Daily Vocabulary Enhancement (236 Slides, List, Context Clues Reference, & Log)

What's included:

• 236 slide presentation (112 vocabulary words with visual aids, gifs, and videos)
• Alphabetized list overview of all vocabulary words included in the slides
• Two-page context clues reference with definitions and examples
• Two-page document with a guided log and an independent log to keep track of each vocabulary word per marking period. Also doubles as a great study guide.

Suggested implementation:

• In my classroom, we cover a new vocabulary word each day. I take volunteers to read the sentences and after each we discuss what they think the underlined word means and offer synonyms by using their context clues handout as a reference (I give each student a copy to keep alongside their vocabulary log). Next, I display the definition slide and the students copy the information onto their own vocabulary log. We then verbally review all the vocabulary words we've covered so far. (I hand out participation tickets during this review and the students get very competitive about it. I've had former students tell me this was one of their favorite aspects of English class throughout their four years in high school.) This portion of class takes between 5-10 minutes, but can be adjusted based on your preference. It works very well for both the teacher and the students as it provides a predictable structure and expectation at the start of each class period.
• The guided log is a great way to hold the students accountable for recording the daily vocabulary word. If students are absent from class, they are expected to borrow a classmate's vocabulary log and copy the information in order to stay up to date.
• The independent log helps the students get into the habit of looking up unfamiliar vocabulary that they encounter in their everyday lives. I collected the independent logs at the end of each marking period and graded them based on completion. It was interesting to see which books the students were reading on their own time and the people they were having conversations with outside of the classroom. For example, I learned that one student was fascinated by crystals and was reading informational texts about them and another student had lunch with his grandma every Wednesday. I would grade these logs while the students were taking the short vocabulary quiz. The assessment was beneficial in multiple ways and did not overload my grading pile.

Miscellaneous:

• The words were selected because they were either in the text we were covering that day or I chose them from a SAT prep list. The major works I cover are The Crucible, The Great Gatsby, and A Raisin in the Sun.
• I left a few slides blank at the end of the presentation in case you'd like to add to the list.
• Kindly see the video preview for an in-depth look at the resources.