Building Vocabulary Strategies

Strategies to increase students’ vocabulary

Introducing Vocabulary

Students generate definitions in their words

Use Background Knowledge

Use Context Clues

Use pictures or other examples, if helpful

Only use dictionary to double check

Vocabulary List #13: The Watsons Go to Birmingham

Vocabulary Word

Part ofSpeech

Our Definition Connotation(+ or -)

puny adj.

wily adj.

fluttered verb

accustomed verb

accurate adj

Context Clues • On page 159, Grandma Sands says that Byron was so puny when he was born that everyone was

worried about him.• Mr. Robert says there aren’t many animals wilier or tougher than a raccoon. (163)• The narrator (Kenny) says the hands of the grown ups fluttered around the little girls who had been hurt

in the church bombing.

VOCABULARY #13: VOCABULARY #13: WATSON’SWATSON’S

wilywily (adj) (adj)

sneaky, scheming, cleversneaky, scheming, clever

VOCABULARY #13: VOCABULARY #13: WATSON’SWATSON’S

punypuny (adj) (adj)

Small, tiny, Small, tiny,

weak, wimpy weak, wimpy

VOCABULARY #13: VOCABULARY #13: WATSON’SWATSON’S

flutteredfluttered (verb) (verb)

Flapped real fast Flapped real fast

Vocabulary List #13: The Watsons Go to Birmingham

Vocabulary Homework Choices for

The Watsons Go to Birmingham

(Choose any of the following for vocabulary homework)

Meaningful Sentences (clues underlined!) Illustrations: with a caption for each word 3 synonyms for each word (besides what we used in our

definition) 2 examples for each word Vocabulary story using all 5 words

Meaningful Sentences

Definition: A meaningful sentence tells the reader something about a word and shows that the

writer understands the meaning of the word

Checking Strategy: Take the starred word out of the sentence. If you can

insert other words (within reason) in its place and the sentence still makes sense, it is not meaningful.

Box and Underline: Place a box around the starred word. Underline all the

words/phrases that tell something about the starred word.

Example Good example: Sally was acting

extremely hostile when she threatened to beat me up after school.

Bad Example: When I wake up in the morning I feel hostile

Frayer ModelDefinition: Everything that makes you who you are.

Characteristics: •style (dress, carry yourself) personalityappearance/looksbehaviorreligionhometownattitudejob

Examples:•New Yorker Construction WorkerRed Sox Fan studentT.I. stalker crossing guard/ mother/ daughterschizophrenic (many personalities)

Non-examples:paper carmarkerSuburban truckmoneyfood

identity

Concept Definition Map

Semantic Feature Analysis

Democrat Republican Former

Governor Former Vice-

President

2 Full Terms in Office

Still Living

L. B. Johnson –— –— –— –—

Nixon –— –— –— –—

Ford –— –— –—

Carter –— –— –—

Reagan –— –— –—

Bush (Sr.) –— –— –—

Clinton –— –—

Bush (Jr.) –— –— –—