"My vocabulary is vast, my flow is everlasting" - Inspectah Deck
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| Sisters Underground |
Discussion about our success from our last session in breakout groups added some of the usual gold. The use of songs and lyrics was a particular hot point. I have used but forget so a good reminder. Song choice and ideas from Sister's underground to war of the worlds. Look out intermediates, time to get educated on classic jams!
Sister's underground, in the neighbourhood,
'Because I'm chill, I have to keep subliminal
Because I know my enemy's a white-collar criminal'
Next up we had a tornado of ideas from Dorothy. -
A robust vocabulary improves all areas of communication. The more we know the more we are empowered...
Decile 1 children have learnt 30 000 000 less words than higher.
Discussion and growth is important and illustrates the effect of have and have nots.
audio books
in-text support (e.g. for meanings; synonyms; pronunciation)
immediate feedback (word lists; spelling)
mileage & access (ubiquitous)
variability in font/style
multi-text affords repeat encounters with words in context
engagement
Lots of ideas using tools we have free access to, don't sleep on the Google Doc!
- using tables - with text
- learner created matching games
- invisible ink just like this
- word work - using maps and other tools
Jay-Z - "Moment of Clarity" (from The Black Album, 2003):
"I dumbed down for my audience to double my dollars They criticized me for it, yet they all yell 'holla'
If skills sold, truth be told, I'd probably be Lyrically Talib Kweli.
Truthfully I wanna rhyme like Common Sense.
But I did 5 mil - I ain't been rhyming like Common since."
Jay-Z's reflection on dumbing down for commercial success resonated with our discussion on word consciousness.
Background to vocabulary
The knowledge is preliminary and takes “extended mapping” for more ‘complete, productive use
Building word consciousness - Grow it/expose
Deliberate, robust interactive teaching of words - Use it
Skills for cracking unfamiliar words - crack the words
Morphology (incl. its importance in subject disciplines) - break it down
Building word consciousness:
pause and express interest or value in specific word(s):
Ask learners to watch out for high value or ‘survival’ words - High frequency/everyday!
Challenge learners to use high-interest words -
Collect and display words - use the wall space - be a word magpie!
Wordle
Boggle
Hangman
Word finds
Cross words
Idioms - origin and meaning
Riddles
Dad jokes
Puns
Stuff news - word of the day
Ding bats
Pictionary
20 question game
Scattergories
I’m going to a desert island and Im taking a …….. Using rules such as double letters
Rebus link
Deliberate, robust interactive teaching of words
“Sharks get a lot of bad press, but in New Zealand, fatal shark attacks are rare. A person is much more likely to drown than be killed by a shark. In fact, scientists argue that sharks themselves are under threat. Only seven species of sharks and rays are protected by New Zealand law. The conservation group IUCN lists four New Zealand shark species as vulnerable to extinction. Sharks mature late and have few young, so this by-catch puts all shark species at risk – not to mention your fish and chips!
(Sharks, School Journal)Morphology
- "Stan": This word, meaning an overzealous fan, is a famous example from Eminem's song "Stan." It's a blend of "stalker" and "fan," creating a new word with a distinct meaning.
- "Crunk": A blend of "crazy" and "drunk," popularized in Southern hip-hop.
- "Trippin'": While "tripping" exists, in hip-hop, "trippin'" takes on a broader meaning of "acting foolish" or "overreacting."
Let's get deeper - A morpheme is the smallest unit of meaning. Some words have only one morpheme (e.g., jump, maple, tiger) while many others are made up of two or more morphemes.
- Prefixes:
- de-: down or away from
- pre-: before or earlier
- en-, em-: put into or onto
- sub-: below or under
- inter-: between
- Suffixes: Like "-metre" in millimetre, centimetre, kilometre.
This session highlighted the critical role of a robust vocabulary in empowering communication, particularly for students in decile 1 schools who experience a significant word gap. Discussion emphasized engaging strategies like leveraging songs (e.g., Sisters Underground), audiobooks, apps for creation, and Google Docs for interactive word work, alongside fun activities like Wordle and riddles. Key delivery approaches involve building word consciousness, deliberate teaching of Tier 2 words with direct explanation and playful use, and mastering morphology to break down unfamiliar words, with a clear call to integrate these elements into a consistent timetable.
Next step: Develop a concrete, fun, and routine-based plan for incorporating daily morphology lessons into the timetable, drawing on the collaborative ideas shared during the session to make it engaging and effective for all learners.
What are your favourite quick and fun vocabulary-boosting activities you use in your classroom? Share your ideas in the comments!
