My mom's a thesaurus, and my students can be too! (Vocabulary)

Dear Diary,
 My Momma knows a million words! Even though she is the main secretary at Boyds Creek Elementary School and arrives very early to school to walk six miles, she manages to find time to complete crossword puzzles and all the other assorted word games in the Mountain Press before school begins. Momma is a walking thesaurus, and whenever I need a "Ten-dollar word" I call my mom. Because she is gifted in vocabulary and her vocabulary is incredibly extensive, I have been exposed to a rich vocabulary environment since birth. Vocabulary is a reading topic that I am tremendously passionate about. Anytime I do not know a word, I look it up, reread it a few times, and try to incorporate the word into my working vocabulary. I want my students to be exposed to a vocabulary rich classroom environment just as I was.

 In the article, Vocabulary Lessons, Camille L.Z. Blachowicz and Peter Fisher state "Just as a house needs a strong foundation, so reading comprehension depends on a strong base of oral language and concept development" (67). This statement emphasizes the importance of a strong vocabulary in order for students to fully comprehend what they read.

So, how do I help my students nurture their vocab? There are many ways to motivate students to learn new words. First, I want to establish that it is not only their vocabulary that should expand, but that I, as their teacher, should work every day to strengthen and develop my own vocabulary. If my students understand this, we can expand our vocabulary together.

 Blachowicz and Fisher offer many ways to assist children in strengthening their vocabulary. 
1. Encouraging students to play with and explore words they hear around them (69). 
The word wall - "A place where students could write new words they [encounter] in reading, in conversation, on television, and in their daily experiences" (67). 
2. Actively teach new vocabulary (69).
3. Encourage strategies to help students learn vocabulary independently (69). 
4. Read to students (69).
5. Encourage students to read (69). 

 The wonderful thing about expanding on vocabulary is that it can be done anywhere at anytime. You can always introduce and use new words. I have spent a lot of time volunteering in classrooms. There are always a few moments in the day that feel as if they are wasted - for example, before lunch and packing to leave at the end of the day. This is the perfect time to introduce a new word, discuss what it means, and determine when you might use it. There is always time for a quick vocabulary lesson.

A question to think about:
1. Blachowicz and Fisher reveal that vocabulary instruction has been a neglected part of reading education in the past (66). Why do you think this essential part of reading has been neglected?

'Readingly' yours,
Juliet