Vocabulary is very problematic in today's society. Students should be encouraged daily to increase their vocabulary because it improves reading comprehension. I think students should be exposed to vocabulary as early as Kindergarden. Chapter 3, provides an explanation of vocabulary and how it is integrated into the curriculum and content areas. Vocabulary begins with the exposure to word knowledge. Students are exposed in elementary to vocabulary but somehow they manage to forget vocabulary as they grow older. Before reading this chapter, I thought middle school teachers did not put a lot of emphasis on vocabulary. I realize now that students' vocabulary level increases a lot as they grow older. As stated in chapter 3, most students just "know a word". Knowing a word means that you cannot only identify a word but also understand the conceptional meaning of the word. Students often just memorize words for assessments and never really understand the word. In this chapter, it explained how teachers have a hard time teaching vocabulary because students are on different levels of word knowledge. This chapter provide ways to integrate vocabulary in all subjects. From experience, I have noticed how useful word walls are in a classroom. I noticed how students always refer back to word walls during assignments and test. Some students have trouble with words that have multiple meanings especially younger students. I feel that teachers should introduce and analyze words for students and show them how a root word can be used in multiple ways. Vocabulary in Social Studies is used for critical thinking and to help students analyze history. Mathematics use vocabulary within the content and context. Students must understand vocabulary in math in order to carry out the problem. Overall, vocabulary is very important because we use it daily. Supportive teachers instills in their students great vocabulary and varieties of ways to use it. Great vocabulary help students become more aware of their surroundings and provides them with understanding.
QUESTIONS:
How can I explain vocabulary and the importance of it to kindergarden students?
What are ways that I can use vocabulary providing a hands-on experience?
I agree with that students are constantly exposed to vocabulary all through elementary, but it suddenly stops when they reach higher grades, as if they are suppose to know it all. I also feel that sometimes in subjects, like math and SS that vocabulary is overlooked and only shows up on test and students are epically lost.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you and Melinda! Vocabulary was a big problem for me in high school. I would take tests that would have large vocabulary words just in the directions and I would be very confused as to how to answer the question. I think vocabulary should be taught more in upper levels of school. It is NOT true that we "know it all" and that should not me assumed.
ReplyDeleteDisha I totally agree with you when you said teachers should introduce and analyze words for students and also show and explain what root words are and how they can be used multiple ways. I didn't learn the whole root word hoopla until I got into the upper grades and till this day I wished that I had learned it earlier because it would've been so beneficial. Every student is different and each one learns differently. No two are the same and by having collective ways/strategies to teach vocabulary can be very profitable to each individual student.
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