Reading and Vocabulary Portfolio

Reading and Vocabulary Portfolio

Kathleen Deckard &

Julette Grusell

EDUC 647 Dr. S. Stevens

12/06/05

Introduction

Our portfolio for the skills areas of reading and vocabulary is comprised of an eclectic

mix of lesson plans, activities, and games. We have categorized them into three parts. Part

One, Reading Comprehension and Strategies, contains six suggested lessons and activities for

assisting students to learn and apply skills and strategies for more effective comprehension of

texts of single or multiple paragraphs in length. The remaining three activities relate to

determining meaning within the contexts of phrases (e.g. street signs), sentences, and

questions.

Part Two, Integrated Skills and Games, contains vocabulary-building activities that go

beyond establishing a simple word to meaning correlation. Several incorporate connections to

categories and concepts, while others integrate a significant element of another skills area such

as grammar, speaking and/ or writing (e.g. creating a story sentence by sentence and then

writing it).

Finally, in Part Three, Vocabulary Building Activities and Games, the items are geared

towards increasing students’ word banks. Several use connections to visual images and/ or

realia. Number 22, Rooting Out Words, focuses on word parts- roots and affixes and their

meanings.

For the most part, the activities we have selected and created or adapted for this

portfolio are very flexible and may be used with students at the beginner/ high beginner level

and higher. In terms of age level, most are appropriate for upper elementary through adult ESL

students. There are a few exceptions, mainly in the direction of older rather than younger

students. In other words, our activities do not support instruction that is oriented towards

students who have not yet obtained decoding skills/ phonics in their first language or English.

We believe our portfolio activities could be used by ESL teachers in a variety of settings

to enhance and enliven their day-to-day instruction. These teaching environments could

include public or private elementary, middle, and high schools as well as programs for adults-

free programs, IEP’s, and EAP settings such as are found in community colleges. Several of the

activities are games or involve peer interaction (pairs and small groups), so they would not be

especially suitable for the one-to-one tutoring situation.

Pedagogical Framework The activities of our portfolio (as a whole and individually) reflect various aspects of

current research and ―best practices‖ in teaching reading comprehension and vocabulary

acquisition. For the most part, they are also designed in accordance with the principles of

Communicative Language Teaching (CLT). Therefore, they would be most effectively

implemented using this approach to second language teaching. Following are brief descriptions

that serve to support these claims.

Reading Comprehension

As Jo Gielow succinctly stated in her presentation to our class on November 8th,

―Reading is problem solving.‖ Jo’s statement connected nicely to B. Mikulecky’s more

comprehensive description of the reading process. In summary and review we offer these key

points:

o Reading involves the reader interacting with a text.

o Reading is complex, combining conscious and unconscious strategic cognitive processes.

o Readers attempt to build a mental model that reflects the intention of the writer- i.e., a

solution to the problem.

o Readers basically use two strategic processes- 1) top-down processing which connects

new information to activated prior knowledge (schemata), and 2) bottom-up processing

which taps into the reader’s knowledge of language (e.g. spelling, grammatical features,

word level semantic information, etc.).

o Readers use these processes in continuous interaction. (1990).

The two types of strategic processes cited above and the component strategies they

entail fall within the broader context of language-learning strategies. Research concerning

English language learners (ELL’s), conducted by Ana Uhl Chamot and others, has shown that

while all ELL’s use strategies in approaching language learning and academic tasks, the ―good‖

language learners use more (selected from a larger personal repertoire) and use them more

flexibly and effectively (2005).

Our goal as ESL teachers is to encourage and assist all our students to become ―good‖

language learners. Therefore, we must incorporate awareness and explicit instruction in

learning strategies into our ―best practices,‖ especially in the teaching of reading

comprehension due to the essential and critical connection of this skills area to academic

success. For this reason, we have included activities with a reading strategies focus, addressing

both top-down and bottom-up processing, in our portfolio.

Vocabulary Acquisition

In Ken Cranker’s presentation to our class (October 4th) concerning vocabulary

acquisition in reference to EAP, he mentioned that students need to know at least 90% to 95%

of the words in a given text if they are to successfully comprehend it. That just about says it all

in terms of the importance of emphasizing vocabulary acquisition in reading instruction and

academic content-based courses! For obvious reasons, of course, vocabulary instruction should

be integrated into the teaching of all skills areas in all ESL classroom settings. Effective

listening and speaking skills are certainly enhanced when a students’ knowledge of vocabulary

increases. Students’ understanding of grammar and their ability to express intended meanings

through writing is likewise enhanced through knowledge of morphological endings, word roots,

and affixes.

