Monday, August 22, 2016

WORDS! WORDS! WONDERFUL WORDS!

Several weeks ago when I was in Manchester, NH, I met Ginny McLay and was inspired by her love of vocabulary. Here are two of her ideas that you might want to include in your plans for the upcoming year. Wouldn’t that vocabulary word costume be perfect for a boring winter week?
                                       
Vocabulary Word Costume!
After focusing on words (synonyms, antonyms, nouns, verbs, and adjectives) invite children to think of a word that they LOVE, ADORE, AND ADMIRE and create a costume for their word.

Easy steps to make a costume!
     1. Think of a few words that are really interesting.
     2. Choose a word that you can make into a costume.
     3. The word and definition must be somewhere on the costume.
     4. Practice the word and definition
     My word is _____. It means:_________.

Ideas for costumes:
     1. Write the word and definition on a headband.
     2. Write the word and definition on a piece of paper and make a necklace out of it.
     3. Write the word and definition on a t-shirt and decorate with fabric paint.
     4. Write the word and definition on a brown paper bag…cut it like a vest!
     5. Use a costume you already have at home and think of a great word. Write the word and definition on a sash.
    
              MYSTERIOUS                                        CELEBRATE


Great reads for vocabulary include:
Miss Alaineus – A Vocabulary Disaster by Debra Frasier
Fancy Nancy Books
Max’s Words by Kate Banks

Multiple Meaning Words Castle
Put a large poster of a castle on a classroom wall. Whenever the children discover a “multiple meaning word” write it on the castle. The teacher goes, “Dut dut do” with a hand over her mouth and then every chants: “IT’S A MULTIPLE MEANING WORD!”

HINT! If a child thinks she has a multiple meaning word she must be able to tell both meanings. You might need to use a dictionary to confirm if it has double meanings.


Here's Ginny's email address if you want some more ideas for vocabulary:  gmclay@hdsd.k12.nh.us.