VOCABULARY PASSWORD

Research continually highlights the relationship between vocabulary and comprehension as children progress in school. We know that:

- Rapid vocabulary acquisition occurs in pre-literate years (before children can read)

- Vocabulary is strongly related to reading and thus school achievement

- Systematic and direct instruction can increase children’s vocabulary

Here are some simple, meaningful strategies to add to your “vocabulary vitamin” bottle.

Attendance
Have a class puppet that gives a password every day. For attendance, the children say the password instead of “here.” Use this chant to introduce the password:
Liberty, Liberty (or whatever your puppet is named),
Oh, what do you say?
What is the password for today?

Hint! Tally the number of times children use the word during the day.

Visor
Write the vocabulary word on an index card and tape it to a visor. One child is selected to be the “supervisor” of the day and wear the visor. The “supervisor” stands at the door every time you leave and classmates must say the word before they can exit.

Name Badge
Put the word in a name badge and wear it (or let a student wear it) all day.
When the teacher says:
“Right now! Right now! Right now! Right now!
Whisper the password out right now.”
Children say the word.
Children then find a partner and use the word in a sentence.

Say, Spell, Sign
Look at the dictionary on aslpro.com to learn how to sign vocabulary words.
1. Children say the password.
2. Children fingerspell the password.
3. Children sign the password.