Julette is currently attending a short-term workshop of multiple sessions in the

Christiana School District. This workshop is specifically geared towards assisting teachers in

developing and implementing classroom strategies that support vocabulary development for

ELL’s. During one session, she and her colleagues reviewed and discussed information posted

on the website of Colorin Colorado, a Spanish/ English bilingual website designed for teachers

of ELL’s and their Spanish-speaking parents. The handout Julette received, downloaded from

the link, Vocabulary Development, states that the maximum reading level of a student is based

upon his or her knowledge of words. However, the knowledge of a particular word’s meaning is

not presented as a one-dimensional entity. Rather, it consists of the following four dimensions:

o A basic definition of the word.

o A recognition of when to use the word (appropriate contexts).

o A knowledge of possible multiple meanings for the word.

o And, an ability to decode and spell the word.

(http://www.colorincolorado.org/teaching/vocabulary.php). * This website also contains an extensive

portfolio of vocabulary activities.

The above attributes of word knowledge support the assumption that vocabulary is best

taught and learned in context, rather than in isolation. We have endeavored to use this

principle in selecting pre-existing activities and games, as well as in designing our own original

activities for inclusion in this portfolio. Vocabulary is presented in relation to the learners’

existing schemata of concepts and categories and/ or reinforced through connection to visual

imagery to foster binding. Students are encouraged to expand on their understanding of new

words by using them creative ways.

Communicative Language Teaching

A communicative classroom environment is characterized by a dynamic interplay of

teacher-student(s) interaction and student collaboration in learning and applying new skills. In

this approach, the teacher often assumes the role of a facilitator; therefore, students

accomplish learning tasks in an atmosphere that is student-centered and teacher-assisted.

Students are encouraged to become active participants and engage in learning tasks that have

a clear purpose and meaningful context.

Our portfolio supports the effective practice of CLT. Many of the activities are designed

so that students work cooperatively in pairs or small groups. This encourages spontaneous

practice in the target language. In addition, the activities offer the flexibility of being easily

adapted and/or extended to suit curricular demands and the creativity of the teacher. They

may also be easily adjusted to meet particular needs and interests of the students.

http://www.colorincolorado.org/teaching/vocabulary.php

Table of Contents

Part One- Reading Comprehension and Strategies

1 Activating Background Knowledge

2 Destination Library

3 Identifying and Evaluating Strategies to Unlock the Meaning of New Words

4 Personalize

5 Pronouns and Referents

6 Sign Game

7 Story Map

8 Who? What? When? … in reverse - answers to questions

9 Word Confusion

Part Two- Integrated Skills Activities and Games

10 Card Sort

11 Contrasting Concepts Collages

12 Monster Body Parts

13 Order Me Around

14 The Missing Link

15 The Nine Lives of Lucky the Cat

16 Visualization through Pantomime

17 Vocabulary Tic-Tac-Toe

18 Worm Word Game

Part Three- Vocabulary Building Activities and Games

19 Find Me Game

20 Letters into Words

21 Image Word Game

22 Rooting Out Words

23 Shopping Game

24 The Translator

Kathleen Deckard and Julette Grusell Reading/Vocabulary Portfolio

EDUC 647

Dr. S. Stevens

12/06/05

1 Title: Activating Background Knowledge

Level: beginner and higher Age: upper elementary through adult ESL

Type: whole group and individual

Purpose: to enhance comprehension skills

Skills Area: reading comprehension

Prerequisites: students must have reading skills beyond the level of decoding.

Learning Strategies Lesson (1): Activating Background Knowledge

Jennifer Delett

In explicitly teaching learning strategies, it is important to name the strategy, model it, and discuss it with the students. The goal is for students to be able to assess whether the strategy is useful for them, determine when it is useful, and use it at those times. The teacher should encourage and facilitate students' gradual independent use of strategies. The following is a lesson that can be used to introduce or practice the strategy of activating background knowledge.

Level/Language: Can be used for any language and level

Strategy: Activating Background Knowledge (Refer back to The Language Resource, February 1997 for more information on this strategy)

Strategy Rationale: Students who think about what they already know will be better prepared for and more successful in their second language reading. By having in mind what they already know, it will be easier for them to understand and learn new information by relating it to existing knowledge. Students can better predict and infer while reading after activating their background knowledge.

Objectives: To use the reading strategy "activating background knowledge" to prepare to read. To compare what they and their classmates know about the topic to increase prior knowledge. To discuss the strategy and assess its usefulness.

Materials: Colored markers, newsprint, newsprint with example, newsprint with instructions, tape, book

Prepare: Ask students to consider what they do to prepare for a sporting event, such as a soccer match, or a musical performance. (Do they just run out onto the field or do they do something beforehand to prepare themselves?) Write all ideas on the board, overhead, or newsprint. Sample teacher script: "It is helpful to prepare before a race or a match to put forth


EDUC 647

Dr. S. Stevens

12/06/05

2 Title: Destination Library

Level: high beginner and higher Age: elementary through adult ESL

Type: paired or group

Purpose: to reinforce memory of the English alphabet and build / reinforce vocabulary.

