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Summer SIOP 2024 Tweet for someone template

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Language of a Flower Activity - Cooper August 2024

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by Valentina Gonzalez

What Is the Affective Filter?

The term "affective filter" originates from Stephen Krashen, an expert in the field of linguistics, who described it as a number of affective variables that contribute to second language acquisition. Merriam-Webster's Dictionary defines affective as "referring to, arising from, or influencing feelings or emotions."

Krashen (1986) cites motivation, self-confidence, and anxiety in the Affective Filter Hypothesis as three categories of variables that play a role in second language acquisition. In essence, when feelings or emotions such as anxiety, fear, or embarrassment are elevated, it becomes difficult for language acquisition to occur. The affective filter has commonly been described as an imaginary wall that rises in the mind and prevents input, thus blocking cognition. In opposition, when the affective filter is lowered, the feeling of safety is high, and language acquisition occurs. In fact, even current research in neuroscience seems to support Krashen's theory that stress affects thinking and learning.

Why Is the Affective Filter Important in the Classroom?

It is not enough to simply teach. It is not enough to deliver instruction even if it's made comprehensible to students. If students' affective filters are elevated, language acquisition will be impeded. Creating classroom environments that act intentionally to lower the affective filter will increase language development.

The lower the filter, the more input is allowed to pass through. Students who are highly motivated, feel confident, and feel safe are more open to input.

Let's picture two classrooms:

In the first classroom, students walk in and sit in isolated rows. The teacher reads from a scripted lesson before assigning a worksheet for students to complete independently. Talk is discouraged, and students are quickly reprimanded for stepping outside of the planned lesson. It is clear to the students that their role is to comply with the teacher's rules for the classroom.

In the second classroom, students have a voice in instruction. They are part of their learning journey. This creates motivation to learn. They gather in groups to share ideas, and they are encouraged to take risks, which helps build their self-confidence. The classroom talk is balanced with some teacher talk and some student talk. Students feel comfortable sharing their ideas and opinions.

When you imagined these two classrooms, in which one did you feel that students had more room to bloom freely within the context of the content? The teacher in the second classroom had a way of lowering the affective filter for students. But how?

How Do We Lower the Affective Filter in the Classroom?

The answer is similar to how you might make visitors feel welcome at your home. Typically, if you want company to stay, you create a space that is inviting, comfortable, friendly, and interesting. You cater to their needs, offer them food, and pay attention to them. (And, I don't know about you, but if I don't want company to stay for long, I simply don't do these things!)

We can lower the affective filters of our students in our classroom in similar ways to how we make visitors feel welcome in our homes. Let's examine how this might look through the three categories that Krashen proposed: motivation, self-confidence, and anxiety.

Motivation

Some might think motivation is solely up to individual students. But while educators don't have complete control over student motivation, they can still influence it. Choice, voice, and relevance are three great motivators we can leverage in the classroom. Providing students with opportunities to select topics to study helps them feel motivated to do the work. Allowing students choice in what they write about or how they show understanding also builds motivation. Creating time and space for students to share their voice in learning stimulates a drive in learners. When students feel they have some say or some control over their learning journeys, they become more invested. Finally, providing learners with engaging experiences that tap into their passions increases motivation. When we keep instruction relevant to students' lives, what they are learning becomes compelling to them.

Self-confidence

Learners who feel a sense of belonging, value, and respect for their individuality are more likely to have lower affective filters. Creating classrooms that warmly welcome all students builds self-confidence. On the other hand, when students feel isolated or that they must "fit in," their self-confidence erodes. To build self-confidence, educators can work on correctly pronouncing students' names, ensure that walls and books are representative of the student population, and get to know students for who they are beyond the classroom.

Anxiety

A safe classroom is one in which students are not afraid to make errors. Classrooms that embrace errors as part of the learning process are more likely to decrease students' affective filters. Fostering a growth mindset and modeling this mindset with students can help them understand that mistakes are a part of growth in the process of learning. The way we talk with students and our body language can also affect their anxiety. Even students who are not yet speaking in English can understand body language and feel the energy in a classroom. Smiling sends a positive, warm message; sitting next to a student to confer with them rather than sitting in front of them is less confrontational; arms at the side rather than crossed is less aggressive. Another way to lower the affective filter is by making sure that we provide comprehensible input. Students become more focused and relaxed the more they can understand the language being used during instruction.

On the other hand, there are specific moves we make that can be counterproductive and raise the affective filter. The factors below can raise the affective filter and impede language acquisition:

Error correction

Forcing output too early

Isolation

Embarrassment

Lack of comprehensible input

We may not even know that we are doing these things or that they are causing the imaginary wall to come up. But becoming aware of the affective filter, what raises it, and how to lower it can help language acquisition flourish.
Source
Krashen, S. D. (1986). Principles and practice in second language acquisition. Oxford: Pergamon Press. http://www.sdkrashen.com/content/books/principles_and_practice.pdf

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What Is the Affective Filter, and Why Is it Important in the Classroom?

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by Valentina Gonzalez What Is the Affective Filter? The term "affective filter" originates from Stephen Krashen, an expert in the field of linguistics, who described it as a number of affective variables that contribute to second language acquisition. Merriam-Webster's Dictionary defines affective as "referring to, arising from, or influencing feelings or emotions."

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EVERY KID NEEDS THEIR PARENTS

But for 11 year-old Densel, 13 year-old Harye, 16 year-old Virginia, and the over 11 million children across the U.S. who are the only English speakers in their family, sometimes that relationship gets flipped. This is the untold story of kids who act as their family's translators on matters that are sometimes more adult than they are.

Directed by Rudy Valdez.
Proudly presented by U.S. Bank.

Share your story with #TranslatorsFilm

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Watch the story of Translators #TranslatorsFilm

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In millions of families across the country, children are giving a voice to those who don't have one. This is their story.

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Component 6- hands on materials activity

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Component 6- hands on materials activity

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Books to listen to- change the "narration" into many languages!

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Books to listen to- change the "narration" into many languages!

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Unite for Literacy provides free digital access to picture books, narrated in many languages. Literacy is at the core of a healthy community, so we unite with partners to enable all families to read with their young children.

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Open access to picture storybooks in the languages of Africa.
For children's literacy, enjoyment and imagination.

Storybooks approved by ASb

Use of Storybooks

Read - Use - Guide - Make

Read

Find individual storybooks or themed storybook collections to with young children. Download to read offline or to print.

Use

In , you can explore ways in which you might use the African Storybooks.

Guide

In , you will find a number of video-, how to- and indepth guides that you might find useful in the use and development of picture storybooks.

African Storybook Maker App

African Storybook Reader App

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Open access to picture storybooks in the languages of Africa. For children's literacy, enjoyment and imagination. Storybooks approved by ASb Use of Storybooks Read - Use - Guide - Make Find individual storybooks or themed storybook collections to with young children. Download to read offline or to print.

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Colorín Colorado is a national multimedia project that offers a wealth of bilingual, research-based information, activities, and advice for educators and families of English language learners (ELLs). Colorín Colorado is an educational service of WETA, the flagship public broadcasting station in the nation's capital, and receives major funding from the American Federation of Teachers and National Education Association.

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WIDA Can Do Descriptors Teacher Friendly Cards

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WIDA Can Do Descriptors Teacher Friendly Cards

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27. Give a comprehensive review of key vocabulary.

28. Give a comprehensive review of key content concepts.

29. Provide feedback to students regularly on their output (language, content, work).

30. Conduct assessments of student comprehension and learning throughout lesson on all lesson objectives (spot checking, group response)

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23. Support content objectives cl early.

24. Support language objectives clearly.

25. Engage students approximately 90-100% of the period (most students taking part and on task throughout the lesson).

26. Pace the lesson appropriately to the students’ ability level

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20. Provide hands-on materials and/or manipulatives for students to practice using new content knowledge.

21. Provide activities for students to apply content and language knowledge in the classroom.

22. Provide activities that integrate all language skills (reading, writing, listening, and speaking)

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16. Provide frequent opportunities for interaction and discussion between teacher/student and among students, which encourage elaborated responses.

