#6thchat is used to chat, collaborate, and grow with other sixth grade educators from around the globe. Each session we discuss a topic voted on by #6thchat participants. It's a great way to help grow your PLN and share ideas with others.
Welcome to #6thchat tonight! Please introduce yourself and share where you teach as well as what subjects. My name is Kristin and I teach ELA and SS in Lansing, MI. I will be moderating tonight's chat! I look forward to learning with all of you!
A1) Vocabulary allows students to access and understand content concepts. The larger the students' vocabulary, the better they can comprehend and critically think about texts. As with everything, my time is limited, and I feel as if I could dive deeper into this area. #6thchat
A1) #6thchat I think having a larger vocabulary opens doors for students...to understand more complex texts and be a better writer. I feel like my vocabulary teaching has been rushed & needs to be better.
I feel the same about being rushed. I also know that I have a range of levels and would like to make it more individualized, but I am not sure how. #6thchat
A2) Introduce vocabulary using images, definitions that are kid friendly, and provide students with time to "play" with the words (use them creatively, ask questions about them, and read them in context). #6thchat
A1) We ask kids to read complex text and write their thinking and ideas in rich, complex, compound way, but we often leave short explicit instruction in the vocabulary that would allow them to do these things well! #contrastandcontradiction#6thchat
A2) Introduce vocabulary using images, definitions that are kid friendly, and provide students with time to "play" with the words (use them creatively, ask questions about them, and read them in context). #6thchat
A1: I don't feel like I have adequate time to teach anything this year! Certainly try to get as much vocabulary in as possible, and to use great vocabulary when talking to them, explaining words as needed and talking lots about connotation. #6thchat
I hate that rushed feeling...pushing out the curriculum...dropping seeds in the garden but having little time to cultivate it, water it, and let it bask in the sun. #6thchat
A2: I would say I stop and talk about interesting words, where they come from, what words are related to them, etc. Just getting kids thinking about how much word choice matters in reading and writing. #6thchat
A3) I use Quizlet, Kahoot, Answer Garden, Socrative (for Vocab games) and Pear Deck so that Ss can interact with the words, practice using them, and play games. #6thchat
A3: When I was teaching Social Studies I used Quizlet some and liked it. Can't say I've used a lot yet with ELA. I'll be watching for resources here! #6thchat
A2) Our classroom talk and my teacher talk are infused with sophisticated, precise words and I often follow a "big" word with a synonym reinforcing the initial word's meaning. It's an easy way to amp up our language -- spoken and written! #6thchat
Love all of those, but I'm not sold that digi practice is as strong as word use in conversations. S's have to use appropriate verbiage when we conference, both verbal and write. Find most digi is drill and kill in vocab. #6thchat
It’s more like Kahoot except it can be self-paced. I like it better than kahoot because it gives more people a chance. You can give more points based on time or not. It also has funny memes. #6thchat
It depends on what I want them to do. I like to start with Quizlet and use Quizizz as a formative. Quizlet live is a lot of fun too and the conversations the kids have to have to find the answers are amazing. #6thchat
I will have to try Quizizz again. A couple of years ago it got glitchy with my students and they didn't want to use it again. I need to circle back to it. #6thchat
You get a couple of rounds for free. I am not sure how many, so I don’t do it often. It probably says somewhere. It’s worth it though. They all have diff answer choices and have to talk about which one is right and who has it. #6thchat it’s great team building
A4: I honestly wish I had time to add in any kind of interactive games. I am struggling to find ways to have kids interact without feeling like it's a waste of very limited time. 4 sections, 60 minutes each! It would need to be useful and easy to learn! #6thchat
A4 Like to have contests to see how many vocab words (in context) can you stuff into a paragraph or sentence. Have used @goformative, then have kids compare. #6thchat
A4) We play different games with Jenga, a dice rolling game with different options like make the word out of play dough, act it out, etc. Another favorite it @SmekensEd Interview with a Word. Anything to get more touches on the words. #6thchat
A5) It is part of our curriculum, however, we are encouraged to refrain from the pre-test, post-test drill and kill format and instead assess students' spelling ability authentically through writing and more engaging activities to build recall. #6thchat
A5: We are not expected to teach. I think it is more important to teach them to be aware and to use the tools they have available as needed. Frustrating when they don't take the time to even remove the red lines by spell checking! #6thchat
We just had this discussion today as a matter of fact! How can we help students see word parts to help them decode other words, and better understand texts; more authentic. #6thchat
A6) For students who struggle, I work with them individually, and in small groups. I have students physically act out words--like we were "lunging" in the classroom this week and we "slung" our backpacks over our shoulders. Make the word memorable. #6thchat
A5) In 6th spelling isn't part of our explicit curriculum, but I tackle the issue through writing conferences and emphasis that when your writing is littered with spelling errors your credibility and your message are lost. Try to give them a WHY! #6thchat
A6: Have them read more. Maybe pull out a few words to look up. Model with a whole group text finding words that are important to meaning and finding definitions. And then more reading again. #6thchat
Great point! This is what can help--or hurt--their chances at future jobs, etc. Words matter. How they are used, and how they are spelled, and what they mean. #6thchat
A5) In 6th spelling isn't part of our explicit curriculum, but I tackle the issue through writing conferences and emphasis that when your writing is littered with spelling errors your credibility and your message are lost. Try to give them a WHY! #6thchat
A6) Using visuals -- any nonlinguistic representation to anchor a word! Have to get the neurons firing and synapses connecting or students won't hold onto the vocabulary to OWN these new words! #6thchat
Yep! Had a student last year, great reader and great thinker, never put much effort into writing (including typing). Tons of conventions/spelling errors. Best thing he wrote was a letter to an author. Leaps and bounds better than anything "graded"... #6thchat
A6) Using a kinesthetic approach works too. Having students spell the words in the air and teaching a variety of ways to spell the pattern work too. These are strategies I used from my training with dyslexic students.
A7) Most challenging for me is typically in the content areas (Social Studies) where there are often many, many vocabulary words for Ss to learn; I try to make it less overwhelming my focusing on the big idea words. #6thchat
A7) Getting kids to buy in and invest themselves in the work to grow their lexicons! Try to share the research about how important vocabulary is to all learning to help them understand the purpose in the work and motivate them! #6thchat
#6thchat - not related to vocabulary, but if any of you are doing the #GRA18 with #Amal, I have a spreadsheet started for a postcard exchange, middle school level (there is another one, but most classes are 3rd - 5th). Please join if you want! https://t.co/MLlJOrVfYU
A8) Going to try Quizziz for some new fun and @goformative for some collaborative writing activities. Most of all, going to find extra time to increase explicit instruction of vocab words. #6thchat
A8: I would like to get Quizlet going with some vocabulary. Maybe background knowledge before we read Number the Stars or before our #GRA18 book starts. #6thchat
A8) #6thchat I would like to look at @goformative as I haven't used that yet. I want to try the interview with a word and have kids stuff a paragraph (love the wording on this which makes it sound way more fun).
A8) @goformative collaborative writing sounds intriguing. Like the idea of using as many words as you can in a short piece of writing -- makes me think of mad libs. Maybe I'll try that too! #6thchat
