contributed by Alan Daveson
“Anyone who has been in my classroom knows how much I love words.
I teach multimedia arts, but I talk about words so much that most people think I should be an English teacher.
Over the years, no matter what subject I taught, I noticed the same pattern. My students
they were smart, creative and capable, but often easily thrown when encountered
unfamiliar words.
Sometimes it only took one word to send them off the rails. Some students could say things, but when asked to explain what the word meant, they hung up.
Some students could say things, but when asked to explain what the word meant, they hung up.
At some point I realized that the problem went beyond reading. Students don’t just struggle to
word decoding. They struggled with language itself. They didn’t always have the words
to explain what they were thinking, ask clearly for help or even describe what is bothering them
them.
This gap manifested itself academically, but also socially and emotionally.
I tried the usual approaches. Word walls, vocabulary lists and games. I turned my attention to the model
stronger language during discussions. It helped, but only somewhat. Students can memorize
definitions, but understanding did not always remain.
The change happened in an ordinary moment. A student got stuck on the word transport. Instead
to define it i have divided it into trans and port. Then I asked the class what other words they had
i knew it sounded similar.
They started calling things out. Transfer. Transform. Portable. Importing. Exporting.
As we talked about these words and their meanings, something clicked. The room changed.
Students began to see that words are not arbitrary. They had structure. They got in touch. They
can be understood.
From then on, it became something we do regularly. We began to separate the words, to compare
them and their connection between objects. Sometimes it led to conversations about history
or science or where words come from. Other times it was simply helping a student unlock meaning
they would otherwise skip.
What stood out the most was the change in confidence. Students who usually avoid strangers
the words began to enter them. They were no longer just memorizing language. They were
work with him.
What I realized is that students don’t always need more vocabulary. They need
way in the dictionary. Once they realize that words can be broken down and explored, the barrier
begins to descend.
During the shutdown due to COVID-19, I started thinking about how to do this approach more
engaging and consistent. This process eventually led to the development of a card game called
SAYWORD!, which is built directly from the same ideas in the classroom.
When we got back in person, I introduced it to the students and the response was immediate. They debated, challenged each other and drew on knowledge they had built up over time. It didn’t feel like vocabulary practice to me. It felt like a game.
What started in the classroom has since reached beyond it. The students brought it home. Families
they started playing together. What started as a way to support a handful of students has turned into
something that worked equally well on a table or a desk.
However, the main idea has not changed. When students understand that words have structure
and meaning beyond memorized definitions, they begin to approach language differently.
They become more willing to take risks, more confident in their thinking and more engaged in
process.
For me, it started with a word on the board. For my students, it became a way in.
