#1562. A Working Vocabulary

Reading/Writing, level: Elementary
Posted Tue Feb 8 21:40:34 PST 2000 by Marian Hanson (mehanson@teleport.com).
Sauvie Island School/Teacher, Portland, Oregon USA
Materials Required: Plain white paper, pencil, coloring material
Activity Time: varies
Concepts Taught: Expanding vocabulary

I combine this activity with other activies as part of an individualized "Novel Study." As students read a novel (student or teacher chosen), they note a specified number of unfamilar or interesting vocabulary words. For each word, the student writes a sentence that is NOT a definition, being sure to use the word correctly, then illustrates his/her sentence. Depending on the students' ages, grammar and spelling can become an issue, and the picture's quality can be adjusted.

I find my students using words they've absorbed this way in their own writing and speaking.