Word Wizard

Have you been teaching vocabulary, but you're not really seeing your students actually USING the words you've taught? Are you looking for an easy, fun way to get students excited about using new words? Try a "Word Wizard" contest in your classroom:

1. Put up a poster labeled "Word Wizard" in your classroom with spaces for stickers or stars to go on. It could be any layout or configuration. Check out this one from Mr. Blakely's class:

2. We've found that students get more excited about this when you DON'T explain it. Therefore, just let the poster sit there and let kids wonder about it and ask you about it until someone uses a vocabulary word during class. Then, you can slyly ask them to put a sticker on the Word Wizard chart. The students will feel that they have suddenly discovered an exciting world of actually using words they've been taught.:)

3. Use the poster as you wish. You may want it to be a competition between classes. You may want to offer some reward, like a 30-second dance party, when the chart is full. You may find that you need to impose a few rules, like "No repeat vocabulary words will earn stickers during the same lesson." You may also wish to reward students who use words in writing or find them in their reading. It will depend on your class.

4. Let your students impress you with how much vocabulary they really did learn!

On Task/Off Task Checklist

This is a strategy that can help kids with attention difficulties. Sometimes kids with ADHD, or just trouble concentrating, have a hard time realizing when they are on or off task. This checklist can help them to self-monitor their own behavior.

Basically, you need a very simple table taped to the child's desk. It could look like this:

For the first day, and perhaps subsequent days, you will need to help the student with prompts such as, "I see that you're on task. Give yourself a check for On Task." or "It looks like your off task. Give yourself a check for Off Task. What are you supposed to be doing now?" Remind the student of when they are doing the wrong thing, but be very conscious of trying to catch the child doing something right in order to give them positive reinforcement. Gradually release the specificity of prompts, "Check yourself right now," until the student can try monitoring themselves for a whole class period. Take a few moments of reflection after class to ask questions like, "Does this seem helpful?" and "How did you do?"

It's very important to remember that THIS IS NOT A PUNISHMENT, and should not be linked to punishments or discipline. To do so would be counter-productive. The goal is to get the student working with you to realize ON THEIR OWN when they are on or off task, promote some meta-cognition about what they are doing, and to be able to better redirect themselves someday, without having a checklist to remind them.