Vocabulary Cinema

I've struggled for years on how to teach vocabulary effectively. I think I've failed more times than not. It's no secret that voracious readers are the ones with the greatest vocabulary. These students will be okay without me, but they make up about 10% or less of my class.

Traditional Instruction

So what should I do to increase the vocabulary of the other 90%, the group that depends on me for help? Of course, I teach vocabulary within the context of reading; I model how to use context clues, and I try to encourage as much independent reading as possible. I've also used well-known vocabulary resources like Wordly Wise 3000 and Vocabutoons, and I've asked students to generate sentences, paragraphs and stories using lists of words. I think every effort I make in this area is helpful, but I don't think I've done enough. The truth: students will retain more when they are engaged. That's the key. So I must change my approach.

Vocabulary Videos

Last summer my husband, who is also a middle school English teacher, discovered a unique vocabulary program called Vocab Videos: Bringing Vocabulary to Life. Created by educators with a passion for vocabulary instruction, the videos feature about 500 words most likely found on the SAT. Using a vocabulary word as as focal point, the producer creates a skit that demonstrates how to use the word correctly. Skits may last anywhere from thirty to sixty seconds and when strung together create a story. The only downside to this program is the price, which seems rather high for my taste. You can, however, sign up for a one-month free trial before making a purchase.

Flip the Lesson

One way to flip these video lessons is to assign students a word and ask them to create a skit focusing on the word's meaning. To kick up the technology component, students can video their work and post it for other students as a study tool. Once recorded, the skit can be viewed as many times as a student deems necessary for retention.

Here's a preview of the Vocab Video program:

Here's the website for Vocab Videos. You can see some skit examples here:
http://www.vocabvideos.com/our-videos.html

If you decide to use this program, I'd love to hear feedback. Please consider posting it to my blog.