Skills Area: reading comprehension (sentence level), letter and word recognition

Prerequisites: students should be familiar with questions beginning with ―What?‖.

Destination Library is a game for two or more players.

Print out the game board and all four pages of game pieces (the category cards). Cut the

cards out and shuffle them into a pile.

Find some coins. All players choose a different coin to be their playing piece. Place all the

coins on the A space. The youngest person goes first.

The object is to hop your coin from A to Z. To move, you pick a card from the pile, and

follow its instructions.

For example, let's say your coin is on D.

You pick a card that says, "Name something unusual Theo would find down the back of the

sofa. (Move 1 space)."

You must think of an unusual something that begins with D. It can be a single word or a

phrase. You could say "Doughnut," since a doughnut would certainly be a surprise in any sofa,

and, importantly, it begins with D. You would then move your coin 1 letter ahead—in this case

to E—and wait for your next turn, when you would have to think of a word that begins with E.

This can be a silly game. You can be creative, especially when the card you draw asks you

to create a tongue twister, or to think of something that Cleo would not want on her head.

Experiment. Be goofy! Just make sure that your word or phrase begins with the letter your

coin is on.

In addition to the regular cards, there are several special cards. Eight of these cards will

move you 2 spaces ahead or back. Two will allow you to switch places with another player. And

one will send you to M, regardless of where you are. With these special cards, there is no need

to think of a word (until your next turn, of course).

If you can't move because you can't think of anything that starts with the letter you're on,

you miss a turn. On your next turn, you can draw another card and try that letter again, or you


EDUC 647

Dr. S. Stevens

12/06/05

3 Title: Identifying and Evaluating Strategies to Unlock the Meaning of New Words


Type: whole group and individual

Purpose: to teach strategies for determining the meaning of new words in context

Skills Area: reading comprehension/ vocabulary

Prerequisites: students must have reading skills beyond the level of decoding.

Learning Strategies Lesson (2): Identifying and Evaluating Strategies to Unlock the Meaning of New Words

Jennifer Delett

In explicitly teaching learning strategies, it is important to name the strategy, model it, and discuss it with the students. The goal is for students to be able to assess whether the strategy is useful for them, determine when it is useful, and use it at those times. The teacher facilitates students' gradual independent use of strategies. The following is a lesson that can be used to help students activate their knowledge of the strategies they currently use to unlock the meaning of new words.

Level/language: Can be use for any language and level

Objectives: To identify and evaluate the strategies students are currently using to unlock the meaning of new words. To share effective strategies with classmates.

Rationale: Building vocabulary is an essential feature of learning a second language. Learning to recognize unfamiliar words in a reading passage is often the first step in developing vocabulary. Students have knowledge about language (prefixes, suffixes, and roots) and learning (guessing and inferring) that they use to help them learn and remember new words. Teachers can help students build their second language vocabulary by encouraging them to identify and evaluate the strategies they are using to unlock the meaning of new words.

Materials: student text

Preparation: Students are often used to taking specific steps to solve a math or science problem, whereas they are less likely to use or be aware of a process for learning a language. Having students analyze these steps prompts them to think about their learning and transfer this awareness of a process to language learning. Give the students a math problem or other problem to be solved. Ask them to think about how they would solve the problem and write


EDUC 647

Dr. S. Stevens

12/06/05

4 Title: Personalize

Level: beginner and higher Age: elementary through adult ESL

Type: individual

Purpose: to teach the reading strategy of identifying with a character


Prerequisites: students should be able to read with comprehension- they must be beyond

simply decoding.

This activity is useful with reading material that is of a narrative nature- a true story or

literature. Begin by telling students that the strategy of personalization helps readers to better

understand and enjoy a story. Explain that readers can often identify with a character

(personalize) because they have experienced some of the same feelings, thoughts, and

situations. Before students read the assigned story/ selection present them with the following:

Personalize

A Reading Strategy

Identifying with a character can help you to enjoy and understand what you read.

As you read, ask yourself these questions:

What does the main character do?

How does the main character feel?

Would I do the same things?

Would I feel the same way?

Source: Chamot, A. U., Hartmann, P., & Huizenga, J. (2004). Shining Star: B. New

York: Pearson Education.


EDUC 647

Dr. S. Stevens

12/06/05

5 Title: Pronouns and Referents

Level: high beginner/ intermediate Age: upper elementary through adult ESL

Type: paired and individual

Purpose: to enhance comprehension skills

Skills Area: reading comprehension/ writing

Prerequisites: students should be familiar with the form and functions of subject, object and

possessive pronouns.