17. Use group configurations that support language and content objectives of the lesson.

18. Provide sufficient wait time for student responses consistently.

19. Give ample opportunities for student to clarify key concepts in L1 as needed with aide, peer, or L1 texts

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13. Provide ample opportunities for students to use learning strategies (problem solving, predicting, organizing, summarizing, categorizing, evaluating, self-monitoring)

14. Use scaffolding techniques consistently, assisting and supporting student understanding.

15. Use a variety of questions or tasks that promote higher order thinking skills (literal, analytical, and interpretive questions).

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10. Use speech appropriate for students’ proficiency level (slower rate, clear enunciation, and simple sentence structure for beginners)

11. Explain academic tasks clearly.

12. Use a variety of techniques to make content concepts clear (modelling, visuals, hands-on activities, demonstrations, gestures, body language)

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7. Explicitly link concepts to students’ backgrounds and experiences

8. Explicitly link past learning and new concepts.

9. Emphasize key vocabulary (introduce, write, repeat, and highlight for students to see)

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1. Clearly define, display, and review content objectives with students.

2. Clearly define, display, and review language objectives with students.

3. Choose content concepts appropriate for age and educational background level of students.

4. Use supplementary materials to a high degree, making the lesson clear and

meaningful (comp. Programs, graphs, models, visuals, etc.)

5. Adapt Content (text, assignments) to all levels of student proficiency.

6. Plan meaningful activities t hat integrate lesson concepts (surveys, letter writing,

simulations, construction models) with language practice opportunities for reading, writing, listening, and/or speaking

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This page contains math vocabulary cards for Kindergarten through 8th Grade and Secondary 1 Mathematics. These cards can also be found in Spanish, Chinese, and French under the Dual Immersion menu. Portuguese, German, and Russian vocabulary cards are located at the following website: USOE Dual Immersion Vocabulary Cards

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This page contains math vocabulary cards for Kindergarten through 8th Grade and Secondary 1 Mathematics. These cards can also be found in Spanish, Chinese, and French under the Dual Immersion menu...

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free math posters ::||:: PRINTABLE ::||:: free math charts

Over 270 free printable math posters or maths charts suitable for interactive whiteboards, classroom displays, math walls, display boards, student handouts, homework help, concept introduction and consolidation and other math reference needs.

DOWNLOAD PDFs
For each area listed below.

Mathematical areas covered include Numbers, Operations on Numbers, Fractions, Decimals, Percent/Percentages, Ratios and Rates, Beginning Algebra, Data and Statistics, Probability, Geometry, Measurement, Time, Symbols & Notation, Money and Blackline Masters.

Click on the Download PDF links below to see the charts for each area.

© Jenny Eather. All rights reserved.
From

First numbers
First ordinals
Ordinals Hundreds Chart
Numbers 1-10 Australian Animals
Numbers 1-10 Counters
Numbers 11-20 Counters
Hundreds Chart
Two Hundred Chart
Number Lines
Skip Counting by 2s
Skip Counting by 5s
Skip Counting by 10s
Odd and even numbers
Prime and composite numbers
Negative and positive numbers
Square numbers
Triangular numbers
Roman Numerals
Number Sequences
Types of numbers, classifying numbers (natural, whole, integers, rationals, irrationals)
Place Value
Reading large numbers
Expanding numbers, expanded notation
Rounding Hundreds Chart
Rounding numbers 1
Rounding numbers 2
Rounding examples
Integers, Operations on Integers

Addition and Subtraction
Addition 1 - horizontal
Addition 2 - vertical with and without trading, borrowing or carrying
Subtraction 1- horizontal
Subtraction 2- vertical with and without trading, borrowing or carrying
Addition and Subtraction Strategies
* Count on, count back
* Doubles and near doubles
* Extensions
* Inverse operations
* Jump strategy
* Split strategy, partitioning
* Reordering (commutative property)
* Compensation and change methods
* Rainbow Facts
Addition table to 20
Subtraction table to 20
Addition properties
Multiplication and Division
Multiplication1 - horizontal
Multiplication 2 - vertical with and without trading, borrowing or carrying
Division 1 - horizontal
Division 2 - vertical with and without trading, borrowing or carrying
Multiplication and Division Strategies
* Using groups and arrays
* Inverse operations
* Extensions
* Split strategy, partitioning
* Area model of multiplication (partial products)
* Reordering (commutative property)
Multiplication Chart
Times Tables
Multiples and Lowest Common Multiple (LCM)
Factors and HCF or GCF
Prime factors and HCF or GCF
HCF/GCF calculator
(HCF: Highest Common Factor, GCF: Greatest Common Factor)
Divisibility Rules
Long multiplication
Long division
General
Key Words ... that indicate + - x ÷ operations
Problem Solving
Fact Families
Order of Operations
Operations Properties
Operations on positive and negative numbers

Percent, percentage
Percentages and amounts
Sales tax
Discounts and markdowns
Simple interest
Calculating profit and loss
Percentages, decimals, fractions
Percentages, decimals, fractions ... conversions
Percentage error
Percentage change
Percentage points, basis points

Ratios
Problem solving with ratios
Rates
Equivalent ratios and rates

Collecting data
* Statistics - data types
* Population and sample
* Tally, score and frequency
Organising data
* Types of graphs
* Bar graph, bar chart, column graph
* Box-and-whisker plot, box plot
* Conversion graph
* Cumulative frequency graph
* Divided bar graph
* Dot plot
* Frequency table, histogram
* Line graph
* Picture graph, pictogram
* Pie graph or sector graph, pie chart
* Scatter plot or scatter diagram
* Stem-and-leaf plot
* Step graph
* Travel graph
Analysing data
* Mean, median, mode
* Range
* Outlier

Probability
Probability Range, Probability Line
Probability terminology, e.g. experiment, trial, outcome, event
Sample space
Tree diagrams
Counting or multiplication principle

2D Shapes (plane shapes)
* First plane shapes
* Basic plane shapes
* Circle terminology
* Square
* Polygons
* Classifying polygons (simple,complex, regular, irregular, covex, concave)
* Regular polygons (sides, vertices, angles, lines of symmetry, order of symmetry)
* Triangles
* Quadrilaterals
* Diagonals
* Area
* Perimeter
* Symmetry - reflective and rotational symmetry
* Tessellations, tilings
* Transformations - reflection, translation, rotation, dilation OR flip, slide, turn, zoom
3D Shapes (solid shapes)
* First solids
* Basic solids
* Sphere
* Cube
* Cone
* Cylinder
* Prisms
* Pyramids
* Platonic solids
* Faces, edges, vertices, nets
* Views, cross-sections
* Surface area and volume
Lines
Angles
* Angles
* Angle Pairs
* Measuring angles
Position
* First position words
* Coordinates
* Compass points

Note: US charts use US spelling conventions for metric units.
Length
* Length
* Length - metric units
* Length - metric units US
* Length - metric conversions
* Length - metric conversions US
* Length - imperial, US units
* Length - imperial, US conversions
* Perimeter of 2D shapes
Area
* Area
* Area - metric units
* Area - metric units US
* Area - metric conversions
* Area - metric conversions US
* Area - imperial, US units
* Area - imperial, US conversions
* Area of 2D shapes
* Surface area of 3D shapes
Mass
* Mass
* Mass - metric units
* Mass - metric conversions
* Mass - imperial, US units
* Mass - imperial, US conversions
Volume
* Volume
* Volume - metric units
* Volume - metric units US
* Volume - metric conversions
* Volume - metric conversions US
* Volume - imperial, US units
* Volume of 3D shapes
Capacity (Fluid volume)
* Capacity or fluid volume
* Capacity - metric units
* Capacity - metric units US
* Capacity - metric conversions
* Capacity - metric conversions US
* Capacity - imperial, US units
* Capacity - imperial, US conversions
Temperature - Celsius (Centigrade) and Fahrenheit
Measurements Conversion Chart

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multiplication vertical with and without trading

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fractions to decimals to percentages conversions

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decimals to percentages to fractions conversions

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percentages to decimals to fractions conversions

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Free Math Posters : Maths Charts by Jenny Eather : FREE : PRINTABLE

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Over 200 printable maths charts for interactive whiteboards, classroom displays, math walls, student handouts, homework help, concept introduction and consolidation and other math reference needs. © Jenny Eather 2012.

