"Developing a strong vocabulary not only promotes reading comprehension but also enables us to actively participate in our society."

Vocabulary is very important to children, not only when reading and in the classroom, but also in their lives in general. Teaching children vocabulary can be fun. There are many activities you can use in your classroom to help children learn new words. In order for them to understand what they are reading they need to know what the words mean. One activity that I've have seen in a class is when groups get together and read a story. The teacher then gives each group a word and they are supposed to write the definition in their own words and draw a picture. They use context clues to figure out what the word means. The groups then present their work to the class. I think the students liked this because they get to be the teachers. This activity also helped them to learn new words that were in their story for the day.

Thoughts to Ponder:

1. What are some other fun ways to teach vocabulary?

2. Do you think this activity actually helps students learn what the words mean?