This activity combines practice in both reading and writing skills. Begin by having pairs

of students interview one another for the purpose of writing a brief biographical sketch in

paragraph form. Prior to the writing phase, instruct students concerning the use of pronouns to

replace the proper noun (name) of the person they are writing about. Remind them that

pronoun use is necessary to avoid using the proper name again and again. For this activity the

majority of pronouns used will be in third person forms. When the biographical sketches are

finished, they may need to be edited and revised. You may prefer to type the finished sketches

for easier reading. Afterwards, have the students exchange their papers so that they will be

reading the work of their partner or another student. Have them look for and mark (circle or

underline) the pronouns and indicate the referents. Point out that recognizing pronouns and

their referents is an essential skill for effective reading comprehension.

* If this activity takes place early in the school year, semester, etc., it is possible to

compile the writings into a Who’s New? newsletter for the purpose of helping students become

acquainted with one another.

Three sample paragraphs follow on page 2.


EDUC 647

Dr. S. Stevens

12/06/05

6 Title: Sign Game

Level: high beginner and higher Age: teen through adult ESL

Type: pair or group

Purpose: to recognize and determine the meaning of authentic signs

Skills Area: word/ visual recognition

Prerequisites: students should be familiar with numbers, time abbreviations, and symbols

related to $ and % in English.

The Sign Game is very useful with all level students. It can be used for helping students to

recognize signs. This game can be adapted to reinforce different categories such as road signs,

communication signs, shopping signs and so on. Begin with one student showing the sign while

the next student reads the sign. Then have the student explain what the sign is and where it

might be found. If the explanation is correct the student shows the next sign until all the

pictures have been identified. The sign cards can be played in sets of six, then nine, and then

12, depending on the student’s ability to cope with the different challenges. When students are

able to recognize all sign images quickly, they have mastered the game. You can provide

rewards for mastery level or award extra points for completing the game in _(3) or less ___

minutes. To challenge students further you can have them advance to writing explanations for

the signs.

Images examples follow on pages 2 - 4.

Adapted from:

Charles I. Kelly at: http://www.manythings.org/lulu/


EDUC 647

Dr. S. Stevens

12/06/05

7 Title: Story Map- graphic organizer to assist in summarizing/ retelling a story


Type: individual

Purpose: to organize notes for story summarizing/ retelling


Prerequisites: students should already have practiced sequencing events and determining main

ideas and supporting details of brief reading passages.

The story map is very useful with literature in the form of short stories, fables (e.g.

Aesop’s Fables story cards), Native American legends, etc. Begin with students reading their

assigned selections. Following their reading they will take notes on the story map to record

essential information. It is important that students use only words and phrases because the

objective of the summarizing/ retelling exercise is for students to use their own words and not

simply repeat, word for word, what they have read.

When all story maps are complete, students will use them for reference in summarizing/

retelling the stories orally or in writing. This final step can be accomplished as a paired or

whole class activity depending on time available and class size.

Sample story maps and checklist feedback sheets follow on pages 2 - 5.

Story map adapted from:

O’Malley, J. M., & Valdez Pierce, L. (1996). Authentic assessment for English language

learners: Practical approaches for teachers. New York: Addison-Wesley.

Source for checklist feedback sheets: Kathy Deckard


EDUC 647

Dr. S. Stevens

12/06/05

8

Title: Who? What? When? … in reverse - answers to questions

Level: high beginner and above Age: upper elementary through adult ESL

Type: individual and paired

Purpose: to enhance reading comprehension through understanding that reading material

provides answers to a variety of questions.


Prerequisites: students must be able to read for comprehension. They must be above the level

of simply decoding.

Activities of this type appear in ESL teaching materials, especially those designed for

teaching in the content areas. Providing answers and then requiring students to create

appropriate questions increases the challenge level and degree of critical thinking needed. For

appropriate reading selections, it is possible to design your own activity.

Begin by choosing main ideas and supporting details that could possibly answer

questions beginning with who, what, when, where, why, and how. Put the information into

statements and use them to create a handout that asks students to formulate the

accompanying questions.

Example:

Here are statements related to information presented in the reading about Mesopotamia.

Read the statements and make up a question that the statement could possibly answer.

Remember to begin with a question word and end with a question mark. When you are

finished, work with a partner and compare your questions. Take turns asking and answering

the questions.

1. Where was Mesopotamia located?

It was in an area between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, where the countries of Syria and

Iraq are today.

2. ___________________________________________________________________________.

These people of southern Mesopotamia were farmers.


EDUC 647

Dr. S. Stevens

12/06/05

9 Title: Word Confusion

Level: high beginner and higher Age: upper elementary through adult ESL

Type: paired or individual

Purpose: to find the correct word to complete the cloze exercise

Skills Area: vocabulary building and deriving meaning from context

Prerequisites: students should be able to read at the sentence level and have some familiarity

with the words selected for the activity.