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Introduction EBIP General Introduction EBIP 1: Establishing the Learning Environment Overview Video EBIP 1 General Documents EBIP 1 Overview EBIP 1 Facilitation Considerations EBIP 1 Content Specific Documents EBIP 1: Reading & Writing EBIP 1: Mathematics EBIP 1: Social

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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Download books and pick the TWO languages you want the text in!

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Download books and pick the TWO languages you want the text in!

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Overview of books - bilingual-picturebooks

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Science Root Words PDFs/Posters with nice visuals

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Science Root Words PDFs/Posters with nice visuals

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For the past two years I have been working at an international school. It is wonderful to work with and teach learners from such diverse backgrounds and cultures. The new challenge for me has been …

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Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.

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EL Proficiency Levels with Questioning Techniques and Scaffolds

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EL Proficiency Levels with Questioning Techniques and Scaffolds

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Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.

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Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.

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How to Make Building Background Your Ultimate Lesson Booster

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Learn tips for building background knowledge before a lesson with some simple classroom activities that will engage all students!

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Effective Vocabulary Instruction for English Learners

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Effective Vocabulary Instruction for English Learners

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Vocabulary Instruction for ELs - Google Slides

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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Did you know you can translate your Canva flyers/documents/presentations?  Here's how!

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Did you know you can translate your Canva flyers/documents/presentations?  Here's how!

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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Vocaroo is a quick and easy way to share voice messages over the interwebs.

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Partnering/Grouping (travel partners, clock partners, etc.)

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Partnering/Grouping (travel partners, clock partners, etc.)

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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Did you know that not all vocabulary words are created equally? This is especially true when it comes to classroom instruction. The type of words we focus on can make a big impact on students' vocabulary progress. Within this blog post, we'll chat about the three tiers of vocabulary. We'll also discuss what each vocabulary tier consists of, examples of words for each tier, and how we can use this information as teachers. Let's get started!

What are the Three Tiers of Vocabulary?

For instructional purposes, vocabulary words are sorted into three tiers: Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3. The illustration below shows the three tiers of vocabulary. As you can see, we move from Tier 1 on the bottom of the triangle up to Tier 3 at the top of the triangle.

What is the difference between each vocabulary tier? The image below gives a quick, concise explanation of each tier. I will break down each tier for you and give examples of words for each tier.

As you can see in the image above, each tier consists of a very different type of word list. Let's break down each vocabulary tier and discuss what it means for us as classroom teachers and the focus for our instruction.

Tier 1 Vocabulary

Tier 1 vocabulary words consist of basic, familiar words. These words are commonly used by most students in everyday conversation. Students have the highest exposure with Tier 1 words. In fact, children are exposed to Tier 1 words from an early age, and as a result, they become easily familiar with this set of words. Perhaps the easiest way to think about Tier 1 words is to remember that the words are often used in oral conversations and familiar in speech. Examples of Tier 1 words are shown in the image below.

Tier 1 word examples in the image above include: sad, walk, elephant, baby, red, bus, clock, phone, and rain. Tier 1 vocabulary words are words students come to school knowing and using the most. In fact, Beck, McKeown, and Kucan explain in their book, Bringing Words to Life, that students are likely able to learn Tier 1 words naturally and independently!

Tier 2 Vocabulary

Tier 2 vocabulary words are robust, high-frequency words that students encounter across the content areas. They are not widely used in speech and daily conversation. Unlike Tier 1 words, Tier 2 words are not usually learned naturally or independently because students do not hear or use them in conversation. A key point to understand is that Tier 2 words are often used and found in books and written text. Tier 2 vocabulary words often have multiple meanings. This tier can also be referred to as academic vocabulary words. Examples of Tier 2 vocabulary words are listed in the image below.

Examples of Tier 2 vocabulary words are bolt, fine, amiable, rare, harmony, blush, astute, and valuable. As you can see, these words have multiple meanings and are not typically used in everyday, causal conversation. However, it is Tier 2 words that students will encounter frequently in written texts. Tier 2 words will have an important impact on your students' comprehension skills.
(Pssst! Guess what?! If you use any of my Vocabulary Curriculum Sets already in your kindergarten, first grade, or second grade classroom, you are already a ROCKSTAR at explicitly teaching Tier 2 words! Go you!)
Tier 3 Vocabulary

Tier 3 vocabulary words are low-frequency words. These words are content specific and have distinct meanings and purposes. Examples of Tier 3 words are listed in the image below.

Tier 3 words like pterodactyl, aorta, thesis, isosceles, osmosis, electrolyte, photosynthesis, and igneous are not words we often use in everyday conversations. These words have a distinct purpose and we use them only when they relate to a specific topic or domain. When we use a Tier 3 word, there is a specific reason to do so, such as when we are learning about plants in a science unit or triangles during math class.

Which Tier Should We Focus Instruction On?

Let's recap what we learned about the three tiers of vocabulary. We learned that Tier 1 vocabulary words are words students come to school knowing and using the most. Therefore, as teachers, we naturally do not (and should not) spend the bulk of our time explicitly teaching the meanings of Tier 1 words. Remember, most students can naturally and independently learn Tier 1 words. For example, if the word "dinosaur" is part of your district's reading curriculum, I think it's safe to say that most first graders have heard of the word dinosaur before. They know what a dinosaur is and what it looks like! A quick review or picture card would probably be all they need to remind them of what a dinosaur is. Spending a week on the word dinosaur is not an effective use of instructional time!

Students will need to know Tier 3 words, however, Tier 3 words will not make up the bulk of the words they encounter in written text. For example, if your students are reading a chapter series, the frequency of the word "mitosis" in each book is going to be really low! Furthermore, Tier 3 words typically do not have synonyms and antonyms, so learning the definition to a Tier 3 word is usually pretty "cut and dry". Students only need to learn Tier 3 words when a specific need is present.

So, did a lightbulb go off for you yet?! Do you know which vocabulary tier we want to spent the most time on each week? If you answered Tier 2, you are correct!

As teachers, we will get the most "bang for our buck" if we spend the bulk of our vocabulary instruction on Tier 2 words. These are words that are found and used across variety of topics, domains, areas, and content. Since MANY Tier 2 words have multiple meanings, they are more difficult to learn because students need to understand the word within multiple contexts, as well as understand the connection between the words' synonyms and antonyms.

Having a robust vocabulary and knowledge of Tier 2 words directly impacts our students' reading comprehension skills.

Ways To Focus on Tier 2 Vocabulary

Now that we know the importance of Tier 2 vocabulary words, let's chat about ways to incorporate these words into our daily routine! Several years ago, I created an engaging and easy-to-follow vocabulary routine for kindergarten, first-grade, and second-grade teachers! I often get asked, "Where did the words in each set come from?" The words I chose for my curriculum are Tier 2 words that often have multiple meanings and can be seen in written text, across multiple contents, topics, and domains! Sounds pretty spot-on to what we just learned about in this post, right?! Take a look at some of the word lists below. These Tier 2 words are words that students will not typically learn independently. It's important we have a routine and a plan for explicitly teaching Tier 2 vocabulary in our classrooms.

Synonyms and Shades of Meaning

We can expose students to multiple Tier 2 words by spending time on the synonyms and antonyms for Tier 2 words. When we teach our students even three to five Tier 2 words, we can actually expose them to up to TWENTY Tier 2 words throughout the week by discussing the synonyms associated with these words, and their shades of meaning. The image below shows you an easy routine for teaching and exposing your students to a variety of Tier 2 words:

Multiple Meanings and Multiple Contexts

As we learned in this post, many Tier 2 words have multiple meanings. It's important to explicitly point out these multiple meanings and help students understand how they are used in various contexts. Each week's vocabulary lessons in my curriculum includes a passage AND a read aloud! The read aloud (often presented on Day 2 each week) uses the Tier 2 words in a different context than the passage on Day 1. Exposing our students to various contexts and situations helps them to better understand the word and see it used in various ways! ( Bonus: Each read aloud comes in a printable version AND a digital version!)

