Teachers

All words are not equal. For example, some words are generally more useful than others. Knowing the meaning of “shame” generally pays off far more often than knowing the meaning of “serendipity.” 

Some words are also easier to learn than others. Teachers must recognize and be patient with these asymmetries across their students’ experiences when teaching vocabulary. This article will discuss some of the essential facts that teachers should know when teaching vocabulary to their students. 

Rich Meanings Are Just As Important

Vocabulary instruction is often reduced to having learners copy down definitions from the dictionary. However, researchers have identified several approaches that outperform any learning that may take place from copying definitions. 

One fundamental principle is to have learners work with more complex or extensive definitions or explanations of word meanings. Therefore, you should encourage the encyclopedic explanation over the simple dictionary definition. 

Teachers can have their students engage in providing several different versions of the definition of a word, such as the dictionary definition, synonyms and antonyms, comparisons, classifications, and more. Once a student has come up with these different explanations of a word, they are more likely to remember it. 

Promote Word Usage

It is not enough for students to simply learn the meanings of words – they must learn to use their learned words in their writing, reading, speaking, and listening. As such, instruction should create opportunities for learners to use the words they learn in each of these contexts. 

For example, a vocabulary assignment can be completed by students in groups working together to identify multiple definitions. That kind of cooperation requires learners to talk to each other about the words, promoting word use and retention. 

The Importance Of Review

It can be challenging for students to retain their vocabulary if they are not getting enough opportunities to use it. Teachers might teach vocabulary because some words were featured in texts for that week, but then students may not see those words again for some time. 

There are several ways to promote vocabulary retention, like having one day each week where you only work with words taught in the past. Alternatively, an entire week could be dedicated to this several times throughout the year.

Another way to make sure that words are being retained is to see how many additional words students can create morphologically by adding suffixes or prefixes, by changing parts of speech, etc. 

Concluding Thoughts

Like reading, vocabulary is an essential skill that all students must learn, though it can be challenging to teach. Be sure to follow the above tips, and your students will be expanding their lexicon in no time.

Being a successful instructor to English Language Learners (ELLs) means you cater to every requirement and need of ELLs effectively. But fret not; this task isn’t as complex as it might sound. 

You need to have a few tips up your sleeve to ace this responsibility and guide English learners to improve their reading and pass tests with flying colors. Read this short guide to master these five easy hacks to interact with the ELLs in a better way. 

Assess Comprehension On Regular Basis 

While the ELLs may have caught a grasp on their vocabulary pronunciation, it’s possible that they might not understand the meanings of such words. This is what you, as an instructor, have to make sure to avoid. 

You can conduct various activities with your students, like assign sentences, and have them tell their interpretations or what the students understood from those sentences. 

You can also assign words to a group of students and have them form sentences using those words. This will help ensure your students understand each word’s meaning and how to use them for sentence formation. 

Make Reading An Everyday Task 

Reading is the best way to improve your language skills- be it comprehension, fluency, or pronunciation. As an ELL instructor, you should work to make your classes engaging and interesting to pique your students’ interests and motivate them to learn English. Having them read in each class is a fantastic way to begin. 

For that, you will need to collect some reading material with a manageable level of difficult vocabulary. Also, make sure the material includes useful phrases or words, pictures to explain the text, and easy sentence formation. 

Urge Your Students To Read Even After Class 

To make sure your students develop a habit of conversing or reading English material even after their class, you can implement some strategies. For instance, you can put informative and helpful English books in the libraries that students can read.

You can provide audiobooks or picture books that the students can read at home and conduct activities about them in class. You can even introduce online applications to your students. Their interesting activities and videos can help your students learn English in a fun manner, even during their leisure time. 

Concluding Thoughts

Instructors for ELLs aren’t just professional teachers but can include parents as well. Hence, the tips offered above apply to every instructor. Teaching ELLs doesn’t require specialization or experience; instead, all that is needed is that you know the correct actions and what things to focus on as you teach your students how to learn English.

Introducing children to poetry at a young age has many benefits. However, many teachers struggle to incorporate poetry into the curriculum as there is so much to cover already. A smart way to teach poetry is to consider it an integral part of the language, reading, and writing and not an add-on. 

Continue reading to see the numerous benefits of reading poetry, so you will be all the more inclined to read poems in class. 

Poems Could Be A Way Of Exploring Language 

Studying grammar and its rules is not fun for the students. The lack of interest demotivates teachers as well. One way to make learning grammar fun is to incorporate poems that discreetly teach parts of speech through rhyme and humor. 

Amy Ludwig VanDerwater shares beautiful poems online at The Poem Farm that teach kids parts and figures of speech.

Informational Poems Are A Hit With Students! 

Creating poetry is a beautiful way for students to share information they learned through class or independent study. Along with creating their informational poems, there are many such poems that they can learn from. 

Such poems incorporate mathematical operations and rules, science laws, arts, and history. Hey Diddle Diddle: A Food Chain Tale by Sylvan Dell is such a fun compilation. It features many poems that describe animals, how they create food webs, the circle of life, and ecosystems. Moreover, there is a fun picture related to each poem that adds to the fun. 

Inspires Writing

Many poets and authors recall how their interest was developed by an exceptional teacher at a very early age. You can be that special teacher for your students. Introduce your students to poetry, and they could learn how poetry can be an effective vehicle to communicate. 

Moreover, some students are very creative, and reading different kinds of poetry can pique their interest. They might be motivated to start penning poems. Even if they don’t write, they can know that poetry deepens comprehension, develops empathy, and produces a new hobby.

New Perspectives

One of poetry’s best qualities is that it can transform our point of view. When going around and about, we only think like humans. However, some very creative poems are written from the perspectives of other beings. 

For example, Dogs Rule and Cats Power! by Daniel Kirk showcase some of the funniest heroes of each species. Even if your students are not animal lovers, they are sure to enjoy these.

Concluding Thoughts

Young students are creative individuals who like to explore new things. Instead of treating poetry as an add-on to the curriculum, think of it as a part of it that would teach students many things other than just literature.