Teaching Strategies, Tactics, and Methods

Animals that live in the Ocean

The Earth is often called ‘The Blue Planet’ because 70% of its surface is covered in water. There are five oceans:

• The Atlantic Ocean
• The Pacific Ocean
• The Indian Ocean
• The Arctic Ocean
• The Southern Ocean

Each of the world’s oceans has different characteristics and supports a great diversity of aquatic life.

There are also distinct layers within each ocean. The sun shines on the sea like on land, but it can’t reach the darkest depths. Therefore, the shallows differ significantly from the sea bed; each layer is home to very different creatures.

There are five ocean layers:

1. The Sunlight Zone: The sunlight layer is the first layer from 0 to 200metres deep.
2. The Twilight Zone: Second up is the Twilight Zone from 200 to 1000 meters deep.
3. The Midnight Zone: The midnight zone extends from1000 from 4000 meters deep.
4. The Lower Midnight Zone: This zone reaches from4000 to 6000 meters deep.
5. The Trenches: At the deepest and darkest point of the ocean, the trenches begin from 6000 meters deep and beyond.

The Sunlight Zone

The sunlight zone is where most sea animals live. True to its name, it gets the most sunlight and tends to be a warm 12-20 degrees Celsius on average due to its proximity to the sun.

What plants and animals live in the sunlight zone?

Seaweed, plankton, and flowering plants are common in the sunlight zone because there’s enough sunlight to perform photosynthesis.

The sunlight zone is also home to many animal residents, such as turtles, sting rays, seals, sea lions, dolphins, jellyfish, coral, and other fish species. In addition, most animals and plants discovered in the sea exist in the sunlight zone because the sunlight and temperature here allow them to survive.

The Twilight Zone

The temperature in the Twilight zone is generally between 4 and 13 degrees Celsius.

What plants and animals live in the Twilight Zone?

The Twilight Zone is home to whales, octopuses, swords, hatchet fish, and shrimp. Because of the lack of sunlight in this region, no plants can grow at depths below the sunlight zone.

However, sponges can grow here. Contrary to popular belief, sponges are not plants. They are, in fact, animals with dense skeletons but no brains or other organs. They don’t move and grow from a fixed spot, which means they are ‘sessile’ animals.

The Midnight Zone

The midnight zone is sometimes known as ‘the deep.’ The temperature typically sits at around 4 degrees C. Sunlight does not reach this layer at all, so the only light at this level is produced by bioluminescent animals: animals that have their light, like the infamous anglerfish.

What other animals live here?

Other than the anglerfish, the only animals you’ll find here are giant whales, echinoids, squid, and blobfish. But, of course, you might stumble across a few shipwrecks too– the wreck of the Titanic was discovered in the midnight zone at a depth of 3800m.

The Lower Midnight Zone

The lower midnight zone is very dark and cold – the temperature is around freezing.

Do any animals live in the lower midnight zone?

Despite the extreme conditions, this is one of the largest environments on earth, and some species live here in this dark, expansive part of the sea. Sea spiders, medusas, basket stars, and sea pigs have all been discovered living in the Lower Midnight Zone.

The Trenches

The Trenches are extremely cold and dark. It’s completely pitch black, and almost impossible to see most of the creatures that live there. ‘Challenger Deep’ in the Mariana Trench is the deepest known trench in any ocean.

Can anything survive in the trenches of the ocean?

We cannot see most of the animals that live in the trenches. So it poses the question, what else lives down there that we haven’t discovered yet?

Some fish do live in this layer. For example, the Rattail and liparid fish can survive in the deepest parts of the deep sea. Amphipods (shrimp-like creatures) live there and wait for food scraps to drop from the layers above. Decapods, ten-footed crustaceans, eat these amphipods.

When writing a story, dialogue rules are important

Dialogue is the reported conversation between two or more characters within a narrative. It could be found in a book, play, film, or any other type of story format.

