Station 5 : Vocabulary choice
Materials : none
Procedure
1. As part of any topic, rainforests, pets, seasons, ask the children to choose between 6 and 20 word related to the topic, which they are particularly interested in learning.
2. Explain that this is their homework and that, as part of the homework, you want them to think about how they will be able to show you and other in the class that they ‘know’ the words.
3. In the next lesson. Ask the children if they have learnt the word and how they can prove it. Listen to their suggestions. These will vary depending on the children ‘s age and level, name pictures, translate the word, use the word in a sentence, spell the word, answer questions about the word, describe or define it.
4. Either check individual children have learnt some of their words using the method they suggest with the whole class or, with older children, get them to do in pairs.
5. At the end. Ask the children how well they think they learnt the words and whether choosing the words they wanted to learn themselves and thinking about how they could show or prove that they had learnt them,, helped them to learn.
Comments and suggestions.
1. This activity encourages children to relate what it means to ‘learn’ vocabulary with how they can actually use it.
2. By offering choice in what they learn, children feel a greater sense of ‘ownership’ and develop an increasingly responsible attitude towards their own learning.