The Word Confusion game can be used with students at the high beginner level and

above. It helps students to become aware of words that are sometimes confusing due to their

similarities in spelling and/ or pronunciation- often just one letter makes the difference. This

game can be adapted to reinforce different homophones. The student reads the sentence and

inserts the appropriate word to fit the given context. After completing the activity students may

compare answers with a partner and/ or check answers with an answer key.

As an extension of this exercise, students may be given the challenge of creating sentences

using the words that were not the correct responses for the initial activity.

An example follows on page 2.

Adapted from:



EDUC 647

Dr. S. Stevens

12/06/05

10 Title: Card Sort


Type: group

Purpose: to teach or reinforce vocabulary, concepts, and/ or classification characteristics

Skills Area: vocabulary/ concept building

Prerequisites: students should already be somewhat familiar with the vocabulary or concepts

presented.

This activity promotes active learning; the physical movement can help to energize

students and encourage interaction. Begin by giving each student an index card that contains

information that fits into a category (two or more categories will be needed per class). Ask

students to circulate around the room and find others whose card fits the same category.

Categories can be announced ahead of time or students can discover them while engaged in

the activity. When all of the students have grouped themselves, ask those representing a given

category to name it and present their index card information to the rest of the class. Make any

relevant teaching points to emphasize important words and concepts.

Examples:

Using gerund forms, one group may have occupations (e.g., delivering packages, selling

insurance, washing dishes, waiting on customers, etc.), while another has leisure time

pursuits (e.g., reading a magazine, jogging three miles, playing golf, hanging out with

friends, etc.).

One group may have mathematical symbols (+, =, %, #, <, etc.), while another group

has punctuation marks (?, “ …” , !, :, ;, etc.).

One group may have the ingredients of a recipe, while another group may have the

sequence required in following the recipe.

Groups may each have a given list of hyponyms- these words and phrases basically refer

to the same thing; however, there are different levels of specificity (e.g. music, country


EDUC 647

Dr. S. Stevens

12/06/05

11 Title: Contrasting Concepts Collages


Type: whole or small group

Purpose: to review and build new vocabulary within the context of contrasting concepts (e.g.,

healthful vs. harmful) through visual images.

Skills Area: vocabulary

Prerequisites: students should have completed at least one reading (preferably authentic)

concerning the given topic(s). They will then be familiar with basic vocabulary and ideas

associated with the concepts being contrasted.

This activity works well as an extension activity following reading instruction relative to

academic content such as health and nutrition, natural science, or business. Begin with a

review of some of the main points addressed in the reading(s). Focus on contrasting

viewpoints presented. Then show students two blank sheets of poster board and explain that,

as a whole class (or in small groups), the objective is to create two posters using photos and

words cut from magazines or newspapers that represent examples of the contrasting concepts.

Students are asked to collect the necessary visuals for homework. Over the next few class

sessions they can then assemble and tape (double-stick works well) or glue the visuals and

words to the appropriate posters in collage fashion.

The finished posters provide an excellent springboard for review and discussion of

vocabulary and ideas learned through the reading activity(s). They also allow for connecting

new vocabulary and ideas (suggested by the visuals) to that context in meaningful ways.

Examples: Healthful Foods vs. Potentially Harmful Foods

Healthy Lifestyles vs. Potentially Harmful Lifestyles

Practices that Protect the Environment vs. Practices that Harm the Environment

Businesses that Sell Products vs. Businesses that Provide Services

Fashions vs. Fads

Source: Kathy Deckard


EDUC 647

Dr. S. Stevens

12/06/05

12 Title: Monster Body Parts

Level: beginner and higher Age: upper elementary through high school ESL

Type: individual

Purpose: to teach/ review vocabulary related to parts of the body and adjectives

Skills Area: vocabulary building

Prerequisites: none

This activity allows for student creativity and can provide the context for extension

activities such as oral or written descriptions and story telling. Begin with a whole class

discussion of the concept of monsters. This is a good tie-in to Halloween as well as tales and

legends of other cultures and time periods. Following discussion, distribute the handout

packets to groups of students for sharing. Explain that the objective is to create a monster by

selecting and tracing the various body parts needed. Using an overhead, demonstrate the

process. Allow students to work independently until their monsters are complete. The next

step is for students to label their monsters’ body parts using at least one adjective to describe

the part (e.g. hairy body, spiked hair, spooky eyes, huge ears). They can add color and also

name their monsters, using English or their native languages.

Following the creation phase, the students can describe their monsters to the class using

the labels as cues. They may also write descriptions using the target vocabulary in complete

sentences. Additionally, they may work alone or with a partner to develop a story about the

monster(s). They can use the story map (portfolio #1) for guidance and then tell their original

stories orally or in writing.

The following nine pages contain the tracing masters.


* I cannot credit the book from which I obtained the tracing masters since I no longer

have it.