If we want to include dialogue in our story, we have to use specific rules. Correct grammar and structure let us show our characters are talking clearly. It’s essential that when we write, everyone uses the same rules. It ensures we can all communicate with each other. When writing a story, dialogue rules change depending on the story’s medium. This page will focus on how to follow the directions for writing a narrative for a book.

How to format dialogue in a story

1. Quotation marks or inverted commas are used to indicate spoken words. These should be doubled when meaning direct speech. For example:

“I’m starting to learn how to write dialogue,” she said.

2. A dialogue tag is the part of the sentence that indicates how and who says something within the story. In the above example, she said is the dialogue tag. The dialogue tag always stays outside the quotation marks.

The dialogue tag would still be in lowercase if there were a question mark or exclamation point after the dialogue. You treat it just as you would a comma. It would look like this:

“I’m starting to learn how to write dialogue!” she said.

However, when the dialogue tag is before the speech, a comma appears before the first quotation marks. For example:

She said, “I’m starting to learn how to write dialogue!”

3. Separate sentences are used for actions before or after the dialogue. It’s essential to ensure that what is happening in the narrative is discernible from the speech. The punctuation helps to show this:

Isla entered the room. “Who goes there?” she said.

4. The punctuation changes when characters quote somebody else in their dialogue. It ensures that the reader recognizes it is not the character’s words. For this, you would use single quotation marks. Have a look at this example:

Luke started to weep. “When you said, ‘This was the worst thing I’ve tasted!’ it hurt my feelings,” he said.

5. New paragraphs are used to show when someone new is speaking. These are also always indented to mark the change in speech.

“Finn, please, can you hand me that toy?” Penny said.

“Here, I was finished playing anyway,” Finn replied.

6. When a paragraph is needed because the speech is so long, there are different punctuation rules. The only difference is that closing quotation marks are not used at the end of every paragraph. They are only used at the end of the final spoken sentence. It may look something like this:

Bernard looked at his exercise book and muttered. “This is going to be the best use of my time. I am going to learn all about writing dialogue. Dialogue rules are the most important aspects to follow when writing a story.

“Learning this will help me write my novel and become a best-selling author. I plan to create a story all about swimming across the ocean. My character will talk to all the sailors and mermaids along the way. It will be a wonderful tale.”

7. When your character is interrupted, use an em dash. An em dash (—) is used to show when there is an abrupt end to the dialogue. These are not to be confused with hyphens; hyphens are shorter and are used for something else. It is good to know from a grammar point of view; however, for teaching ease, you may want to keep them the same while kids are learning. These dashes should be placed within quotation marks. How to use an em dash:

Isla called out, “Who goes there? What do you—”

“It’s me!” said Luke.

8. Finally, don’t use punctuation in addition to an ellipsis. If you want the dialogue to trail off as if the character is purposefully not finishing the sentence, use the ellipsis. You don’t need to add a comma or any other punctuation. For example:

“When writing a story, dialogue rules should be in lists of 8. I guess this is the end of the line…” the teacher said, his voice trailing off.

You’re all set to become a great dialogue writer!

How do I explain the difference between weak and strong verbs?

To put it simply to your class, explain that weak verbs are the ‘basic’ forms of a specific action, like ‘ate’ or ‘ran.’

Strong verbs are more specific and induce a tone, like ‘scoffed’ or ‘dashed.’

To say a man ‘ran’ does not infer much meaning, but to say a man ‘dashed’ suggests that dynamic behavior is involved. Perhaps he is running in fear of a monster or is late for work.

Throughout the curriculum, teachers should continue to encourage students to improve their writing abilities and widen their vocabulary. Even at the kindergarten level, young children can begin to understand how to use powerful alternatives to ordinary verbs to inject more interest into their writing.

Strong verbs vs. weak verbs

When thinking up a list of strong verbs for writing, it’s also helpful to know the opposite – weak verbs. Verbs that make your writing sound, well, weaker.

These are examples of verbs that are passive as opposed to powerful:

Is Am Are Was Had

Does Do Did Shall Will Should

Would May Might Must Can Could

Were Be Being Been Have Has

Make it easier for students to recognize weak and strong verbs by compiling a list to refer to in class.

