DIY Academic Vocabulary Sort!

Are you looking for a fun, DIY idea for working on academic vocabulary?!

Did you catch my Periscope last night with my quick tip and trick to working on academic vocabulary? No..it is OK…here is what I discussed! Academic vocabulary…no I don't mean science or social studies terms (that is tier 3) but language students will see in comprehension questions/tasks (tier 2 words).

I like to use sorting activities when I work on vocabulary. It helps students understand when they know HOW to use the words! Which is an action they must do when they see it in a question and which is a thing in a story. I used this piece of construction paper and index cards to do just that! I gathered words that I knew my students should be seeing in their comprehension tasks in the classroom (also can be found in the common core standards).

My students read/saw each word. I used the word in a sentence so they could identify how it was used. Then, they got to place it in the correct section of this foldable.

After I provided them a sentence and they understood the part of speech, they had to come up with their own sentences to prove understanding!

After they understood these words, we discussed words that could be used BOTH ways!

Once my students understood these words, we took their worksheets given in the classroom and tried finding these words! How were they used? What was expected of them? Can they accomplish the necessary tasks? Can they use these words in their answers to show understanding of the vocabulary?

It is SO important to keep using these important vocabulary words over and over. Have your students use them in discussions. By using them in academic discussions, it will help improve their understanding!

Here is a freebie to help you with this activity!