Tier 2 Vocabulary Word Play

Pointing Tier 2 words out in the books you read and allowing students to "play" with words is also an important part of vocabulary instruction. We want our students to have a lot of opportunities for word play and practice using the words in their daily discussions. Examples of word play games include:

One of the best parts of my vocabulary sets are the included word play games for each week's Tier 2 words! You can see the table of contents in image above, and a page out of the word play section called Sing-Along Antonyms! Each word play activity has a teacher direction page and if required, the printable materials that are needed. You can read more about Vocabulary Word Play ideas in another blog post I wrote by clicking HERE.

Learn More About Vocabulary Instruction

That was ALOT of information on the three tiers of vocabulary, and some various activities and ideas for teaching Tier 2 words within your classroom! If you'd like to learn more about my simple, already-done-for-you vocabulary routine click HERE to check out my vocabulary curriculum blog post! In this post, I go into depth on even more vocabulary research and why it is so important to have an explicit plan in place for your vocabulary instruction.

You can check out my vocabulary curriculum bundles by clicking on your grade level below. The vocabulary bundles are also sold as individual sets, too!

If you'd like to refer back to this post, or share it with a colleague, feel free to pin the image below to your Pinterest page! Thank you so much for hanging out with me and learning about the three tiers of vocabulary and how they impact our classroom instruction. Don't forget to make sure you are following me on Instagram @missdecarbo for weekly tips, ideas, activities, resources, and freebies!

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The 3 Tiers of Vocabulary for Classroom Instruction - Miss DeCarbo

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Learn about the 3 tiers of vocabulary for the classroom and lesson planning. Discover how to choose your vocabulary words, and which ones matter!

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Ellevation Education (you can also access through Clever.)  Use your email as your username and try the forget password option.  If you still do not have access, email Alisa Alcock.

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Ellevation Education (you can also access through Clever.)  Use your email as your username and try the forget password option.  If you still do not have access, email Alisa Alcock.

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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DeepL Translate claims to be the most accurate online translator

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DeepL Translate claims to be the most accurate online translator

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Tech giants Google, Microsoft and Facebook are all applying the lessons of machine learning to translation, but a small company called DeepL has outdone them all and raised the bar for the field.
Its translation tool is just as quick as the outsized competition, but more accurate and nuanced than any we've tried.

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DeepL Translate: The world's most accurate translator

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Translate texts & full document files instantly. Accurate translations for individuals and Teams. Millions translate with DeepL every day.

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Ethnologue

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Like Padlet and want to use it in your classroom?  Please use our referral link!  Referrals give us more Padlets to use in the PL we provide!  Click below!

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Like Padlet and want to use it in your classroom?  Please use our referral link!  Referrals give us more Padlets to use in the PL we provide!  Click below!

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The Attention Switch Student Engagement Pack (3)

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101 Practical Ways to Ditch That Textbook v3.0

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Create Leveled Resources for... ANYTHING.

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Create Leveled Resources for... ANYTHING.

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Generative A.I. has created some very real challenges with academic integrity. Schools have been scrambling to create systems and policies that address the potential for cheating. In the past, I've written about how we might redefine the essay in an age of A.I. or how we might incorporate it into our creative projects. But it's easy to miss how A.I. tools can help us differentiate instruction in a more traditional lesson. Generative A.I. can create supports and scaffolds in a way that is faster and more feasible than ever. In this week's article and podcast, I share five ways we can leverage generative A.I. for scaffolds and supports.

Listen to the Podcast

If you enjoy this blog but you'd like to listen to it on the go, just click on the audio below or subscribe via iTunes/Apple Podcasts (ideal for iOS users) or Google Play and Stitcher (ideal for Android users).

https://spencerauthor.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/AI-Supports.mp3

We all have things that we can independently but other things that are impossible to do. Not to brag but I'm pretty good at loading a dishwasher. On the other hand, I can't slam dunk a basketball. However, there are also certain things in a middle zone that you can't do on your own quite yet, but you can accomplish them with a little help. You might need help from a teacher, a peer group, or a resource. With proper training, hours of practice, and a trampoline, I could eventually slam dunk a basketball.

Vygotsky described this middle space as the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). Here's how ZPD works. At the center, you have the things you can do on your own. On the outside, you have the things you cannot do. But in this middle zone you have the Zone of Proximal Development, which are the things you can do with guidance and support.

In 1976, Jerome Bruner applied Vygotsky's theory to the K-12 educational setting with the concept of scaffolding. Here, educators provide supports, called scaffolds, to help students master the learning. Then, like the scaffolds in a building, teachers pull back the scaffolds as students master the knowledge. At this point, the ZPD grows outward as students master new knowledge with new scaffolds. might be tutorials, videos, and visual aids.

Here's where A.I. becomes a game-changer. It could be as simple as an algorithm with "recommended tutorials" for students who are struggling. You might use generative A.I. to design scaffolds from scratch or you might take existing scaffolds and use A.I. to modify them. For something more intensive, students might use generative A.I. as a type of tutor with a back-and-forth question-and-answer. With A.I., it is easier than ever to differentiate instruction in a way that helps students move through the ZPD.

The following are five ways you might use generative A.I. for scaffolding and supports.

1. Easily Create Leveled Readers

When I taught social studies, I used to do rotating reading centers. Students would go from group to group and fill out a graphic organizer in a carousel activity. This process broke up reading into smaller chunks and incorporated movement into the process. Students would read a 3-4 paragraph case study, discuss it briefly, and add details to a graphic organizer. When the timer went off, they would move to the next station. I used to create 5-6 stations with all of these examples and then modify them for text complexity. I spent hours working on these leveled readers.

With a tool like ChatGPT, I could easily take those case studies and have the tool create multiple versions at different reading levels. Students can then access the complex content in simpler language. You can use the same process for primary sources, where students might have access to a challenging reading that they close read but then a simple language version that makes the text more accessible. Here, students start by reading the text at their grade level to make sure they understand it. From there, they can use close reading strategies to annotate the original primary source written at a higher reading level.

You might use this tool with a complex entry from Wikipedia and create 3-5 versions of an explanation about covalent bonds or 19th century imperialism.

We can take it a step further by having the A.I. create the initial informational text from scratch. Here, you provide an outline of key information and use the generative A.I. to create a non-fiction text for you. You then read through the text and modify it. Chances are, it will be a little boring, so you'll edit the text and punch it up with some humor, some bizarre examples, and a few things you think the A.I. missed. You might need to fact-check it as well. From there, the A.I. chatbot can create a leveled reading ranging from 3 rd Grade to 7 th Grade. Now every student can access the text at a level that matches their fluency level.

Notice that you are still the expert. You're not turning this process over to the A.I. entirely. Instead, you're using it to create the initial version that you then modify based on your content expertise and your knowledge of your students.

2. Use A.I. to Build Conceptual Understanding

Generative A.I. tools work really well when asking questions and follow-up questions. While there can be challenges with bias and inaccuracies, it can be a great tool (with guidance) to generate multiple examples. So, if a student is struggling to understand linear equations, they can use a chatbot to ask multiple questions about how linear relationships work and what they look like in our world. They might start out by asking for a definition and examples but then move into a question about finding a linear equation when looking at a graph or a table.

If they're struggling to understand how World War I started, they might ask questions like, "How was militarism related to imperialism?" or "Why would one guy getting shot lead to a whole world at war?" Again, they can use prompts like, "Write this in a way a 12-year old could understand."

The following is an example of what this looks like in math. Note that I'm showing how a high school student might use it in a Statistics class:

You can think of the chatbot as a personalized tutor, where students are able to chase their curiosity and ask multiple questions. Students can ask for examples and non-examples. They can make distinctions between ideas. Along the way, they builder a deeper conceptual understanding of the subject.

It's important, though, that we recognize the limitations of generative A.I. for conceptual understanding. Chatbots can sometimes fail to understand a question. If a student doesn't know how to craft a good prompt, they can ask a question that leads to an inaccurate answer. On occasion, chatbots have been known to generate answers that are entirely made up. Because they pull from a massive data set and use natural language processing, they might answer a question with factual inaccuracies. This is especially true when a student asks chatbots for recommended sources or citations. Finally, generative A.I. can contain biases. They're pulling from a massive data set and this can perpetuate stereotypes. Students often view chatbots as unbiased and objective but they should treat their interactions with the same skepticism they would use when doing a Google search.