Banish the boring verbs

One of the most used words in any writing (and the biggest culprit in making your writing boring and monotonous) is the verb ‘said.’

Let’s say goodbye to ‘said.’ Here are some awesome strong verbs to replace it:

Ordinary verb	Powerful verbs
Said	whispered mentioned muttered whined shouted cried exclaimed purred

This catchy poem is a fantastic way to help your class remember when to use said and when to put it to bed. You could display it on the wall in the reading corner and use it as a fun group activity to recite before writing lessons.

Let’s look at some examples of weak verbs that can be replaced quickly to sound more engaging.

Examples

Weak verb:

The man was eating his lunch.

Powerful verb:

The man scoffed at his lunch.

Weak verb:

Katy is a lover of cats.

Powerful verb:

Katy adores cats; she owns seven.

Here are some common verbs that children will regularly use, which can be easily replaced with much stronger ones.

Run	bolt, dash, jog
Walk	slink, wander, meander
Make	create, fashion, forge

Here are some inspirational sentence practices you could use with your class to help them develop the most potent verb alternative to ensure a sentence pops.

1. Swap weak verbs for strong verbs

Example

The wizard walked into the bar and looked around.

• stomped
• blew
• sauntered

• gazed
• peered
• surveyed

Ask them questions like ‘how can we portray the wizard’s emotions through his actions?’

2. Replace verbs that rely on adverbs

Powerful verbs are strong enough to stand alone.

Examples

• The dog ran quickly dashed along the beach.
• He looked menacingly glared at his rival.
• They secretly listened and eavesdropped on the discussion.
• The girl shouted loudly screeched at her mother

3. Strengthen verbs with -ing suffixes

Examples

Weak:

The boy was walking.

Strong:

The boy walked.

Weak:

The girl was crying.

Strong:

The girl sobbed.

Verbifying (also known as verbing) is the act of de-nominalization, which means transforming a noun into another kind of word.

This process can be done by taking an existing noun and switching the context in which it is used. For example, we could say the table is set, but we could also say I want to table this meeting. Verbifying is often a more informal tool within language, but it is no less valuable because of this.

Verbifying also refers to taking an adjective or a noun and adding a suffix to create a new word. We can see this in horrify, terrify, and even verbify.

It is the opposite of nominalization, which means making nouns from other kinds of words.

Examples of nouns used as verbs

To further explain this idea, here is a list of nouns used as verbs within two different example sentences:

Noun	Verb
An act of kindness.	Try to act surprised!
The cheat didn’t pass the test.	It’s not nice to cheat on a test.
The birthday balloon flew away.	The bag ballooned with everything I was carrying.
I had the hope of better weather tomorrow.	You have to hope things will get better.
The vote was still to be counted.	Are you going to vote in the competition?

Verbifying with Suffixes

Verbifying with suffixes is another common approach within this subject. To verbify a noun or adjective, we take the root word and add a suffix like ‘-ate,’ ‘-ify,’ or ‘-ise’ to it.

For example, the word ‘liquid’ becomes ‘liquify,’ and ‘terror’ could become ‘terrify’ or ‘terrorize.’

This system is perhaps even more common than nouns used as verbs in their root form – so much so that you might not realize you do this in your everyday speech.

Why do we verbify words?

Verbifying without the use of nominalization (sometimes called ‘zero deviation’) can get a bad reputation for sounding potentially too informal, depending on the situation.

Nouns Used As Verbs List

When learning this topic, it is perhaps best to learn through examples. So here’s a ‘nouns used as verbs’ list that features words you might come across in everyday speech.

