Learning

Strategies

Amy Bowden

Vocabulary

Strategies

Name: The Frayer Model

Citation:

Frayer, D. (2014). Vocabulary Strategies. Retrieved from Learning Tasks:

http://learningtasks.weebly.com/vocabulary-strategies.html
Steps:
1. To Prepare- Identify and list the essential vocabulary for the unit.
Working in groups of 3-4 student, assign each team ONE term.
2. Teach the Frayer Model by modeling the strategy. Establish
expectations for student learning product using a rubric or checklist.
3. Facilitate student learning by conferencing with each group and using
probing questions to help students think through their reasoning.
4. Assign one student in the group as the 'presenter'. The other team
members will circulate the room to other groups to learn about their
term. Use a 2 minute timer to keep the activity on pace.
Strengths
-

Provides students with a visual of the word that they are learning.
Promotes critical thinking and helps students to identify and
understand unfamiliar vocabulary
Draws on a student's prior knowledge to build connections among
new concepts and creates a visual reference by which students
learn to compare attributes and examples

Weaknesses
-

Calls for a decent amount of classroom time

Calls for a level of practice
Some teachers feel that they shouldnt teach direct vocab
Example
DESCRIPTION: Define the term
using your own words.

FACTS: Give at least 3 interesting

facts about the term
Word

SYNONYM: What is it like?

Name: Crossword Puzzles

Citation:

ANTONYM: What is it not like?

unknown. (2014). Learning Tasks. Retrieved from Vocabulary Strategies:

http://learningtasks.weebly.com/vocabulary-strategies.html

Steps:
1. Create a Crossword puzzle either by hand or by generator on
computer.
2. Give students a word bank.
3. For each word that they must find, provide a definition for each word.

Strengths and Weaknesses:

While this method can be effective to give students a simple and easy
definition to follow, it can also turn into students just trying to find words that
fit the number of blanks provided.
Example:

Name: Vocabulary Flash Cards

Citation:
Roell, K. (2014). How to make vocabulary flashcards. Retrieved from
About:
http://testprep.about.com/od/tipsfortesting/ht/Make_Flashcards.htm

Steps:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Hand out flash cards and markers to students.

On front of card, have students write the desired vocabulary Term.
On back of card, have students write the definition.
Have students (when finished) quiz each other on the terms.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths of this strategy include using colorful visuals to identify
words visually, repetitive studying of the term to help students get the
definition, and group work to provide a possible easier definition to
remember the word by. Weaknesses of the strategy include: some
students may memorize just the specific words and not necessarily
learn how to apply the vocab immediately and time taken out of class
to make notecards.

Example:

English Language
Learning (ELL)
Strategies

Name: Bulletin Board Displays

Citation:
(2011). Second Language Strategies. In J. E. Thomas W. Bean, Content Area
Literacy: An Integrated Approach (pp. 40-41). Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt
Publishing Company.

Steps:
1. Create a bulletin board display using our students native language.
2. Include signs, news articles, and other items related to your particular
content area.

Strengths and Weaknesses:

Strengths of this strategy are that it is a way of incorporating English into
students brains and helps them with the transformation of learning a new
language. It provides a visual for them to learn both their native language
and English. Weaknesses, however, would be that it doesnt take a certain
amount of class time to help them learn the words and definition.

Example:

Name: Labels
Citation:
(2011). Second Language Strategies. In J. E. Thomas W. Bean, Content Area
Literacy: An Integrated Approach (pp. 40-41). Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt
Publishing Company.

Steps:
1. Find everyday items within the classroom
2. Write labels that include both English and other languages and place
them on the appropriate material.
3. Have students come in and identify a material and teach the word in
the opposite language.

Strengths and Weaknesses:

Strengths of this strategy include: learning new English vocabulary through
visual means, correct pronunciation of terms, and a simple way to teach
English. Weaknesses include: not an appropriate amount of class time spent
learning correct English, sometimes the teacher may not have time to redo
labels and therefore new words do not occur often, and some students may
feel forced to learn a new word rather than discovering it themselves.

Example:

Name: Learning Logs

Citation:
(2011). Second Language Strategies. In J. E. Thomas W. Bean, Content Area
Literacy: An Integrated Approach (pp. 40-41). Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt
Publishing Company.

Steps:
1. Have students read a specific prompt
2. After reading prompt, proceed to instruct students to write their
reactions, predictions and questions in a notebook.

Strengths and Weaknesses:

Strengths are that the activity succeeds in getting the students involved in
what they are reading and really helps to initiate questions when they have
them. It also gives them a way of organizing their thoughts into a well
formed manner that they can refer to later. Weaknesses include: takes a
significant amount of class time every day, requires a decent amount of
English to apply to the learning log.

Example:

Date

Material Read

Reaction/ Question/ Predictions

12/24/1992

Frosty the Snowman

Where does it snow in the U.S.? It hardly

snows ever where I am from. I would
really like to see it someday. I bet Frosty
would melt in my hometown.

Writing
Learning
Strategies

Name: Writing Roulette

Citation:
(2011). Writing to Learn. In J. E. Thomas W. Bean, Content Area Literacy: An
Integrated Approach (pp. 272-296). Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt Publishing
Company.