3. Breaking Down Complex Tasks

Sometimes students struggle with task analysis. When directions are too complicated, they get overwhelmed and hit cognitive overload. This is especially true for students who struggle with executive function. Generative A.I. has been a game-changer for me in helping students take a seemingly impossible task and break it down into smaller sub-tasks.

A few months ago, I demonstrated how to use ChatGPT to design individualized assessments. During a break in class, I showed some students how I use ChatGPT to help me break down my home improvement projects and set more realistic time deadlines. It's similar to this process of using A.I. within project management.

A week later, a student came to me and said, "I took the syllabi from my upcoming classes and and copied and pasted the assignments and due dates from Canvas. I asked for estimations on time given how fast it usually takes me to read and write. Then I used it to set up a course plan. I had it modify my course plan based on my work schedule and my preferences. I'm a night owl, so I'm not going to get my work done in the morning. From there, I broke different assignments into subtasks with due dates. I copied and pasted it into a spreadsheet." This student then created checklists to stay on track.

This process was a bit complex. I wouldn't expect an elementary or middle school student to know how to break down an entire unit plan or syllabus into tasks and subtasks. However, this might be a process that special education teachers can use when students need help in task analysis. They might even model the process for students so that as students with learning differences grow older, they can use this process on their own. It becomes another way they self-advocate and the A.I. functions as an assistive technology.

4. Quickly Create Scaffolds for Neurodiverse Students

The previous example is just one way you might use A.I. to generate structures and scaffolds for neurodiverse students. Here are a few more ideas:

Providing additional handouts to facilitate task-analysis and executive function

Using A.I. to help schedule small groups

Using A.I. speech recognition software as an assistive technology to help students with writing

Using A.I. image generators to help students who need a more concrete example of what they are learning in class

Designing targeted skill practice. For example, you might use a chatbot to generate word problems for students who struggle with 2-step equations, or you might use it to create a high-interest non-fiction text at a student's reading with sample questions

Using A.I. to modify assignments to reduce cognitive load (fewer steps) while encouraging students to still access the grade level content.

Using A.I. to reduce the amount of work while still maintaining a high challenge level. For example, a student with dyscalculia might need fewer problems but can still master the math content at the same grade level.

None of these supports should replace the goals within an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). We don't want to replace educators with algorithms. We can, however, use the A.I. as a starting place for designing more personalized scaffolds and supports. I've seen Special Education teachers use goals from IEPs and current assignments to design individualized scaffolds and supports. From there, these teachers take the A.I.-generated scaffolds and modify them based on their own knowledge of the students.

This fits into this concept of A.I. as "vanilla" and then modifying the vanilla to create something better:

Again, the goal would be to take something general and make it more specific based on your relational knowledge of your students. A.I. makes the scaffolding process faster but then you can go more methodically and intentionally to design something individual students will use.

5. Creating Language Scaffolds

Previously, we examined how to help provide supports for neurodiverse students. But what about students who are learning English as a speaker of another language (ELL, ESL, ESOL stu- dents)? We can use A.I. as an initial starting place for creating language supports. These include:

Front-loading vocabulary: you can use A.I. to identify some of the Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary that students might need to master. While you'll still need to create a list of vocabulary yourself (and rely on student feedback) the A.I. can be a great starting place. I've found that certain chatbots do a great job defining vocabulary in simple terms and even coming up with example sentences. If you couple this with an A.I. image generator, you can save time in generating front-loaded vocabulary.

Providing translation help: While it still works best to part- ner students with someone who is multilingual, A.I. translators have come a long way. The dynamic aspects of an A.I. bot allow students to interact with the content in their native language while also being exposed to content in English.

Providing leveled sentence stems: This remains a weaker area for A.I. but I am noticing significant improvements in A.I.-generated sentence stems, sentence frames, and clozes.

Using visuals within the project to help facilitate language development: As A.I.-generated visual art continues to improve, we can potentially create additional visuals that can aid with accessing English.

Assess language proficiency: A.I. can work as a formative assessment tool by analyzing a student's speech or writing. This can be particularly useful in assessing language learners who may not have access to a native speaker or who are learning in a remote setting.

Language practice: Students can provide the A.I. chatbot with the directions to engage in a language role-playing conversation. They can set the purpose, location, and fictional person they want to A.I. to pretend to be. Then, they can practice English with the chatbot.

Notice that a teacher can begin with these A.I.-generated supports but then modify them to suit their context. Teachers might even invite students to help with this modification process. This then frees teachers up to pay attention to a students' affective filter and finding ways to reduce fear and anxiety.

I've noticed that ELL teachers tend to spend a significant amount of time designing supports and scaffolds. Meanwhile, many ELL students in a non-ELL classroom fail to receive certain supports they need. If we can leverage A.I. to save time in designing scaffolds, we can help students access the content while improving in their language development.

Last semester, I had a student ask for the transcript from our class Zoom session. He used the chatbot to delete the time stamps and translate it to Spanish. As a dual language student, he likes using both languages as he wrestles with ideas and compares the transcription to his notes in both languages.

I share this story because every time there's a new technology and people are scared about cheating, I always ask, "How are people using this to scaffold their own learning?"

In other words, how might an exceptional learner use this? How might an English Language Learner use this? How might someone who hasn't had the same advantages use this? Because what might seem to some as a "chance to cheat" might be a game-changer for someone else.

As educators, we can empower students to self-select the scaffolds they use. So, while you might make modifications for specific students (like the previously mentioned checklists or modified assignments) you might also have a bank of different tutorials and scaffolds that students can access if they need additional help. These supports should be available to all students. This approach embodies the idea of Universal Design for Learning.

Ultimately, we want to design learning experiences that empower all students to access the skills and concepts they'll need for the future. But we also want them to use A.I. ethically and wisely. When students are empowered to use A.I. to design learning supports, they develop a mindset of using A.I. in a way that goes beyond cheating and instead treats the technology as a powerful learning tool.

I also want to share some nuance here. I worry about the decline of productive struggle in a world of A.I. With productive struggle, students take risks, experience setbacks, engage in problem-solving, persevere. Here, we encourage students to grapple with complex problems and engage in deep thinking rather than providing them with immediate answers or solutions. By experiencing productive struggle, learners develop resilience, critical thinking skills, creativity, and a deeper understanding of the subject matter.

Moreover, we tend to value things more when we experience some struggle. In behavioral economics, they have the IKEA Effect. The phenomenon was first described in a 2011 study conducted by Michael Norton, Daniel Mochon, and Dan Ariely. In their research, participants were asked to assemble a simple piece of IKEA furniture. They found that participants who had assembled the furniture themselves perceived it as having greater value and were willing to pay more for it compared to those who received pre-assembled furniture.

When people invest their time, effort, and skills in building something, they develop a sense of personal ownership and attachment to the end product. The effort and accomplishment associated with completing the task contribute to a sense of pride and satisfaction, further enhancing the perceived value. In other words, the time spent doing the work on your own led to a higher value of both the end product but also the process. While this isn't the same as productive struggle, it points to the value we place on things where we had to engage in more of the creative process. When answers are cheap and instant, I worry that students won't value the learning as much.

Or consider the role of confusion. There's some fascinating research regarding science videos and confusion. Researchers tested two types of videos. The first were clear and concise explanations of science concepts. The second set of videos were confusing and required participants to make a prediction, discover errors, and wade into the confusion. In the end, participants preferred the simple videos but they retained more information with the confusing videos. Derek Muller has an excellent video about this.

As we think about helping students use A.I. wisely, one of the critical elements will be the balance between getting immediate help and embracing productive struggle. There are no easy answers. As educators, we will need to design systems that embrace this balance as we move forward.