• Act
• Address
• Aim
• Answer
• Arrest
• Attack
• Auction
• Back
• Balance
• Balloon
• Ban
• Beam
• Bend
• Cake
• Call
• Can
• Chant
• Cheat
• Dance
• Drink
• Drive
• Dye
• Echo
• Experience
• Eye
• Face
• Fear
• Guess
• Glue
• Head
• Hope
• Increase
• Ink
• Jam
• Kiss
• Label
• Love
• Lock
• Make
• Match
• Oil
• Parcel
• Peel
• Phone
• Pick
• Quiz
• Race
• Run
• Reign
• Scare
• Search
• Smile
• Smoke
• Sound
• Shape
• Tear
• Trace
• Track
• Use
• Vote
• Wake
• Waltz
• Wear
• Whisper
• Yawn
• Yield

As will be evident from this ‘nouns used as verbs’ list, this appears everywhere within English.

Drawing and Painting from Real Life

Being able to create art from real life is an essential skill at a young age. It encourages art to be produced with meaning and for the children to look for purpose in everyday, mundane things.

For example, many artists, including Frida Kahlo, choose to draw or paint self-portraits. Sometimes it’s to show off their skills or to project how they see themselves to others. This blank face template is excellent for children to get creative when thinking introspectively about how they look to others. It also helps them recognize and accept differences in how people look.

Many famous and successful Natural Artists take inspiration from their environment. For example, Monet is an impressionist artist whose most famous paintings were of lily pads, poppies, and gardens.

This tree template is a great base for children to reflect on the seasons or experiment using different colors and mediums to produce other effects.

Knowledge of Materials

To excel in art and design, children need to understand the different types of materials that can be used. For example, perhaps they prefer to hold a pencil rather than a paintbrush because they have more control. Or maybe they want to try mixing paint, pencil, and colors. Having a finished product in mind and selecting the tools to achieve it is a practical, time-saving skill.

Drawing and Understanding Proportion

Learning about proportion is helpful for lots of areas of everyday life. From cooking and figuring out the number of ingredients to learning about money and ratios, understanding proportion is essential.

It’s an essential art skill for children to learn. The video from Twinkl explains how drawing a self-portrait involves lots of thinking about proportion and measuring the page to make it look correct and realistic.

Understanding Colour and Tone

School is a great place to experiment with colors and how they can be combined to create new ones – especially if it means you can get messy! Understanding what colors to use and how to achieve them is an art skill children can use to create fantastic pieces that parents and carers love to have on their fridges.

The tone is a much more complex skill in the art. Learning shading techniques and how tone can create dimension on the page is helpful, especially as children go up through the school.

Mastering Pencil Control and Brush Strokes

Having control over your pencil or brushes is a skill learned through practice. In art classes, young children will benefit from having good fine motor skills. Their art projects will be more controlled and have a better finish if they can control and keep their utensils steady.

Letter Writing

A letter is a form of written communication between two people.

Why would I write a letter?

Although the invention of other technology, such as mobile phones and email, has meant that letter writing is far less popular and frequent, it can still add a personal touch to communication that is important to teach younger children. Here are some examples of when you may write a letter that you can use in writing exercises:

• Job Application: Formal or business-related letters could include job applications such as a resume and cover letter. In these circumstances, writers write in a formal tone of voice as the writer often doesn’t know the recipient of the letter personally. These may become more relevant to older students in middle school and above.

• Keeping in touch with older relatives: Letter writing can be a lovely way to stay in touch with people who remember when letter writing was more popular. So take some time in your class to write a letter to each student’s neighbor, grandparent, mum, dad, or carer to tell them what they have been up to and how much they appreciate them.

• Thank you letter: A thank you letter is also a great way to encourage children’s emotional development, as it’s essential to teach kids to be grateful and appreciative.

• Writing home or to a friend on holiday: While students spend time away from the classroom, they can often miss the social connections and bonds they’ve made in school. Writing can, therefore, be a fun and creative way for children to keep in touch with their classmates. Check out our seasonal and holiday-related letter templates that can help students develop their writing skills and share fun holiday memories while they’re away from the classroom.

What are the types of a letter?

There are many types of letters that children can learn about. These can broadly be sorted into two categories, formal and informal. Formal letters are written and sent to people you don’t have a personal connection with. These can be sent for different reasons, for example, to complain about something, to give or ask for information, or to make an appointment.

