Dare to Differentiate: Vocabulary Strategies for All Students

by Danny Brassell PhD

Overview

This highly practical resource for K–6 teachers is packed with 25 classroom-tested, step-by-step strategies for developing word knowledge. The emphasis throughout is not only on teaching new words, but also on strengthening students’ comprehension and long-term vocabulary acquisition. Especially valuable are guidelines for how to differentiate each strategy so it can be used successfully with English language learners and students at varying proficiency levels. In a large-size format for easy photocopying, the book features helpful print and Web resources for each strategy, along with 20 reproducible worksheets.

 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781462514618
Publisher:	Guilford Publications, Inc.
Publication date:	10/15/2013
Series:	Teaching Practices That Work
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	151
File size:	3 MB
Age Range:	5 - 11 Years

About the Author

 

Danny Brassell, PhD, is a reading motivation expert and former Professor in the Teacher Education Department at California State University, Dominguez Hills. Dr. Brassell is an experienced classroom teacher who has worked with students ranging from preschoolers to rocket scientists, and he has published numerous articles and books. A reformed reluctant reader now dedicated to creating passionate readers, Dr. Brassell founded the Lazy Readers’ Book Club (www.lazyreaders.com), which provides recommendations for “cool short books” for all ages. His workshops have motivated audiences across the country to create cultures in homes, schools, and businesses that stimulate innovation through widespread reading. Dr. Brassell's website is www.dannybrassell.com.

 

Table of Contents

IntroductionStrategies1. Analogies2. Barrier Games*Word Play: Neologisms/Sniglets3. Concept Ladders4. Contextual Redefinition*Word Play: Rebuses5. Exclusion Brainstorming6. Hierarchical and Linear Arrays*Word Play: Eponyms7. Idioms8. Interactive Word Walls*Word Play: Hink Pinks, Hinky Pinkies, and Hinkity Pinkities 9. K–W–L Plus10. List–Group–Label*Word Play: Tom Swiftlies11. Morphemic Analysis12. Personal Vocabulary Journals*Word Play: Dittograms13. Possible Sentences14. Read-Alouds*Word Play: Book Talk15. Scavenger Hunts16. Semantic Feature Analysis*Word Play: Pangrams17. Semantic Mapping18. Student VOC Strategy*Word Play: Oxymorons19. Text Talk20. Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy*Word Play: Top Ten Lists21. Vocab-o-grams22. Vocabulary Cards (Example/Nonexample)*Word Play: Palindromes23. Word Plays24. Word Riddles25. Word Sorts

Interviews

K–6 teachers; literacy specialists and coaches. May serve as a supplemental text in advanced undergraduate- and graduate-level courses.

Editorial Reviews

"Brassell clearly has a deep passion for teaching. Busy teachers everywhere will appreciate this wonderful collection of the most effective research-based vocabulary strategies, guaranteed to engage students and improve comprehension. Brassell's humor and style shine through on every page. The book is loaded with practical ways to differentiate vocabulary instruction for all students, using rich hands-on activities, games, and Web resources. I love this book!"—Lori Oczkus, MA, literacy coach and author, Orinda, California

"The vocabulary strategies and word play activities alone make this volume an excellent addition to any K-6 teacher's bookshelf. But the real strength of the book is that it provides ideas for differentiating instruction based on the strategies. Meeting the specific needs of students through differentiation is always a challenge; this book shows how differentiating word learning can be both manageable for the teacher and fun for students."—Thomas DeVere Wolsey, EdD, Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership, Walden University
 
"Dare to Differentiate jumps right into ideas and strategies that elementary teachers can start using immediately to embed vocabulary learning throughout the curriculum. The easy-to-use format includes a description of each strategy plus a classroom example that shows how it works. This book is a great addition to any educator's library."—Joanne Toft, MA, former K-6 teacher; Associate Director, Arts for Academic Achievement, Minneapolis Public Schools
 
"Are you looking for a way (or many ways) to make vocabulary instruction come alive for your students? Then Dare to Differentiate, Third Edition, is for you. Not only does Brassell present an array of engaging instructional strategies, but he also provides ways to make each strategy work for different students and classrooms. Differentiation makes the difference! I highly recommend this extraordinary volume."—Timothy Rasinski, PhD, Department of Teaching, Learning, and Curriculum Studies, Kent State University

From the Publisher