EDUC 647

Dr. S. Stevens

12/06/05

13 Title: Order Me Around



Purpose: to sequence words according to specific criteria

Skills Area: sequencing and vocabulary building

Prerequisites: students should already be familiar with the concepts and categories presented.

The Order Me Around game is very useful with all levels. It can be adjusted to suit the

students’ proficiency level and concept knowledge. This game will help students develop

sequencing skills and build vocabulary. It can easily be adapted to reinforce different academic

content areas such as science, geography, history and so on. Distribute concept cards and

have students use a sheet of paper to record their ordered lists of words. One side of the card

could contain the list, while the listing instructions could be placed on the reverse. Provide a

key to check their answers. If the order is incorrect, the student must review the information

before continuing the game. When students are able to order the items correctly, they have

mastered the game. You can provide rewards for mastery level or award extra points for

completing the game in _(3) or less ___ minutes. To challenge students further you can have

them create new, original items for the game.

Examples follow on pages 2 and 3.

Adapted from: http://www.funbrain.com/vocab/


EDUC 647

Dr. S. Stevens

12/06/05

14 Title: The Missing Link


Type: paired or small group

Purpose: to connect ideas and/ or events while creating an original story

Skills Area: sequencing and cohesion in reading and writing

Prerequisites: students should be able to read brief passages of written English with

comprehension. They should also be able to compose and write complete sentences.

The Missing Link is a fun activity that can be used to help students develop an

understanding of sequencing and cohesion in reading and writing. It also allows students to

use the English they have learned/ acquired in ways that are new for them. This game can be

adapted to focus on different topics and situations appropriate for the age and proficiency level

of the learners. Begin with a sentence that represents a starting point (one chain link) for a

story. One student will add a second link- a sentence that continues the story. After a few

links have been added, the teacher will read the links and check for sequencing and coherence

in ideas. She will issue a broken link for problems. Students will then revise that link before

continuing on. Completed stories may be published in a classroom newsletter.

Examples follow on page 2. Additional images to select from for creating Link Cards

may be found on the web. They may be laminated for reuse.

http://images.google.com/images?svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&q=+chain++links+&btnG=Se

arch

Source: Julette Grusell


EDUC 647

Dr. S. Stevens

12/06/05

15 Title: The Nine Lives of Lucky the Cat

Level: high beginner/ intermediate Age: teen through adult ESL

Type: whole group or class

Purpose: to review/ reinforce vocabulary related to occupations and job descriptions and to

introduce/ practice the simple past tense of BE and regular/ irregular verbs

Skills Area: vocabulary and grammar

Prerequisites: students should have familiarity with the names of several occupations and action

verbs associated with them. Prior presentation of the simple past tense of BE and the –ed

inflection for simple past tense of regular verbs and some common irregular past tense verbs

may be helpful, but is not essential. The activity may serve as an introduction rather than

review for the grammatical forms.

This activity works well with groups of beginners who thrive on a more direct

instructional approach and lots of repetition. Begin with a simple discussion relating to the fact

that we (human beings) have only one life and that during our one lifetime we may have more

than one occupation. Question the students to see if any are familiar with the belief that cats

have nine lives (my students decided it was seven lives, so we went with that lucky number-

Lucky is also the name of my cat!). From there proceed with a question/ answer session to

determine what occupation Lucky or _____________ the cat had in each of his/ her former

lives and what he/she did in that job (skills description). Write the students’ responses on the

board using the following format for each:

1. Lucky was a childcare worker. He took care of children. 2. He was a plumber. He fixed toilets and sinks. 3. He was a dishwasher. He washed dishes. 4. He was a receptionist. He greeted visitors and answered

the telephone. 5. Lucky was a telephone technician. He installed telephones. 6. He was a salesperson. He sold insurance. 7. He was a truck driver. He drove a truck. 8. He was a nurse’s aide. He helped the nurse and patients. 9. He was cashier. He used a cash register.


EDUC 647

Dr. S. Stevens

12/06/05

16 Title: Visualization through Pantomime


Type: paired

Purpose: to assist students in remembering vocabulary and concepts by creating corresponding

mental images.

Skills Area: vocabulary/ concept building

Prerequisites: none

This activity is a fun, drama-based approach to vocabulary and concept building. It will

work well with material that lends itself to an illustration of meaning through pantomime (e.g.

action verbs, occupations). Begin with an introduction that reviews familiar classroom

nonverbal communication such as raising one’s hand, a finger to the lips for quiet, zipping the

lips shut for silence, and illicit student responses as to their meanings. Then, give each pair of

students a set of paper strips containing the words for the items that will be pantomimed.

Proceed to silently demonstrate the given items through gestures and body movements. As the

students match their paper strips one-by-one to the actions, they will put the strips in order on

their desks, creating a list. The teacher can provide nonverbal feedback as well- nodding

agreement, thumbs up, and high fives. When all items have been pantomimed, the students

may be given another set of strips for an association match up activity, if applicable. There are

also numerous, creative ways to extend a lesson of this type; these can focus on content

connections and/or language aspects.

