Vocabulary

This is an area that many of my students lack!!  Most of my students are ELLs.  Many of them do not have the same experiences and background knowledge as other students would have.  I have been using higher level vocabulary words this year and have included a sign language sign to introduce it.  I have been amazed that even my struggling students are picking up the vocabulary and remembering it!!  

• "It appears the comprehensiveness of instruction coupled with use of the native language, in support text and cognates, are powerful tools for increasing the vocabulary of ELL students."  (Blachowicz, C., Fisher, P., Ogle, K., (2006)

I model a lot of everything for them because most of them do not have the vocabulary.  We were learning about the fire station this week and many students do not have the proper knowledge of words for the fire station and things that go with the fire station.  In kindergarten we do a lot of posters with labels so to help them I drew a picture of a firefighter and they helped me label the proper parts to a firefighter.  Tomorrow we are labeling a fire engine, to go along with these posters we have read many read alouds to familiarize the students with vocabulary relating to the fire station.  

This Thursday we will be walking to the fire station to take a hands on field trip.  By doing all of these things, I'm hoping it will not only increase the students vocabulary, but that this will be a unit of study they will remember.  I want my students to get excited about learning.  I don't just want them to sit in their chair and stare at me, I want them to experience it for themselves and hopefully through this fire station unit I am doing just that.