Word Identification Strategies for Fifth Grade
* 1. Personalized Flash Cards
Description: Each student will have their own personal set of flash cards that are vocabulary specific to the topic they are studying. The personalized flash cards may contain difficult words that the student will encounter while reading content specific material. The stack of personalized cards should be no more than 10 to 12 in number, per chapter of each content area. This strategy is helpful for different content areas, such as, science and social studies.
Purpose: To help students familiarize themselves with the specific vocabulary they will encounter while reading the different content areas. The goal for the reader is to recognize those specific vocabulary words quickly by sight.
Directions: Each student will have a stack of index cards at their desk. When the student comes across an unfamiliar vocabulary word within their reading and they do not know the definition of the word, the student will write that specific vocabulary word on an index card. The student will then look up the definition of the specific vocabulary word, and write the definition on the back of the index card. When the student comes across the specific vocabulary word in the reading again, they can pull out their index card with the definition on the back as a reference to what the word means. When these words are mastered, the student can place them in the "known" stack. Students find it satisfying to see their stack of "known" words grow.
*This strategy can also be implemented in sixth grade.
Here are some examples of specific vocabulary words for Science and Social Studies that a student may write down on their index cards.
Description: Each student will have their own personal set of flash cards that are vocabulary specific to the topic they are studying. The personalized flash cards may contain difficult words that the student will encounter while reading content specific material. The stack of personalized cards should be no more than 10 to 12 in number, per chapter of each content area. This strategy is helpful for different content areas, such as, science and social studies.
Purpose: To help students familiarize themselves with the specific vocabulary they will encounter while reading the different content areas. The goal for the reader is to recognize those specific vocabulary words quickly by sight.
Directions: Each student will have a stack of index cards at their desk. When the student comes across an unfamiliar vocabulary word within their reading and they do not know the definition of the word, the student will write that specific vocabulary word on an index card. The student will then look up the definition of the specific vocabulary word, and write the definition on the back of the index card. When the student comes across the specific vocabulary word in the reading again, they can pull out their index card with the definition on the back as a reference to what the word means. When these words are mastered, the student can place them in the "known" stack. Students find it satisfying to see their stack of "known" words grow.
*This strategy can also be implemented in sixth grade.
Here are some examples of specific vocabulary words for Science and Social Studies that a student may write down on their index cards.
Science. Chapter Topic: Matter
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Science. Chapter Topic: Matter
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Social Studies. Chapter Topic: Geography
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Social Studies. Chapter Topic: Geography
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2. Cloze Passages
Description: An activity to help struggling reader's identify a missing word from a sentence.
Purpose: To help struggling reader's identify the key word that is missing from a sentence.
*Directions: Using books at the struggling reader's instructional level, select a key word in a sentence and cover it with a sticky note. Instruct the students to read on to the end of the sentence. Then ask the student to choose a word that makes sense in the context of the sentence. If the book at the struggling reader's instructional level has pictures, prompt the student to look at the picture for clues. If the book at the struggling reader's instructional level has no pictures, prompt the student to read to the end of the paragraph to determine the correct word. After the student has selected a word, have the student remove the sticky note and see if they were correct.
*For a variation of this activity, photocopy a short passage at the student's instructional level. Delete every fifth word OR key word and have the student fill in the deleted words. As the student is filling in the deleted words, observe the student to see if they are looking for context clues to help select the correct word.
Description: An activity to help struggling reader's identify a missing word from a sentence.
Purpose: To help struggling reader's identify the key word that is missing from a sentence.
*Directions: Using books at the struggling reader's instructional level, select a key word in a sentence and cover it with a sticky note. Instruct the students to read on to the end of the sentence. Then ask the student to choose a word that makes sense in the context of the sentence. If the book at the struggling reader's instructional level has pictures, prompt the student to look at the picture for clues. If the book at the struggling reader's instructional level has no pictures, prompt the student to read to the end of the paragraph to determine the correct word. After the student has selected a word, have the student remove the sticky note and see if they were correct.
*For a variation of this activity, photocopy a short passage at the student's instructional level. Delete every fifth word OR key word and have the student fill in the deleted words. As the student is filling in the deleted words, observe the student to see if they are looking for context clues to help select the correct word.