On the other hand, informal letters are most often written to people you know, such as friends and family. For example, sending a postcard telling someone about your holiday, saying thank you for a birthday present, or writing to friends or family who might live a long way from you. Narrative letters are also considered informal.

A multiplication fact is an answer to a multiplication calculation. For example, in the sum 3 x 3 = 9, the multiplication fact is 9.

What is a multiplication fact?

A multiplication fact is an answer to a multiplication calculation.

Here are some examples of multiplication sums and their multiplication facts:

• 2 × 2 = 4 (the multiplication fact is 4)
• 7 × 9 = 63 (the multiplication fact is 63)
• 10 × 3 = 30 (the multiplication fact is 30)

How do you write a multiplication fact?

You can write a multiplication fact simply by writing out a multiplication calculation.

For example:

12 × 12 = 144

3 × 6 = 18

8 × 5 = 40

You can also write multiplication facts using different methods of multiplication.

Diagram showing repeated addition on a number line.

For example, repeated addition is a way of finding multiplication facts by repeatedly adding a number until you reach the answer. 2 × 5 is the same as 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 = 10. So the multiplication fact, in that case, is 10.

Here are some ways to learn multiplication facts and remember multiplication tables (also known as times tables):

1. Use a multiplication square that shows the multiplication facts for numbers in the timetable. It is a great visual aid for learning times tables and multiplication facts.
2. Recite the multiplication table backward and forwards. Children can do this in small groups or as a whole class. Speaking the timetables aloud helps reinforce their memory of basic multiplication facts.
3. Practise skip counting. Skip counting is a type of multiplication by repeated addition. For example, skip counting by 2 is the same as the two times table: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, etc.
4. Use songs and music. These are fantastic for helping children to engage with learning their timetables. Plus, there’s a reason we say that songs get stuck in our heads!

What does multiplication mean?

Multiplication is the process of multiplying something by something else. For example, multiplying 2 by 6 is 12.

Australia is home to a wide variety of animal species, many of which are only found on this continent. A large group of Australian mammals is marsupials. These mammals carry their young in pouches. Another special kind of mammal that can be found here is the monotreme. These mammals are unique because they lay eggs rather than give birth to their young. Australia is also known for its many insects, reptiles, and amphibians. As a result, mammals and birds have been chosen as Australian animal emblems.

1. Kangaroo

Kangaroos are marsupial mammals found in Australia and Tasmania. Marsupials carry their young in a pouch. Kangaroos have large and powerful hind legs and oversized feet. They also have a long and robust tail that helps them balance. Recent research revealed that balancing is not the only way kangaroos use their tail. They use it as a third leg when they walk. During this special three-stage walk, they plant their front legs and tail first, then push off the tail to move forward and produce their hind legs next. Kangaroos are some of the only large animals that use hopping as their primary mode of locomotion.

Kangaroos are herbivores and eat plants, leaves, and grasses. Adult kangaroos can live for months without drinking anything at all. They live in groups called ‘mobs’ and are very social. Kangaroos are some of the most popular Australian animals. They became the symbol of Australia and appeared on many logos and even on some currencies.

2. Emu

The emu is the world’s second-largest bird after the ostrich. Emus can reach up to 190cm in height. They are flightless birds. Emus have long necks and sharp beaks. They have three toes on each foot. They also have a hoof on each of their feet, which they use for fighting and protection from predators.

They are omnivores, and their diet includes grains, flowers, berries, and insects. When food is plentiful, emus will eat a lot of it and store it in their bodies as fat. They can then survive prolonged periods without eating. They live in flocks or pairs. Emus can travel long distances and, if needed, can sprint as fast as 50km/h. Their plumage differs in color depending on their environment. It helps them to blend in with their surroundings.