Steps:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Instruct students to get out their journals

Set kitchen for 5-10 minutes
Have students write about a topic for the allotted amount of time
Retrieve journals after time is up

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths of this activity can benefit students by boosting their ability to
compose by stimulating their imagination. However weaknesses that lie in
this activity are that students dont necessarily write grammatically correct
sentences and correct structure to writing.

Example:
Date

Composition

Name: Rewrite
Citation:
(2011). Second Language Strategies. In J. E. Thomas W. Bean, Content Area
Literacy: An Integrated Approach (pp. 40-41). Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt
Publishing Company.

Steps:
1. Find a reading assignment associated with the content being studied
2. Have students write verses for a song about the topic
3. Give students a copy of the final product while the teacher sings the
piece and have them follow along.
4. Have students get into small groups and discuss the learned material
and have them come up with an allotted amount of facts learned about
the topic

Strengths and weaknesses

The assignment draws on students creativity and ability to compose. It
forces them to think of the facts that they learned and reflect on them by
applying the information into a song. However, while it has benefits,
composing a song that can be sung requires knowledge of writing in a
syllabic style and the words might not fit.

Example:
Crab Spiders (key of E; blues shuffle)
Verse 1
Crab spiders hang their webs all over the place
I go outside to work and they just get tangled in my face
Well I hit them with my rake and they stick to my hand
Crawling up my arm like Sherman tanks in sand
I finally decided what Im gonna do,
Collect all my crab spiders and take em to school (repeat)
Well Ill let them go when my teacher isnt lookin and theyll cause
So much trouble shell send us outside when shes searchin

Name: Possible Sentences

Citation:
(2011). Second Language Strategies. In J. E. Thomas W. Bean, Content Area
Literacy: An Integrated Approach (pp. 40-41). Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt
Publishing Company.

Steps:
1. List on the board or overhead key terms from a chapter or reading
selection. They should be well defined by context and pronounced
correctly for students.
2. Provide a passage that includes the words provided
3. Have students write a sentence using two of the words listed
4. Then have students reread through the chapter to verify whether they
used the words correctly.
5. Have students provide corrected examples in their notebooks after
they are corrected together on the board/overhead

Strengths and Weaknesses

Possible Sentences will tease out misconceptions students have about a
topic. Having the students writing sentences provides a nonthreatening
environment and is inclusive for second language learners. It also provides a
backup and reinforcement for topics learned and a reference point for future
topics.

Example:

Study
Skills/Test
Taking

Name: Listening and Taking Notes: Verbatim Split Page

Procedure
Citation:
(2011). Studying and Preparing for Examinations. In J. E. Thomas W. Bean,
Content Area Literacy: An Integrated Approach (pp. 305-336). Dubuque, IA:
Kendall Hunt Publishing Company.

Steps:
1. Have students divide their notebook pages in 40/60 manner and
instruct them to only take notes on the left hand side. The idea is for
them to jot down a few notes while still listening intently to the lecture.
2. Have students reorganize their notes in an outline format (instruct
outline format if needed) in their own words.

Strengths and Weaknesses

This activity helps students listen to the lecture while it is still going on
rather than falling behind on the lecture trying to write in-depth notes. Then
they reinforce that material when they go back and rewrite the notes in an
expanded format and in their own words. Weaknesses might be that ELL
students dont necessarily know how to write shorthanded or fast enough yet
as well as any new student to note taking.

Example:
Verbatim
transcription

40%

Re-written notes

60%

Name: Mirror Assessment

Citation:
(2011). Studying and Preparing for Examinations. In J. E. Thomas W. Bean,
Content Area Literacy: An Integrated Approach (pp. 305-336). Dubuque, IA:
Kendall Hunt Publishing Company.

Steps:
*Test students in a manner comparable to state test material
1. Include multiple choice items
2. Include at least one performance item--- short essay--- that follows the
rubric for your state
3. Ease stress by making the test Open Book
4. Keep the test timed
5. Use standardized forms to record/bubble in answers
Strengths and Weaknesses
Providing an easy-going test environment helps students with test anxiety.
By timing the test it aids students in adjusting the amount of time that they
spend on each question. While the easy assessment is beneficial, it is not the
actual state mandated test so students cant be fully prepared for the test
and they are not allowed to use textbooks during the actual exam.

Name: Fake Pop Quiz

Citation:
(2011). Studying and Preparing for Examinations. In J. E. Thomas W. Bean,
Content Area Literacy: An Integrated Approach (pp. 305-336). Dubuque, IA:
Kendall Hunt Publishing Company.

Steps:
1. Tells students that they are taking a fake pop quiz on material that they
have recently learned and that it wont affect their grade.
2. Give the quiz out
3. Once the students have finish, have them trade their tests back in and
redistribute the papers at random and grade them.
4. Give tests back to original student and go over the answers.

Strengths and Weaknesses

It helps to push students to ask questions about what will be on their test. It
gives them a boost in their test taking skills as they will be more confident
and less stressed since it isnt graded. Disadvantages include the fact that
some students wont try since it wont be counted as a grade. Since it isnt
timed, students wont rush so it wont help prepare them for state mandated
tests.

Example: