Vocabulary.com Gift of the Magi

As it gets closer to the holidays and I get more sentimental, I get excited to teach "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry. This year I wanted to integrate a little technology with the lesson, especially in the area of vocabulary, so I found this resources on vocabulary.com. Then I quickly became addicted at feeding my own competitive urges and tested myself on how many words I could master. This resource will be really helpful to have your students test each other in pairs of students before reading and maybe even after reading "The Gift of the Magi" this winter. 

Remind101

I have to take a moment to rave about a service I have been using with my students and their parents this year. At the beginning of the year I received the okay from the district and principal to try it out. Essentially, Remind101 is a program that allows you to send reminders to students and parents via text. It's safe since you never see their phone numbers, they can't see yours, and they can't text back. The night before every test or quiz I send out a reminder to study and sometimes a quick tip or hint. At conferences I explained it to parents who hadn't already signed up and received many positive comments from those who had already been participating. It's free, it's quick, and it's an easy reminder for parents and students. I highly encourage you to check it out and be on the cutting edge of technology at your school. 

Cornell Notes

Several years ago our school brought the AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) program to campus. AVID is a program that proactively supports at-risk students and helps them stay college bound. One of the strategies utilized is the Cornell Note-taking system. Cornell Notes emphasize a system of organization in which students not only write down and use the notes for recall, but also go beyond and synthesize the information and then apply what they learned. I've been using the system in my class for several years, as have other teachers, and the students have become very skilled in completing their notes. It takes some getting used to but now I feel comfortable having the students set up the notes on their own. I can even collect the notes and use them as a grade several times a semester. The system works for every content area and can be adapted to any lecture. Click on the image below to see a step-by-step instructional of how to set up the notes.

It's raining cats and dogs!

While preparing for class, I ran into and found the following website extremely helpful in identifying cliches.  We all know that cliches can serve a benefit or a detriment to writing and it's important to be able to identify them and use them properly.  This website allows you to enter a single word like "dog" or "night" and a list populates from the more than 3,000 cliches they have in their database.

Try it out and pass it along!

Grammar Hopscotch

Grammar hopscotch: a fun and active way to teach grammar!

Source: guiltfreehomeschooling.org via Karen on Pinterest

Vocab Videos

As promised, www.vocabvideos.com contains a plethora of short videos designed to help students learn new SAT words. You do need either a student or educator subscription but there are a few featured videos on the home page to get you started.

High School Vocabulary Tests

Granted, www.vocabtest.com/highschool doesn't have the most technical special effects, but the value lies in the ease in which students can practice vocabulary at the appropriate grade level. The user can choose from a variety of different modes such as reverse definitions, synonyms, and stress marks.

Reviewing Vocabulary with a Ball Toss Game

I'll admit it...

I'll admit that I've sometimes been guilty of telling a student to put a comma when it feels like it's time to take a breath.

Source: busyteacher.org via Karen on Pinterest

Vocabulary Tree

The tree starts out bare, but by the end of the year it's full of all the words the students have added. 

Source: allsewnup.com via Karen on Pinterest

Boris Ate a Thesaurus

On my wish list! This book is GREAT for teaching synonyms! Lots of smiles and laughter...

Source: amazon.com via Karen on Pinterest

FREE Positive Happy Notes

These FREE Positive Happy Notes are such a thoughtful and fun way to put a smile on your students' faces. And best of all... they're free to download thanks to Donna Glyn!

If you'd like us to feature your FREE product on FREE FRIDAYS then send an email to vocabularyvixens@gmail.com with a link to the product and a brief description. 

The Frayer Model

If you've never attacked vocabulary using the Frayer Model, you should. The non-examples force students to use their higher order thinking capabilities.

Source: melissa-wade.blogspot.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

iPads

What are your favorite FREE apps to use in the classroom on the iPad? I really like MindSnack!

Source: essentialeducator.org via Stephanie on Pinterest

You're So Sharp!

I ran across this idea on a blog and couldn't help but pass it along to all of you. I thought from a parent perspective it's a really cute idea to put together for my daughter for breakfast the day of a big test. From a teacher perspective I thought it was still something that I could have waiting for each student on their desk the day of the state standardized tests. 

Roots & Stems Foldable

I like this foldable because I think it would be very useful when learning roots and stems. My 8th graders are currently working on learning 100 common roots and stems and I see a lesson in their near future...

Source: pin4fun1392.blogspot.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

Word of the Week Graphic Organizer

Research shows that repeated exposure to a vocabulary word, connecting the word to symbols, and putting the word in context, is most effective in teaching vocabulary. This graphic organizer covers all of those strategies and more.

Source: mrsrojasteaches.blogspot.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE)

The WVDE has collected a number of excellent vocabulary ideas and links for teachers. The best part is, they're free to access!

Vocabulary Wheel

My favorite piece of the word wheel is "act it out"!

Source: classroomcollective.tumblr.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

Rock Garden

I can envision my classroom with its own rock garden in which each student would write his/her favorite new vocabulary word and would share it with the class. 

Source: joyfullearninginkc.blogspot.com via JeweledByAlyssa on Pinterest