A sample set of strips follows on page 2.

* I designed this as a review activity for a Level 1 social studies class at Christiana High

School. As you might imagine, the students had studied prehistory and the ancient

civilizations of Mesopotamia and Phoenicia. I was able to give it a try, and the students

really responded very well!



EDUC 647

Dr. S. Stevens

12/06/05

17 Title: Vocabulary Tic-Tac-Toe


Type: individual and group

Purpose: to practice vocabulary through use at the sentence level


Prerequisites: none

This activity provides a fun, game format for practicing vocabulary representing any

category, concept, or part of speech. Begin by choosing nine vocabulary items (words or

phrases) for the game. Then draw a tic-tac-toe frame on the board and randomly fill in the

spaces with the items. Divide the students into two teams- the X team and the O team. Flip a

coin to determine which team will go first. Individual students then take turns (alternating

teams) choosing vocabulary items and creating complete sentences using the items correctly.

For each correct sentence the respective team will receive an X or O in that space. The teacher

will erase the item and replace it with the X or O. Play continues until one of the teams has tic-

tac-toe and is declared the winner of that round.

Example: This game is setup with a focus on object pronouns. A correct response would be a

sentence/ question using the pronoun appropriately, with or without a preposition.

Julette called me last evening.

Please sit here with us.

me (preposition) you (singular) him

her us them

it you (plural) me (no preposition)

Source: Barbara Morris, instructor at the English Language Institute, University of Delaware.


EDUC 647

Dr. S. Stevens

12/06/05

18 Title: Worm Word Game

Level: intermediate and higher Age: upper elementary through high school ESL

Type: paired

Purpose: to promote letter recognition and teach/ review vocabulary. It also provides a basis

for using language creatively through story telling.

Skills Area: vocabulary building, sequencing events, and story telling.

Prerequisites: none

This is a special domino style word game for two players. It goes like this. Print sheets 1 –

4. Then cut out all pieces along the solid, bold lines only. Fold each card in half, along the

dotted line, so that there is one word on each side. Give an equal number of playing pieces to

each player. It is not necessary to use all the pieces, but the more you use, the longer the

game will last. Just choose a number that both players are comfortable with.

Players should sit at opposite sides of a table, or on the floor. The first person puts one card

in the middle, with one word facing each player.

The other player then places a piece whose first letter matches the last letter of that word,

or whose last letter matches the first letter of that word. Players continue taking turns, always

adding a word to either end of the Word Worm. If a player cannot make a match, he misses a

turn.

When neither player can go any more, there will be a pretty long Word Worm winding

across the table. The side facing you might say Hamster--Right--Tree--Eagle (notice the way

the start and end letters match up). With the same pieces, the other player might see

Envelope--Eat--Tower--Rich. Both players must now create a story using all of their words in

the order that they appear, reading from left to right. Stories may be shared orally or written.

If some of the words are unfamiliar, the teacher may need to provide assistance and/or a

dictionary.

Two examples and the four Word Worms sheets follow on pages 2 – 5.

Source: http://pbskids.org/lions/printables/games/worms.html


EDUC 647

Dr. S. Stevens

12/06/05

19 Title: Find Me Game

Level: beginner Age: elementary through high school ESL

Type: paired or group

Purpose: to teach and strengthen vocabulary by connecting to visual memory.

Skills Area: word/ illustration recognition

Prerequisites: students should already be somewhat familiar with these words.

The Find Me Game is very useful with beginning level students. It can be used for word/

picture recognition to help students develop a mental understanding of the words. This game

can be adopted to reinforce different categories such as shapes, animals, and tools and so on.

Begin with one student reading the word while the next student point to the picture. If the

connection is correct the student calls out the next word until all the pictures have been

identified. The picture card set can be a set of six then nine and then 12, depending on the

student’s ability to cope with that amount. When students are able to recognize all word images

quickly, they have mastered the game. You can provide rewards for mastery level or award

extra points for completing the game in _(3) or less ___ minutes. To challenge students further

you can have them advance to writing sentences about the words and pictures.

Images Examples follow on pages 2 - 9.

Source:



EDUC 647

Dr. S. Stevens

12/06/05

20 Title: Letters into Words


Type: paired or small group

Purpose: to create new words using letters from other words.

Skills Area: vocabulary building and spelling

Prerequisite: none

The Letters into Words game can be used with all proficiency levels. It helps students

increase their vocabulary and practice spelling, too. This game is similar to crossword puzzles,

but more open-ended because a beginning word is given instead of a clue. It is also quite

similar to Scrabble, but players are not limited to a given set of letters. Taking turns, the

students add letters in any direction from the base word(s) to create new words. The number

of words created can be converted into points for score keeping. The player who creates the

most words is the winner. An extra challenge could be a limitation on the types of words

acceptable (e.g. proper names, nouns, verbs, etc.)

