Explicit Vocabulary Instruction: How to Make Words Stick

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Explicit vocabulary instruction beats five words on Monday and a quiz on Friday. Students need to know vocabulary, and that old routine is not the fastest or most efficient way for kids to learn all that vocab.

Fifth-grade teacher Sean Morrisey makes vocabulary stick by using explicit vocabulary instruction. Sean spent eight years as a school psychologist who tested struggling readers. Frustrated that kids weren't learning, he moved into the classroom and has taught for eighteen years. He also created the Word Mapping Project, a curriculum that ties vocabulary, spelling, and word parts together.

In this episode, Sean shares the routine he uses to teach new words, how he teaches kids to use word parts to figure out words, and an awesome tip to help kids learn more words, faster (and probably easier).

What you'll learn:

  • Why a word list and a Friday quiz don't stick
  • The three moves Sean makes the first time students meet a new word
  • What a flock of sheep has to do with segregation and congregation
  • How a fifth grader figured out "voracious" before Sean taught it
  • The most common vocabulary mistake Sean sees teachers make
  • Why Sean says we set the bar too low on how many words kids can learn
  • The one thing to try in your next vocab lesson

Full show notes, transcript, and resources: https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e1018


Check out this episode!

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