3. Echidna

The echidna is one of the most adaptable Australian animals in most Australian habitats, including deserts, coastal forests, and meadows. The most distinguishing feature of the echidna is its long, narrow snout with a long tongue perfect for catching insects. Its back and sides are covered with sharp, white spines called quills. They curl up into a ball when threatened, exposing only their quills. It is how echidnas protect themselves from predators. Their diet consists of ants, termites, and larvae. Echidnas make good use of their sharp claws, which they use to search for insects inside rotting logs.

4. Possum

Possums are marsupial mammals that live in trees. They’re known for their long tails. Different species of possums vary in size. The Tasmanian pygmy possum is the smallest marsupial in the world. Here are some quick facts about them:

This tiny animal averages just 7cm in length and weighs 10g. Possums are native to Australia, and there are 23 possum species on this continent. They’re nocturnal, which means they’re mainly active at night. Possums commonly eat eucalyptus, other tree leaves, nectar, flowers, and fruit.

5. Koala

Koalas are another example of native Australian animals. Although they’re often incorrectly referred to as ‘koala bears,’ they are marsupials. They’re related to kangaroos and wombats. Koalas have a distinctive appearance. They’re tailless, stout, and grey-brown. They have a large head with fluffy ears and a large nose.

Koalas are arboreal, which means they live in trees. Their sharp claws help them to climb branches. Their front paws have five digits each, with two acting like thumbs. It helps them hold on to branches and grip their food. Koalas can commonly be found in eucalyptus woodlands. They can eat up to one kilogram of leaves per day. These adorable animals are primarily sedentary and can sleep up to 20 hours daily. They need this large amount of sleep because their diet of leaves is deficient in nutrients and energy.

6. Tasmanian Devil

The Tasmanian devil can only be found in the wild on the island of Tasmania. Tasmanian devils are marsupials, meaning that the females carry their young in pouches. It helps to protect newly born babies. Tasmanian devils have black fur and a white marking on the bottom of their chests.

These animals are carnivorous, which means they only eat meat. Their diet consists of lizards, frogs, insects, and carrion. They can eat up to 40% of their body weight daily. Tasmanian devils are known for their loud screech and ferocity when feeding. They have a powerful bite thanks to their large heads and necks. An interesting fact about Tasmanian devils is that they store fat in their tails, which is helpful when there isn’t much food around.

7. Common Death Adder

The common death adder is a snake species native to Australia. It’s one of the world’s most venomous snakes. This snake has a triangular head and a black coloring with bands of red or brown. Death adders have the longest fangs of all Australian snakes. It lives in woods, grasslands, scrub, and heathland areas. This snake eats small mammals and birds. The common death adder is known for its unique hunting technique. First, it lies in wait, covering itself with leaves to blend into its surroundings. Then, when prey appears, the adder twitches its tail to attract the animal. When the animal approaches, the death adder quickly strikes and injects its venom to kill it.

8. Platypus

The platypus is a semi-aquatic mammal. It’s only found in the small rivers and streams of eastern Australia. This striking Australian animal is one of the most exciting creatures out there. It’s duck-billed, has a beaver-like tail and webbed feet, lays eggs, and its body is covered in fur. Platypuses are monotremes, unique kinds of mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to their young.

These intriguing animals close their eyes and ears when underwater. They find their prey by using their sense of electroreception. It means that platypuses can detect electric fields created by the muscular contractions of their prey. They dig up worms, insects, and shrimp using their bills. Platypuses are excellent swimmers able to stay underwater for 30 seconds at a time.

9. Wombat

Wombats are another species of Australian animals that are native only to Australia. They’re marsupial mammals. They’re small animals that resemble a cross between a bear and a pig, with brown to black coloring. They have short legs, a compact head, and strong claws adapted for digging. They are nocturnal, which means they’re mainly active at night.

The wombat diet consists of grass and roots. These animals live in extensive burrows made from the seeds of fallen trees, compacted soil, leaves, and rocks. The wombat’s pouch faces backward, ensuring they don’t gather dirt in their pouches when digging. An interesting fact about wombats is that they produce cube-shaped feces. They arrange these feces to mark their territories and attract mates.