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5 Ways to Leverage A.I. for Student Supports and Scaffolds

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Generative A.I. has created some very real challenges with academic integrity. Schools have been scrambling to create systems and policies that address the potential for cheating. In the past, I've written about how we might

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Interactive Word Wall: Management in the Active Classroom (Middle School)

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Interactive Word Wall: Management in the Active Classroom (Middle School)

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Rich Richardson's eighth-grade students at the Expeditionary Learning Middle School in Syracuse, New York, use an interactive word wall to demonstrate their conceptual understanding of words in context. A word wall in the classroom is a powerful instructional tool to strengthen content vocabulary or concepts. A word wall can be an organized collection of words (and sometimes phrases) displayed on a wall or other space in the classroom. In this example, however, the "wall" moves to the floor to allow students to easily connect to one other's ideas and show their collective understanding. It allows both the students and the teacher to see how their knowledge has grown or perhaps where gaps may still exist.

In this video, students and teachers are engaged with a protocol/engagement strategy from EL Education's grades 3-8 ELA curriculum.
Transcript - [Teacher] So today we used the interactive word wall as a concept map. When students enter the room, the vocabulary words and phrases are already spread out on the floor. First thing I want you to do is identify some vocab words and phrases that you know you can make connections with other words. When a student comes to the middle of the interactive word wall, they are connecting their vocab word or phrase to a previous vocabulary word or phrase, using the arrows. And when they place their words, they need to explain the connection that they see or understand. - I put collaboration next to strategy because they had to collaborate to complete some of their strategies in war. - So casualties is a cost of war. - I put the biomes after consequences because the solders weren't the only consequences. For instance in the Persian Gulf War the oil fields in Kuwait were burned. - The purpose of an interactive word wall is to have students grapple with vocabulary that they're working on in class in an engaging and hands-on way. They're really illustrating the connection with those arrows. Some connections the students are able to make regularly would be cause and effect relationships. Veterans made sacrifices therefore we honor them when they come home. It helps student literally see the connections between words. Students are able to build upon each other's ideas. They are using vocabulary words in context, and it's a great way to scaffold through the writing process and prepare students to write using these vocabulary words. This allows them to synthesize all these concepts and all these vocab terms in ways that helps them put it all together.

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Interactive Word Wall: Management in the Active Classroom

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Rich Richardson's eighth-grade students at the Expeditionary Learning Middle School in Syracuse, New York, use an interactive word wall to demonstrate their conceptual understanding of words in context. A word wall in the classroom is a powerful instructional tool to strengthen content vocabulary or concepts.

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If you're looking for books for older kids and teenagers, take a look at these booklists for grades 4-12 organized by topic and representing a wide range of cultures and perspectives.

For more ideas, visit our sister site, AdLit.org and take a look at our large selection of titles representing cultural diversity:

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If you're looking for books for older kids and teenagers, take a look at these booklists for grades 4-12 organized by topic and representing a wide range of cultures and perspectives.

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How to Group EL students- Alcock version

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We all know the importance of engaging English Learners in academic conversations. This Google Slides presentation includes 5 academic conversation starters that Dr. Jeff Zwiers and Marie Crawford discussed in one of their articles. It also includes pintables for each of the conversation starters. One way to use them is by

Providing English Learner with time to respond

Following up with one of the prompts in the infographic: Elaborate & Clarify; Support Ideas with Examples, etc.

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We all know the importance of engaging English Learners in academic conversations. This Google Slides presentation includes 5 academic conversation starters that Dr. Jeff Zwiers and Marie Crawford discussed in one of their articles. It also includes pintables for each of the conversation starters.

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Build Background using Explore Boards-  template included!

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Build Background using Explore Boards-  template included!

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Have you used an Explore Board with your multilingual learners? Explore Boards build background knowledge (essential to reading comprehension) BEFORE MLs dive into a text or subject. We learned about this idea from Holly Clark of Infused Classroom . You can find her template and suggestions .

Our ELL2.0 Explore board has been modified for MLs. It includes texts and resources at various levels -- with language support and linguistic simplification. We've also included support for the pre and post-exploration videos on . (If your students aren't familiar with Flip, you could always turn these into writing tasks or use a simple audio recorder like .)

Using an Explore board with MLS supports oracy, reading, viewing, and representing. It also supports universal design for learning by promoting engagement, multiple modes of representation, and student choice. Feel free to use this template and change the content links to match your next unit, text, or novel.

Good luck -- and please share your boards so we can all learn together!

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ELL2.0 - Explore Boards to Build Background Knowledge

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Have you used an Explore Board with your multilingual learners? Explore Boards build background knowledge (essential to reading comprehension) BEFORE MLs dive into a text or subject. We learned about this idea from Holly Clark of Infused Classroom. You can find her template and suggestions here.

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Interactive Activities with Word Wall/Vocabulary

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Interactive Activities with Word Wall/Vocabulary

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Interactive Activities and Ideas for Your Science Word Wall — Tarheelstate Teacher

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Looking for ideas that will take your science word wall from classroom decor to WOW OH WOW WHY DIDN’T I THINK OF THIS SOONER?!?! I have some ideas for using your word wall for more than a wall of posted vocabulary terms. I hope you find some you love and if you have some ideas I haven’t thought of

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Word Walls are organized collections of words placed on a wall or other surface in the classroom. They are excellent tools for building word consciousness in students through increased vocabulary interaction and social learning opportunities; especially as students make connections among important concepts and big ideas. Interactive Word Walls, vocabulary notebooks, and periodic reviews are all important ways to revisit and reinforce vocabulary over time.

What does a Word Wall look like?

There are several different types of Word Walls which serve different purposes and focus on different skills. For example, it is common for primary classrooms to display high-frequency Word Walls, but it is unlikely to find such a Word Wall in a secondary classroom.

Kindergarten High Frequency Word Wall

Geometry Concep Map Word Wall

Word Walls in classrooms take on many forms. They can be color-coded by content area on index cards that are affixed to the wall. They can be on chart paper, a display board, or a concept map. No matter the way you choose to display Word Walls, the words on the Word Wall must be large enough that they can easily be seen by all students in the room from wherever they are seated.

Regardless of the structure, all grade levels should have content area Word Walls on display.

How are Word Walls organized?

How many Word Walls are in a room may depend on how the content areas are organized, whether high-frequency words or retired Word Walls are utilized, or how many courses are taught by a single teacher. For example:

Elementary classrooms may have one Word Wall for various content areas, color-coded for each subject. Additionally, there may be a high-frequency Word Wall.

In secondary classrooms, there may be separate Word Walls for each course, as well as specialized Word Walls, such as testing words.

How to Use a Word Wall in the Classroom?

Word Walls can be effective learning tools, or they can be wallpaper. Even the most organized Word Walls won't help students learn words unless they are used. The words displayed on the Word Wall should be words that you currently want your students to use and should come down and get replaced by new words when a new lesson or unit is introduced. The same is true for high-frequency Word Walls.

Use the words on the Word Wall to create Advance Organizers (i.e. Student Learning Maps and Concept Maps) to meaningfully distinguish and highlight important vocabulary concepts (keywords), characteristics (descriptions or examples), and categories ("chunks" of learning connected to Learning Goals).

How do I retire words from the wall?

Once students are using the words appropriately, the words can come down. When words come down from the high frequency or content Word Walls, they can go to a retired Word Wall elsewhere in the room, or in an interactive vocabulary notebook. Students should use the interactive vocabulary notebooks daily for new word learning and can use them for structured review, writing, word games, and retired words. They are especially useful when learning word parts.

Example of a Dead Words Word Wall

How do I use Word Walls during remote learning?

Virtual Word Walls apply the same characteristics as physical ones. They are most impactful when students know where to find the tool and are expected to use it for a purpose (i.e. writing, review, or as a scaffold for an assignment). Word wall ideas for remote learning are:

Create a dedicated location in your classroom (or classroom website) to display vocabulary from the current lesson and unit.

The size and color of fonts and virtual backgrounds are chosen to enhance visibility, not create "visual noise" that detracts from students' ability to locate and see displayed words.

Avoid busy patterns and small and light-colored fonts (i.e. yellow) to maximize displayed vocabulary.

Use a digital "Word Wall" explicitly during a lesson as a scaffold for the assignment and to promote wordplay during Learning Activities.

Provide a consistent and easily accessible "virtual" location to display current vocabulary that is used by both the teacher and students in lesson instruction.

