My students struggle with vocabulary. And they struggle with learning vocabulary. Many of my students are English Language Learners, however most are no longer identified as ELLs because they have a pass-able grasp of the English language. I do, however, need them to pass the state writing and reading assessment to graduate, so I make them memorize vocabulary words.
My strategy: find a one-word synonym, in context, whenever possible. When I have tried to teach kids multiple definitions or words that can't be substituted, it backfires. That's when I end up with sentences like "We curious read the book," instead of "We curiously read the book." I know they'll need to learn more meanings eventually, but if I'm using words with a novel study, I have data to prove that this works.
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