10. Crocodile

Australia is home to both freshwater and saltwater crocodiles. Crocodiles are semiaquatic reptiles. Saltwater crocodiles are the giant crocodiles in the world. Males can grow up to five meters long. They also have the most substantial bite of any animal in the world. These reptiles are cold-blooded, which makes them very sensitive to cold. It is why they spend most of their day warming themselves in the sun.

Crocodiles are carnivores, eating meat and hunting for their prey. They mainly eat fish, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Crocodiles have potent senses, which is an advantage for these predators. Because their eyes, ears, and nostrils are on the top of their heads, they can lie low in the water as they wait for their prey. In addition, their teeth are being continually replaced, and they can replace each of their 80 teeth up to 50 times in their lifetime.

Which Australian animals are endangered species?

Many Australian animals are endangered. More than 86 types of animals are critically endangered. These include the bilby, wombat, Tasmanian devil, tree kangaroo, red-tailed black cockatoo, and more. These animals are at risk of becoming extinct. It is why we must protect them so that they don’t disappear from the world.

A vocabulary is a set of familiar words that a person knows. Usually developed with age, vocabulary is a valuable and essential tool that helps children (and adults!) to communicate and expand their knowledge.

Tiers of Vocabulary

There are three ‘tiers’ that vocabulary can be placed into.

1. Basic Vocabulary

Basic and simple words are the first things that build up a child’s vocabulary. These are tricky, early-reading words, adjectives, verbs, or nouns. They typically only have a single meaning.

2. High-Frequency Vocabulary

This tier is sometimes called a multiple-meaning vocabulary tier, as the words within it can have more than one meaning. These words are also crucial for reading comprehension, used for direct instructions, and may be descriptive.

3. Low-Frequency Vocabulary

These words are only used for a particular topic, so they may be called topic vocabulary. A child’s low-frequency vocabulary might encompass topics like the weather or geography.

Types of Vocabulary

We may have different vocabularies to draw on depending on whether we’re speaking, listening, reading, or writing.

1. Speaking

Speaking vocabulary consists of the words we can say aloud. These words are used for communicating and giving instructions.

2. Listening

Our listening vocabulary is the words we can understand by hearing them said aloud. Similar to speaking vocabulary, we use these words to listen to what others are communicating to us and what they might be instructing us to do.

Did you know? A fetus may start recognizing some words when in the womb. So your listening vocabulary begins before you’re even born!

3. Reading

Our reading vocabulary is how many words we can understand when reading. Reading is also the primary way to build and grow vocabulary – as you read, you encounter new words you may not have seen or heard before.

4. Writing

The words determine our writing vocabulary we can spell and use correctly in context. People’s writing vocabulary is typically smaller than their speaking or listening vocabulary, so working on it and learning new words is essential.

Why is vocabulary essential in reading?

Vocabulary is essential for speaking and communicating, but it’s also necessary for reading. It’s the key to solid reading comprehension – reading and understanding a text is impossible if you don’t know what the words mean!

When reading a text, we use our vocabulary knowledge to decode what the text is telling us. With a limited vocabulary, it’ll not be easy to understand most of the words. In addition, this will restrict the overall understanding of the text.

Reading is also what helps to grow and expand a person’s vocabulary. The more a person reads, the more language they’ll know. But while a child is still developing their vocabulary, they must be given a text at the right level – one where they’ll understand most of the words, but there are some new ones to challenge and grow their vocabulary.

What are vocabulary-building skills?

If you’ve seen how important having a solid vocabulary is, and you’re wondering, ‘what are vocabulary-building skills?’ then you’re in the right place. Here, we’ll go over what they are and how to use them to build that all-important vocabulary.

So, what are vocabulary-building skills?

Vocabulary-building skills are what children need to develop their growing vocabulary. Teachers typically encourage children to read widely and research. That’s what building a language is – seeing a new word, exploring what it means, and tucking it away to use later.

Here are some ways teachers will help children build their vocabulary skills.

