Understanding+&+Remembering+Word+Meanings

= = Back

There are more ways to deduce word meanings than by consulting a dictionary. Good readers deduce word meanings by using context clues and deconstructing unknown words. These techniques save the reader from relying on a dictionary every time they are confronted with an unknown word. They also allow the reader to stay engaged with the text while keeping the unknown word in the proper context. The following is a list of mini-lessons aimed at allowing students to deduce word meanings while staying engaged with the text.

= Fall =

1. Connecting the Words*

 * Students see the connections and relationships between important vocab terms in the text.

2. Example Webs*

 * Students generate examples and terms from the text.

3. FigFigs*

 * Aids students in understanding and thinking about multiple meanings in texts (analogies, synonyms, antonyms, ect.).

4. Guess and Adjust*

 * Builds background knowledge, uses words to parts to predict meaning, figures out words using context.

= Winter =

1. Keywords Web*

 * Connecting words to concepts.

2. List-Group-Label Plus*

 * Students sort vocab from text into coherent groups or 'files'.

3. Multiple Meanings Table*

 * Develops understanding that many words have multiple meanings.

4. New Words in Context Chart*

 * A matrix that uses both context and word parts to aid students ability to remember meaning.

= Spring =

1. SCUBA Diving into Word Meanings*

 * Acronym that models how to figure out an unknown or unfamiliar word.

2. Self-Selected Vocab Quizzes*

 * Students choose the words that they would like to learn and be tested on.

3. Vocabulary Bank Notes*

 * Students learn words and fit them into the context of the text while also creating study cards.

4. Word Bank*

 * Wall devoted to the study of new and important words or terms in the text.

Understanding & Remembering Word Meanings Assessment Checklist

 * Zwiers, Jeff. //Building Reading Comprehension Habits in Grades 6-12//. 2nd. Newark, DE: Intl Reading Assn, 2010. Print.