More Word Wall Ideas for Virtual Classrooms

Create a Concept as an editable (or fillable) PDF.

Try Google Jamboards, Milanote, Miro, or MindMupto virtually create and manipulate concept maps and other word clusters.

Dedicate a space on the main home page of your Google Classroom (or another LMS platform). Create a separate page for words as they are archived.

Flip your Word Wall activity to create a super-effective previewing strategy! Create an Advance Organizer for a unit (i.e. Student Learning Map) or a lesson (i.e. Concept Map) and use it to activate students' thinking prior to the start of a lesson.

Use virtual games for wordplay to provide students with multiple opportunities to interact with the words, and as periodic review to improve students' storage and retrieval of word meanings.

Interactive Word Wall Activities and Games
Primary: LINGO

Ask students to vote for words prior to the game. Digital Adaptation: Try dotstorming for easy card voting.

Provide students with a blank LINGO grid (may be a downloadable form or sent home as a part of a packet).

Students will practice writing each word anywhere they choose on the grid.

Shuffle index cards with the words and call the words one at a time.

Have students chant the spelling of each word and then cover it with an object. (Try Lima Beans as students may not be too tempted to eat them!).

The first student to have a complete row covered wins LINGO.

Students can clear their sheets and play again.

Intermediate: Scrabble Scramble

Digital Adaptation: Use Google Jamboards to create whiteboard spaces for your students.

Each whiteboard should have digital "Post-It" notes for each letter of the alphabet. Some letters may need to be duplicated.

On the first whiteboard, show students a scrambled up word from the concept map or one of your vocabulary clusters.

Give the definition of the word or create a story passage about the word.

Students take turns unscrambling the words, that is, moving the letters until they correctly form the word.

Check students' thinking by viewing everyone's Google Jamboard by viewing the expanded frame at the top.

Unscramble your word on the first whiteboard to show students the correct answer.

Secondary: Possible Sentences

Give students a word bank of words to choose from, and ask them to use some of the words to create possible sentences, predicting what will be learned that day.

The teacher displays and discusses the meanings of six new words critical to the lesson.
persecution / famine / scarcity / prosperity / migration / exodus

The teacher adds four related words that are familiar to most students to the above list.
homelands / agriculture / survival / poverty

Students work in collaborative pairs to look for words that are connected and create sentences before reading the text.

Digital Adaptation: Try it with Padlet. The board can be organized as columns to cluster words and provide a place for the students to post their Possible Sentences.

Want more ideas on how to redesign your current vocabulary activities and strategies for your physical and virtual Word Walls? Join us for our upcoming Effective Vocabulary Instruction Training of Trainers Virtual Institute. Contact us today for a quote.

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Word Wall Ideas - Ready for an Interactive Classroom Word Wall Makeover?

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Word Walls are organized collections of words placed on a wall or other surface in the classroom. They are excellent tools for building word consciousness in students through increased vocabulary interaction and social learning opportunities; especially as students make connections among important concepts and big ideas.

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Do you dream of a learning resource that makes your classroom look more academic, inviting, and kid friendly, even as it helps students become more independent? A word wall could be just what you're looking for!

[📷: Top image by missmskindergarten on Instagram.]

What is a word wall?

A word wall is just that-a wall dedicated to displaying high frequency words (these could be sight words or words that are used a lot in your class) that are important for your students to know and use. In early elementary classrooms, these are words that children are learning to read and write. In upper grade classrooms, these can be words related to concepts and topics that students are learning about. You could have a word wall about math that incorporates math definitions and symbols. Or, a science wall that, over the course of a unit, gets filled with biomes and animals that live in each. You'll know you have a successful word wall when students use it daily to find just the right word when they're reading or writing.

Why use a word wall?

Word walls are a staple of early elementary classrooms. They're important for young readers because they:

Provide a place to post high frequency words that have already been taught. Students can use the words as a reference during reading and writing, making them more independent while teaching them how to use a reference tool;

Help students see patterns and differences in words. Having the words the, they, their, and there together on the wall helps students recognize the similarities and differences between each word; and

Make words concrete for young learners as they find words on the word wall using their finger or a pointer.

Word walls can help upper elementary, middle, and high school students as well by:

Reinforcing the spelling of important terms across a unit or of frequently misspelled words;

Housing words that you want students to use more in their writing or discussion; and

Expanding student vocabulary by helping students see how words connect, as in a word wall that displays lists of synonyms.

How do I make a good word wall?

Having a word wall is about more than printing Dolch words or a vocabulary list and posting it on your wall. Effective word walls are part of daily instruction and are a tool that students will use throughout the day. To make a word wall:

Place the word wall in an area of the classroom that is visible and accessible and use a dark background to make the words stand out.

Organize high frequency words in alphabetical order to support students' knowledge of the alphabetic principle.

Organize other words walls that display vocabulary words, synonyms, or other concepts in a way that helps students see how the words connect or in a way that makes the most sense for student use. For example, a list of science terms may be listed in alphabetical order, while words used during reading may be organized by prefix.

3×5 note cards are a good size to post (you'll fit a lot on one wall, and they are big enough to be read from a distance). Use different colors to add another reference point for students. If they ask about a word, you can direct them to the "pink card under the L." Writing words on different color cards also helps children distinguish similar words.

This seems obvious, but write in large dark letters, again, so the words are easy to see from anywhere in the classroom.

Insider tip: Keep the materials (3×5 note cards, black marker, tape) that you'll use to create a word handy, so you can make and add words to the word wall during a lesson. Students may even suggest words that they want added to the wall as you teach.

Okay, my word wall is up. Now, how do I use it?

First, don't overdo it. Teach three to five new words each week.

Teach children how to use the word wall. Model how to use the word wall to find and spell words during writing or how to "read around the room" using a pointer or their finger to read the words on the wall.

Use the word wall each day. Incorporate words that are already on the wall into daily activities, like word sorts, word ladders, and word practice.

In addition to high frequency words, add words that are content specific. The more relevant the words are to students' experience, the more they'll be used and the faster students will learn to read and write them. Even pulling words from the school song and incorporating those into the word wall is a great way to generate words for the wall.

Spend a few minutes each day playing a word wall game, like bingo or charades.

Each time a student asks about a word that is on the word wall ("How do you spell ... ?") create and use a hand signal (maybe use the American Sign Language signs for "word" and "wall") that refers them to the word wall. After all, the whole point is that they'll use it on their own.

I already have a word wall; how do I take it to the next level?

Once you've mastered the basic word wall techniques, you can take it further:

Use Velcro or sticky tack to make the words removable so students can take the word they need to their desk for reference. Or, write the words on the back of envelopes. Put that note cards, with the word written on each, inside the envelope. Then, post the envelope and let students select a note card for reference when they need it.

Add a new word to the wall for a period of time and have students hunt for this visiting word. Then, see if they can use the visiting word in their writing and discussion.

Challenge students to write a story (or article) using as many words from the word wall as they can.

Get even more word wall ideas:
Come and share your word wall ideas in our WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook. Plus, check out vocabulary ideas that make words stick.

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Do you dream of a learning resource that makes your classroom look more academic, inviting, and kid friendly, even as it helps students become more independent? A word wall could be just what you're looking for! [📷: Top image by missmskindergarten on Instagram.]

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Using Anchor Charts in the Middle and High School

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Using Anchor Charts in the Middle and High School

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For the longest time, I thought anchor charts were for elementary classrooms. I'd see photos floating around on social media, but I never gave them a second thought in terms of application in a middle or high school classroom. I know I wasn't alone, as it's somewhat rare for secondary teachers to talk about using them.

More recently, I've come to realize that anchor charts are absolutely appropriate - and beneficial - for a secondary classroom. Let's explore why we should and how we could be using them.

THE BENEFITS OF ANCHOR CHARTS

Most teachers incorporate mini (or maxi) lessons on a regular basis. As students learn new information, anchor charts are a way to help them ground their learning. Because of the way we create them (more on that later), they help students to synthesize their thinking about an important topic or skill.

Generally, we use anchor charts for information students will need to come back to throughout the year. Often, anchor charts are used with essential standard concepts and related strategies.

