Rosemarie Kaminsky

EDUC 359
Reflection- Vocabulary
Learning new vocabulary in the classroom is extremely difficult for some students,
especially ELL students. As a teacher, it is important to decompose a word to its simplest
form, and have students make connections in order to embed it into their long- term
memory. The objective of the lesson was for students to understand new vocabulary
words by using their prior knowledge. The two words are sparge and pother. In order to
introduce these words to the students, I would have the ELL student pair up with a nonELL student and talk about what they think the word means. In order to provide hints, I
would have two pictures of the meaning of the words that the students can refer to. This
strategy will encourage both of the students to use what they know to formulate a
meaning based on the pictures provided. After both students formulate a response, I
would ask the students what they think these two words mean, and why they came up
with their conclusion. This strategy also benefits the ELL learner because he or she is
able to collaborate with a non-ELL student to discuss their thinking.
After asking both students to share their response, I will teach the actual definition of
the two words. First, I would say the word sparge for the students. The students will have
to repeat the word, and then sound the word out. This strategy will help the students make
meaning of the word. After, I will explain the definition of the word sparge-the action of
sprinkling or splashing. In order to help students remember the meaning of this word, I
will show them a short video of this word being used. I will then ask the student where
they may see someone splashing water. This will help the student make connections to

their outside life. Once the students are able to apply the word to their own experiences, I
will read a few sentences so they can see how this word is used in context. Once the
student has an understanding of the word, I will place the word and its corresponding
picture on the classroom word wall for students to refer to. This process will be repeated
for the word pother. The lesson objective is achieved through instruction and formative
assessment. The students will use their prior knowledge to make meaning of a new word.
They will be able to apply the meaning of the word into their own life, and in context.
For English Language Learners, vocabulary development is very important. As a
classroom teacher, it is important to provide students with multiple perspectives on a
specific topic or vocabulary word. The reason being is because everyone in the class
learns differently. Teachers have to understand that ELL students are in the process of
adapting to a whole different culture. Therefore, teachers have to be sensitive to their
learning needs, and scaffold instruction to meet their needs.