger of those grades, the thought of navigating a conversation of this magnitude can feel uncomfortable, inappropriate, or just plain wrong. I am here to tell you that these students can handle these conversations if they are handled in the right way.

As a black woman that didn’t have a black teacher until middle school, I would have greatly appreciated any one of my elementary school teachers having conversations about race with our class. All I ever had each year was a few days in February filled with stories about Rosa Parks, quotes from Martin Luther King Jr. and empty words about how equal we all are (when I knew very well that we weren’t).

Make a Safe Space: Create a safe space for all students to share their ideas, opinions, and feelings about the heavy topics they will be learning about. Build a strong classroom community that can work through tough topics together. Encourage risk-taking and divergent thinking in your classroom. Teach your students that unique responses are okay! If you have students of color in your classroom, chances are they have already had some negative experiences in life as a result of the color of their skin (or someone they care about has). If you don’t have students of color, chances are they are oblivious to the plight that students their age have to go through because of their skin color. They have the privilege of not having to know. No matter who is sitting in front of you, these lesson are necessary, these lessons are needed, and these lessons can help shape a generation of compassionate, empathetic, and informed students as early as kindergarten.

Analyze Images: Find (age appropriate) photos to project, or print, and display for your class to see. Give them some background knowledge about the image you show them. Make sure to include facts only. It is not your job to tell them that something they are seeing is right or wrong, you are simply presenting the information to them. Specifically regarding Charlottesville, a “safe” image to use with your students could be any of the photos depicting the white supremacists holding torches. Ask your students the following questions:

What do you see?

How do you think they feel?

Depending on the grade level you teach, give your students some background knowledge about why these men got together for a rally.

How does that make you feel? Why?

If you could talk to these men what would you say?

What might be a solution to this issue?

This is a great time to address early on in the year that people of color in America have never been treated as equal. There is still a lot of work for all of us to do. It is not enough to tell your students to be nice. We need to teach them to be anti-racist. We need to teach them how to spot racism, how to think critically about it, and what to do when they see it happening.

Checking In: Check in with how your students are feeling throughout your lesson. In the lower grades, allow students to draw a picture, circle a face, or draw a face that depicts how they are feeling before, during, and after a tough lesson. Older students can jot their feeling down anonymously on a Post-It note. You can group student responses by feelings so that students can see that others may or may not feel the same way as them. This can lead to more discussion about why some students feel a certain way.

Tips and Ideas for the Middle and High School Classroom by Michele Luck

In the secondary classroom, most students are ready and willing to share their thoughts on current events, especially with which they feel a direct connection. The real challenge comes in harvesting that willingness in a positive way that will offer all students a safe and secure place to share their thoughts and even their concerns.

Rally image by Anthony Crider, available by CC on Wikipedia Commons.

One of my favorite strategies for teaching controversial issues is the Big Paper Activity. In this lesson, students silently navigate the classroom to respond to questions or prompts written at the top of presentation paper sheets. This creates a safe setting where students can share their thoughts without feeling the pressure that could arise in a discussion or debate scenario.  Add images, quotes, or news excerpts for added content to which students can respond.

Analyzing Images is another incredible tool to use in the middle or high school classroom. Utilizing spiral questioning techniques, teachers can guide students through seeing the images and reading meaning from what they see in the images. Round out image analysis lessons with current events articles, primary sources on the topics, and whole class comparison activities where students can examine and evaluate the conflict in a more analytical format.

Teaching students how to properly express their thoughts is another great tool to be taught and reinforced at the secondary level. Give students a Genius Hour each week and allow them time to research a current event or topic of interest that they can then present to the class in any form or manner. Encourage students to tap into their creative sides to present their topics through song, dance, theatrical performance, the creation of a video, the creation of an artistic piece, or in any way they feel they can adequately show what they've learned and what they care about helping others understand!

Our Call to Action

Whether you teach kindergarten or seniors in high school, teaching controversial issues is vital for helping to empower the next generation. Guide them toward kindness and away from hate, so that they can someday live in a world of acceptance and appreciation for everyone.

Taking Home the Class "Pet"

Here is a fun writing activity that I've implemented in my class this year!

We have a class "pet" named, Ozzie. He hangs in our class during the week, and each Friday I choose a student to take him home for the weekend!

I simply wrote a list on the board, and I will be going down the list each Friday. I send home the turtle with his tank and a notebook explaining to the parents/guardians where this turtle came from, and what he's all about! There are also pages included for students to write about their adventures. We read about them on Monday morning!

If you have a spare turtle lying around, and want to name it Ozzie, download the same pages I used here!

Enjoy,

Naomi

Create Your Own Alphabet Chart with Your Students! (Free Download)

When I saw LaNesha Tabb post a picture of her student created alphabet chart, I knew it was something I wanted to implement in my classroom immediately, but I was still on maternity leave. I am back full time this year in a classroom that is a kindergarten and ECE mix, so I was able to give it a try. 

They loved it and it looks great! It's something I reference everyday and they are so happy to have been an important part of creating it.

 Grab your copy of my blank posters here!

 XOXO, 

Naomi

Building and Keeping a Relationship with Parents

When I first started teaching, making connections with parents wasn't something I ever thought I'd have to work at. I naively assumed, I'd know all the parents, we work well together all year long, and everything would be pretty effortless. 

I QUICKLY learned that was not the case. There were some parents that I never saw or heard from, and some parents that I could not seem to get to like me. Needless to say, this made my first year of teaching a little stressful (on top of everything else).

Coming up with ways to connect with parents over the years has been a mission of mine. It definitely takes a lot of work to cultivate strong relationships with my students' parents, but it is SO worth it. 

I used to assume that parents that were not involved in their student's academic careers simply didn't care. I know now that language, culture, work schedules, and insecurities can play a huge part in that. I know now that it is MY job to reach out and continue to reach out and connect throughout the year.

One of the easiest things I do to start a relationship is to ask them about their child. I make sure to send home information sheets asking questions about the type of learner their child is, what motivates them, and what their goals for their child are. I want to establish that I value their opinion and care about their child.

I also gain my parents' trust by allowing them to get to know me and keeping a line of communication open. I send home Connection Cases that I make. They are just pencil cases that are full of notes for parents to send to me to address any questions, comments, or concerns they have. They feel comfortable communicating with me because I encourage them to.

Gaining a parents' trust and having a positive relationship makes conversations about struggles, behavior, or classroom issues much more successful. I like to make my parents feel like we are a part of a team and they really respond to that.

At the end of the day, we ARE a team. We both want what's best for the student, so working together only makes sense.

I keep in touch about EVERYTHING. Even if they don't always respond, it lets them know what I'm up to and how much I care. In my experience,  when parents don't feel connected to teachers, they make assumptions about us! They assume we don't care about their child, or that we don't like their child (or them). This can make phone calls home and conferences very difficult.

Reaching out only during the beginning of the year isn't enough! I use a connection log to track how often I interact with parents. Whether it's a note, an e-mail, a phone call, or a meeting, I try to connect with a few parents each week. I do a few at a time so I don't overwhelm myself. Notes are the easiest for me. I make positive phone calls home the first month of school, and then mostly stick to notes and e-mail for the rest of year, unless a phone call is necessary. 

I intentionally reach out to report WAY more positive news than negative. When I actually have to call or talk about something negative, they know I have their child's best interest at heart because of the RELATIONSHIP we've built. It makes the conversation so easy to have. If I only call to complain about their child's behavior, eventually they are going to stop answering the phone.

I send home notes ALL THE TIME! I thank parents for little things and big things. Anything to make them feel connected and included. Even if it's a parent I never hear back from, I still reach out and check in with them. At the very least, the student sees my effort and knows that I care about them and their parent.

I hope you enjoyed these ideas! I finally compiled all of my notes, forms, and connection cases into a printable resource. It's available now on TpT!

XOXO,

Naomi