With reading, for example, you might create anchor charts for signposts, reading strategies, or text structure. Perhaps you want students to remember sentence types, transitions, or word choice concepts with writing and grammar. You can also create anchor charts for classroom procedures and reading and writing workshop expectations, among a plethora of other options.

Creating anchor charts provides a content-rich classroom decoration piece which serves as a bridge between introductory lessons and practice opportunities. When students use them as a reference, they are reminded of prior learning and can more easily make connections with new information.

Students who appreciate scaffolding, ELL students, and anyone who is learning a brand new concept can benefit from anchor charts.

Bottom line: Anchor charts make learning visible.

TIPS FOR USING ANCHOR CHARTS

The benefits of using anchor charts are clear, but actually implementing them can be more of a gray area. When I first began exploring them, I had a lot of questions. Perhaps you do, too. I'm happy to share my learning.

WHEN TO CREATE THEM

Ideally, anchor charts should be created with students. They need to contribute to the synthesis of information. As you teach your lesson, you can pause and add important information, like definitions, questions students should ask, strategies, and images or symbols.

However, secondary classrooms are fast-paced. Our building only has 44 minute class periods. With tight schedules like these, it's difficult to stick to idealism. It's best to create anchor charts with students, but we have to prioritize.

If you're crunched for time, it's understandable to create the anchor chart...or an outline for one...in advance. However, I'd suggest still providing opportunities for students to think about what should be included. Otherwise, they're really more of a poster.

For example, instead of pausing throughout the lesson to add to an anchor chart, which does take time, ask students to create their own version - inspired by yours - afterward. This opportunity allows them to do some critical thinking without extending the mini lesson.

However, I wouldn't recommend that creating anchor charts in advance be the norm.

MULTIPLE CLASS DILEMMA

In our building, teachers have six sections of the same grade level class. That's a lot of expensive paper! Plus, what will you do with six very similar anchor charts?

To problem solve, you might design the reference tool on the white board. At the end of each period, take a picture of that class's creation. Then, combine the best, most memorable elements from each class into one reference chart at the end of the day. This approach is helpful because you can use it to review with students and discuss ideas from other class periods.

Another option is to have students create mini anchor charts that they can keep in their folders, binders, or notebooks. This activity can be spun in many ways. For instance, students can work with groups to encourage critical thinking and discussion.

REUSING THEM FROM YEAR TO YEAR

After all the effort it takes to create them, it can be difficult to fathom only using them during one school year. Anchor charts generally aren't "reused" year to year. However, they can carry over in a couple ways.

First, you'll begin to notice patterns. After you get comfortable with creating an anchor chart for a given topic, you'll know what works and what doesn't. You'll have an idea of what must be included because it resonates with students. In other words, by creating and recreating each year, the process will go more smoothly each time.

Also, take photos! When you have anchor charts you love, take photos of them so that you can share them with students as additional references. Sure, if you have room to store them, it doesn't hurt. But, pulling them out of a closet and using them over and over again undercuts some of the most important learning benefits for students.

MAKING THEM APPEAL TO OLDER STUDENTS

Do anchor charts appeal to older students? Honestly, involving middle and high school students in the process of creating them is an effective way to increase engagement. When they are involved in their learning, the lesson naturally appeals more to them.

Some anchor charts are clearly designed for younger students. Paying attention to color palettes, depth of skills and strategies, and illustrations can help make anchor charts appear more "secondary" style.

If you include people, make them look older! If you include objects, choose things that are relatable to teens whenever possible. And, use examples that are relevant to tweens and teens.

Consider allowing students to add specific elements to the anchor chart during the lesson to magnify ownership.

PRIORITIZING WHICH CHARTS TO CREATE

While anchor charts are beneficial teaching tools, it's important not to overuse them. If you create an anchor chart for every lesson, where would you put them all? Here are some helpful questions to guide your decisions:

Is this topic/skill related to an essential or power standard for my class?

Is this topic/skill something that students tend to struggle with each year?

Will we be coming back to this topic or skill regularly throughout the year?

Am I going to want students to connect new learning to this topic or skill?

Will this anchor chart help my classroom to run more smoothly?

MATERIALS FOR CREATION

When creating anchor charts, teachers have different preferences. One thing to consider is how you want to hang them. Will you attach them with binder clips to string? Will you stick them to the wall? I prefer large Post-It easel pads*, but a lot of teachers use chart paper.

Either way, my favorite markers to use are these and these. I like to have different tip sizes to work with.

BUT I'M NOT ARTSY

Whether you have Pinterest-worthy anchor charts hanging in your classroom or not is of no consequence. You don't have to have pretty handwriting or amazing illustration skills to create meaningful reference points with your students.

Look! Here is an example of a "non-pretty" anchor chart I made with a co-worker as we were introducing writing workshop expectations.

Students can read these anchor charts. They contain valuable information the class refer back to throughout the year, and it will help the room run more smoothly.

If you happen to have handwriting that is illegible, that would be a problem. In this case, you could have a student scribe the anchor chart for you as you teach the lesson.

What thoughts do you have about creating anchor charts? They're not just for elementary classrooms. Share any questions or tips you have to offer in the comments below.

+ The materials linked in this post are Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase from them, I will receive a small profit at no expense to you.

RELATED READING

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Using Anchor Charts in Middle and High School: Why and How - Reading and Writing Haven

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Interested in using anchor charts with older students? Read about benefits, best practices, and materials to make the experience a success.

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Using Anchor Charts with Multinlingual Learners

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Using Anchor Charts with Multinlingual Learners

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Effective Anchor Charts that Support Multilingual Learners

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by Valentina Gonzalez Effective anchor charts can leave a lasting imprint of a lesson, helping multilingual learners while they work independently. Multilingual learners can refer to anchor charts …

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Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.

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Academic Word Finder- enter text to pull tier 2 Academic Words!

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Achievethecore.org :: Academic Word Finder

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Verbs for Writing Content and Language Objectives based on Bloom's Taxonomy and the 4 Domains of Language

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Phonemic Inventories and Cultural and Linguistic Information Across Languages

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Phonemic Inventories and Cultural and Linguistic Information Across Languages

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Languages across the world have unique phonemic systems. For individuals learning English as a second language, it is common for the phonemic system of their first language to influence the production of sounds in English.

Resources listed below are intended to contribute to foundational awareness of potential cultural and linguistic influences. There are variations within cultures, and regional and dialectal variances exist in all languages. Therefore, a single chart/page on cultural and/or linguistic features is not meant to provide a comprehensive overview. Clinical judgment, client/patient/student and caregiver input, and additional research are needed to ensure culturally responsive services.

How Can I Use This Information?

Speech-language pathologists can use this information to:

Identify sounds in a client's phonological system for languages other than English.

Determine phonemic influences of a client's native language on English.

Identify sounds from the client's first language that may not exist in English or identify sounds in English that do not exist in someone's native language.

Recognize that even if there are similar sounds across two languages, they may not be used the same way. For example, in some languages a sound may only be used at the ends of words and not as a word-initial sound.

Audiologists can use this information to:

Correlate the client's audiogram and the sounds of the client's language(s).

Recognize and respond to amplification needs.

Identify the effect of the individual's phonemic system on speech audiometry assessment.

Modify materials and procedures during speech audiometry assessment.

Phonemic Inventories and Cultural and Linguistic Information

ASHA has compiled resources on the phonemic systems for the following languages:

Amharic

Arabic

Bosnian

Burmese

Chinese

English

English Phonemic Inventory [PDF]
Dialect
Haitian Creole

Hindi/Urdu

Hmong

Japanese

Korean

Navajo

Pashto and Persian

Polish

Russian

Spanish

Somali

Somali (Portland State University)

Tagalog

Vietnamese

Refugee Profiles/Information
ASHA's policy documents state that SLPs and audiologists must consider the sound systems of all the languages used by a client in order to provide appropriate assessment and treatment services.
Websites with Phonemic Inventories

If you have any questions, please contact ASHA's Office of Multicultural Affairs at multicultural@asha.org.

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Phonemic Inventories and Cultural and Linguistic Information Across Languages

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A list of phonemic inventories across multiple languages