An alternate game can be played whereby individual students (or pairs) are given a certain

set of letters. The object is to create as many words as possible using some or all of those

letters.

An example follows on page 2.



EDUC 647

Dr. S. Stevens

12/06/05

21 Title: Image Word Game

Level: beginner and high beginner Age: elementary through adult ESL

Type: pair or group

Purpose: to recognize images and associate them with words.

Skills Area: word/ illustration recognition

Prerequisites: none

The Image Word Game is very useful with beginning level students. It can be used for

word/ picture recognition to help students develop mental images that match commonly used

English words. This game can be adapted to reinforce different categories such as verb,

adjectives, nouns, places, means of communication and so on. Begin by having students make

connections between words and images. Present the images first in sets of six, then nine, and

then 12, depending on their ability to cope with that much mixture. When students are able to

recognize all word images quickly, they have mastered the game. You can provide rewards for

mastery level or award extra points for completing the game in _(3) or less ___ minutes. To

challenge students further you can have them advance to writing sentences about the words

and pictures.

Images examples follow on pages 2 - 17.

Source:



EDUC 647

Dr. S. Stevens

12/06/05

22 Title: Rooting Out Words

Level: intermediate and higher Age: upper elementary through adult ESL


Purpose: to identify the meanings of word roots, prefixes, and suffixes.


Prerequisite: Students should already be familiar with the notion of affixes.

The Rooting Out Words activity is very useful with intermediate and advanced level

students. It helps students learn the meanings of word parts. These understandings will

enhance students’ skills in guessing the meanings of new vocabulary without using a dictionary.

Begin with one student reading the selected examples of words containing the target roots or

affixes. The next student guesses the meaning of the word part. If the student’s choice is

correct, that student then calls out the next word until all items have been answered. When

students are able to match all word roots and affixes with their meanings quickly, they have

mastered the game. You can provide rewards for mastery level or award extra points for

completing the game in _(3) or less ___ minutes. To challenge students further you can have

them advance to writing sentences using one word from each set of examples correctly in

context.

Students, using a handout, may also do this activity individually. Afterwards, students may

check their answers (and later, their created sentences) with a partner.

Examples follow on pages 2 and 3.



EDUC 647

Dr. S. Stevens

12/06/05

23 Title: Shopping Game


Type: paired

Purpose: to learn vocabulary related to various types of stores and items that would be

purchased in them.


Prerequisite: none

The Shopping Game provides an interesting way to present and reinforce vocabulary in

connection to the schemata of shopping. Begin with one student reading a list while his/ her

partner guesses where the items were purchased (e.g. supermarket, hardware store, jewelry

store, etc.). Students can alternate playing the roles of reader and guesser.

Variations on this activity could effectively enhance the students’ engagement level and

expand on the vocabulary practiced. One would be to use realia and actually have shopping

bags full of items that would be purchased in particular types of stores. A second option would

be for students to create poster collages using pictures cut from catalogs, magazines, and

newspapers that fit the various product categories. A third option would be to reverse the

activity by giving students the name of a store and asking them to brainstorm and list as many

items (possibly purchased there) as they can in a given time period. Pairs could then compare

their lists with other pairs of students.

Examples follow below.


Shopping Game

Supermarket Pharmacy flour medicine chicken make up rice cologne beans hair color cheese vitamins milk sun block


EDUC 647

Dr. S. Stevens

12/06/05

24 Title: The Translator

Level: beginner and intermediate Age: elementary through adult ESL

Type: paired

Purpose: to translate words from the native language to English.


Prerequisites: none

The Translator is very effective with paired students (a more advanced student paired

with a beginning level student). It is also more appropriate for a bilingual setting.

The more advanced student will say the native language version of the word and elicit the

English counterpart from his/ her partner. This helps beginner students connect English words

with words in their native language for which a direct translation can be made (e.g. days of the

week, items in house or classroom, colors, etc.) This game builds students’ vocabulary and also

reinforces correct pronunciation for all participants. It can easily be adapted for use with

various native languages. If the student responds with the correct translation in English, the

next item is spoken until all words have been correctly translated. Begin with three words- then

six, nine, twelve and so on. When students have mastered a given list, more items can be

added or a new set created. You can provide rewards for mastery level or award extra points

for completing the game in _(3) or less ___ minutes. To challenge students further you can

have them use the words in spoken phrases or combine two words such as a noun with an

appropriate adjective.

Examples below using Spanish.

THE TRANSLATOR

Say a word in the student’s native language and have student say the word in English.

Hoy English- today

Manana English- tomorrow and morning

Ayer English- yesterday


Documents

Reading and Vocabulary Portfolio