1. Synonyms

Use words other than ‘said,’ ‘nice,’ ‘good,’ or ‘bad’ – we’ve all heard that, right? Using synonyms is a tangible way for children to expand beyond their basic vocabulary and add more to their high-frequency vocabulary.

It is a simple and easy way to expand a child’s vocabulary by looking at words they already know and finding ones that mean the same or have similar meanings. Matching games are often fun for children to develop their knowledge of synonyms.

2. Root Words, Prefixes, and Suffixes

Root words form the basis of many other words. So knowing lots of root words and the prefixes and suffixes that can be added to them will significantly expand a child’s reading and writing vocabulary. Not only will they be able to spell them, but if they come across a new word with a familiar root word, prefix, or suffix, they’ll be able to estimate its meaning.

3. Dictionary and Thesaurus Skills

Dictionaries and thesauruses are great tools to use when helping children to develop their vocabulary. Children should develop the habit of researching a new word in the dictionary whenever they encounter one. This way, they can learn its definition. They should also be encouraged to write down the word and its meaning to refer back to later.

4. Reading

Never underestimate the power of reading! Reading is the best and most effective way for children to grow their vocabulary. While they read, they’ll consolidate their understanding of familiar words while encountering new ones. They can use their knowledge of other words to estimate new meanings, then use their dictionary skills to learn the importance of unfamiliar words.

5. Repetition

It’s unlikely that anyone will remember a new word’s spelling, pronunciation, and meaning after seeing it once. That’s why it’s important to repeat a new word so that it sticks. Please write it down in a sentence, draw it in a fancy way, use word cards with it on to play a game, or write it down multiple times. These activities will help a new word to stay in a child’s growing vocabulary.

Different names for groups of fish depend on whether they are a single species or a mix of species.

A single group of fish is called a “shoal.”

A group of fish of the same species is called a shoal of fish. Why do we say school of fish? The school part of ” shoal of fish” comes from the old Dutch word ‘school,’ meaning ‘troop’ or ‘crowd.’ It also seems quite fitting, as the fish all work together, like a school class!

A group of mixed species of fish is called a “shoal.”

A group of fish, not the same species, is called a shoal of fish. The word ‘shoal’ comes from the Dutch word ‘school.’ A shoal of mixed fish doesn’t need to have similar characteristics either; shoals can be a mixture of fish, shrimp or jellyfish, etc. We know what you’re thinking – we wouldn’t want to swim too close to a jellyfish, either! However, when a mix of aquatic creatures floats together, it’s usually in a loose cluster, so bumping into one another isn’t a worry.

Some fish, such as gobies and clownfish, have evolved to develop skin that protects them from venomous stings, such as jellyfish or other malicious aquatic life.

Pods are herds of mammals, not fish.

You may have heard the phrase “a pod” when someone is talking about aquatic life. However, a pod is a herd of marine mammals such as dolphins, whales, walruses, or seals, not fish.

Why do fish swim in groups?

Fish swim in groups because there is safety in numbers. A big school of fish looks more potent than a single or small handful of fish! So the school moves as one, twisting and turning, looking like a big storm cloud in the water to confuse predators. It also helps them save energy because their group movement creates a slipstream force that propels them through the water more efficiently.

Other benefits of being in a fish group include the following:

• A better chance of finding food; where there’s a crowd – there’s something to eat!
• A better chance of finding a mate, or a ‘shoal mate’!

What are some facts about schools and shoals of fish?

1. The active verb for schools and shoals of fish is ‘shoaling’ and ‘schooling.’
2. For example, if any group of fish stays together for social reasons, they are ‘shoaling.’ On the other hand, if the group swims together in coordination, they are ‘schooling.’
3. In schools, each fish keeps the same space as its neighbor.
4. Schools of fish wouldn’t fit in your school classroom; they can have hundreds and thousands of members in one school!
5. The size of a shoal of fish can depend on how many aquatic creatures there are in their schools, but a shoal can be as little as six fish. Most fish in aquariums or captivity form shoals.