Learning gaps from the Covid years are beginning to really show in terms of vocabulary breadth. I've never been more concerned about the lack of word knowledge, so these strategies are just in time. I think we can continues to capitalize on incidental learning.
Informal conversation is not only a great vocabulary strategy- it's also a great way to gain trust and develop a genuine report with students. When students tell me about their weekend, I try to ask follow up questions and respond with complex, compound sentences. Before you know it, students mirror that structure and you're having an in-depth talk about their favorite hobby (Is it disc golf, frisbee golf, or frolf?) Broadening their aural vocabulary will aid success with reading comprehension.
Teaching and learning are reciprocal acts. I learn knew words all the time from my students. I can recall recently how one of my student athletes went on at great length about her "situationship" or a romantic relationship that was going nowhere. While not a word you'd find in the dictionary, her word play is demonstrative of how students are thinking about words and using language to describe complex situations.
Informal conversation is not only a great vocabulary strategy- it's also a great way to gain trust and develop a genuine report with students. When students tell me about their weekend, I try to ask follow up questions and respond with complex, compound sentences. Before you know it, students mirror that structure and you're having an in-depth talk about their favorite hobby (Is it disc golf, frisbee golf, or frolf?) Broadening their aural vocabulary will aid success with reading comprehension.
Teaching and learning are reciprocal acts. I learn knew words all the time from my students. I can recall recently how one of my student athletes went on at great length about her "situationship" or a romantic relationship that was going nowhere. While not a word you'd find in the dictionary, her word play is demonstrative of how students are thinking about words and using language to describe complex situations.