11/13/03
IS WORD WEB VOCABULARY SUITABLE FOR ALL STUDENTS IN A CLASS?
Should Word Web Vocabulary be used in a classroom just for gifted children or the upper third of a class? I think that it depends on the maturity of the students. Although the words around the prefix, root or suffix web may indeed be more than a student reading below grade level or otherwise struggling could manage, I believe it would be an error to exclude these students from the stimulation that Word Web Vocabulary has to offer.
Regardless of ability, one sure way to ease students who are not at the top of their class into Word Web is to use only the Real Word Words that appear in each lesson. They are almost a sure hook for any students whose work is not always stellar, or for older turned-off or disenchanted students. Real Word Words are relevant to all students, generally much more so than any of their other school work. Real Word Words are what they see and hear whenever they are out in the "real world," or, in other words, not in the classroom.
Real Word Words cover a number of categories. I start each volume with a series of five common acronyms, ones we see (or hear) on an almost daily basis. It's difficult to go almost anywhere without seeing a Sunoco or Amoco sign. Most people just say the words and don't stop to think, "I know; that's Sun Oil Company!" or "American Oil Company." Hazmat was the first acronym I chose for my students' "extra-credit" work. Signs warning about such materials were prevalent in our area, as we were not far from cities where restrictions on hazardous material were in place. Nonetheless, my middle schoolers did not know what the word meant.
One of the beauties of these kinds of words is that once explained, the learner never needs to be told again what it means. It's one reason why we say Word Web is a vocabulary program without memorization. Other acronyms that appear in the first three volumes of Word Web are: ASAP, WYSIWYG (I always include one common computer acronym in each volume), TGIF, HOV, FYI, NIMBY, PIXEL, CEO, ATM, BTW, JEEP, COD and DWI.
Other Real Word Words are seasonal ones, such as skeleton key and talk turkey, while some are sports team names (think Utah Jazz, Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks, Tennessee Titans) or automobile names (Chevy Caprice, Dodge Intrepid, Oldsmobile Intrigue). In order for students to decide whether these are sensible names for a vehicle, they've got to know what they mean. I promise you, they'll begin seeing these cars everywhere they go!
One of my favorite categories of these types of words is architectural terminology - naming the parts of a building. We look at a building but do not discern its parts, and we will not unless we learn the language of buildings. If we have never heard of dentils or pilasters, we can look time and again at a building - we will look but we will not actually see it - and never notice these details, for without names, these parts remain obscure.
I believe any student can enjoy these words and become more knowledgeable and confident through learning. You know how it is - when children are interested in something, they often accomplish more than most adults think is possible. Also, students' success with one type of schoolwork can have a cascading, or trickle-down effect, on other aspects. They will be more willing (and, therefore, more able) to attempt more difficult work.
Elinor
Word Web Vocabulary - moving vocabulary
from the edge of the curriculum to its center
