Word Sort
In this vocabulary development/word-study strategy, students classify teacher-provided words into categories based on their prior knowledge. These words will be key words from the unit or lesson and students are invited to sort them into logical arrangements.
Steps:
1. Teacher identifies key words from a unit/lesson.
2. Teacher prepares a set of word cards for each group of students/individuals (can be done in any grouping).
3. Introduce the strategy and model the sorting activity.
4. Distribute word cards to students. (The teacher may provide criterion - closed sorting, or it may be an open sort where students create their own classifications.)
5. Students share and record their sorts. (Share in pairs, small groups, or the whole class.)
Possible Curricular Outcomes:
GLO 2: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view, and represent to comprehend and respond personally and critically to oral, literary, and media texts.
1.1 Use Strategies and Cues
2.1.1 Make connections between previous experiences, prior knowledge, and a variety of texts and apply them to new contexts.
2.1.2 Use a variety of comprehension strategies to make sense of familiar and unfamiliar texts and remember ideas.
2.1.4 Use syntactic, semantic, and graphophonic cueing systems to construct and confirm meaning and interpret texts.
GLO 3: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view, and represent to manage ideas and information.
3.3 Organize, Record and Assess
3.3.1 Organize information and ideas in order of priority according to topic and task requirements.
Steps:
1. Teacher identifies key words from a unit/lesson.
2. Teacher prepares a set of word cards for each group of students/individuals (can be done in any grouping).
3. Introduce the strategy and model the sorting activity.
4. Distribute word cards to students. (The teacher may provide criterion - closed sorting, or it may be an open sort where students create their own classifications.)
5. Students share and record their sorts. (Share in pairs, small groups, or the whole class.)
Possible Curricular Outcomes:
GLO 2: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view, and represent to comprehend and respond personally and critically to oral, literary, and media texts.
1.1 Use Strategies and Cues
2.1.1 Make connections between previous experiences, prior knowledge, and a variety of texts and apply them to new contexts.
2.1.2 Use a variety of comprehension strategies to make sense of familiar and unfamiliar texts and remember ideas.
2.1.4 Use syntactic, semantic, and graphophonic cueing systems to construct and confirm meaning and interpret texts.
GLO 3: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view, and represent to manage ideas and information.
3.3 Organize, Record and Assess
3.3.1 Organize information and ideas in order of priority according to topic and task requirements.