provided by Alan Dawson
Anyone who has visited my classroom knows how much I love words.
I teach multimedia arts, but I’m so verbal that many people think I should be an English teacher.
Over the years, no matter what subject I was teaching, I kept noticing the same pattern. My readers
they were bright, old, and talented, but they were often thrown out easily when they met
unusual words.
Sometimes it only took one word to distract them. Some students could be heard, but when asked to explain what this word means, they just shut up.
Some students could be heard, but when asked to explain what this word means, they just shut up.
At some point, I realized that the problem was more than reading. Students weren’t just struggling
record the words. They struggled with the language itself. They were always speechless
explain what they were thinking, ask for help clearly, or explain what was bothering them
see.
That gap was evident academically, but also socially and emotionally.
I tried the usual methods. Word walls, word lists, and games. I make a point of modeling
strong language during negotiations. It helped, but to a point. The students knew it by heart
explanations, but understanding did not always stick.
Change happens in an easy time. The student is stuck on the word transport. Rather
To explain it, I divided it into trans and port. Then I asked the class what the other words were
he knew it sounded the same.
They started calling things. Pass it on. Convert. It is portable. Import. Export.
As we discuss those words and their meanings, something clicks. The room changed.
The students began to realize that the words were not random. They had a structure. Contact them. See
can be considered.
From then on, it became something we did regularly. We started distinguishing words, comparing
with them, and integrate them into all subjects. Sometimes it led to discussions about history
or science or where words come from. Sometimes, it simply helped the reader to open the meaning
they would have jumped.
What stood out the most was the change in confidence. Students tend to avoid the unusual
words began to depend on them. They were no longer just memorizing the language. It’s been a long time
working with it.
What I understand is that students don’t always need a lot of words. They need a
way to get into the vocabulary. Once they realize that words can be broken down and tested, the barrier
it starts to go down.
During the COVID-19 lockdown, I started thinking about how I could make this approach even more
inclusive and consistent. That process eventually led to the creation of a card game called
SAYWORD!, built directly on the ideas of the same class.
When we returned in person, I spoke to the students, and the answer came quickly. They argued, argued, and brought out the knowledge they had developed over time. It didn’t sound like a word practice. It felt like a joke.
What started in the classroom has reached beyond it. The students brought it home. Families
they started playing together. What started as a way to support a few students turned into
something that worked as well around the table as it did at the desk.
The main idea, however, has not changed. When students understand that words have structure
and meaning beyond memorized meanings, they begin to learn language in a different way.
They are more willing to take risks, more confident in their thinking, and more involved
process.
For me, it started with one word on the board. For my students, it was a gateway.
