How spelling tests can make pupils interested in learning vocabulary
Knowing how to spell a word is not the same as knowing a word and understanding how to use it, but decoding and remembering the sounds of new words (a spelling skill) is a good foundation for learning vocabulary.
At SK Kuala Tembeling, teacher
Khairizani Bt Jantan has made a vocabulary board for her year 3 English class. The words pinned to the board are made up from a combination of teacher-made, pupil-made and commercially produced cards. Read about the word board at SK Kuala Tembeling and the thinking behind it here.
Decoding the sounds of new words is all good, but there must also be plenty of follow-up opportunities for the pupils to 'meet' the words in subsequent lessons. Pinning cards on a board is only a part of the process. If teacher Khairi uses flash cards to introduce new vocabulary or grammar to the class, she will spend time at the end of the lesson asking pupils to pin the cards onto the board. Khairi and I have also devised a series of spelling tests that will require the pupils to continually engage with the vocabulary on the board from lesson to lesson.
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The vocabulary board is a work in
progress; new cards are added regularly. |
The four things we want to achieve with the vocabulary board and associated activities are:
- Easy progress review
- Frequent use of target vocabulary
- Meaningful vocabulary use
- More pupil involvement and talk time
Progress Review: We have made a chart for pupils to fill in and check their own progress. The pupils colour in their score (E.g. 4 out of 5, 3 out of 5 etc.) and create a bar chart that shows their progress. This is a fun way for pupils to make a progress chart, and it can also encourage them to do better next time. The more correct answers you have, the more colouring in you can do!
______________________________________________________________________________
My name
____________________________________________ My class _____________
How many correct answers
did you get in the spelling test?
Colour the chart.
5 correct
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4 correct
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3 correct
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2 correct
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1 correct
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Test 1
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Test 2
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Test 3
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Test 4
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Test 5
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Test 6
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Test 7
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Test 8
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Test 9
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Test 10
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______________________________________________________________________________
Frequent Use: We don't want the spelling tests to be an isolated classroom activity. In order to avoid this teacher Khairy is using the target vocabulary from each lesson to use in the spelling tests. We are also making sure that some words will appear on more than one test, so the pupils will not feel like they can forget about the words once they have come up on the test - because they are likely to come up again (and again!).
Meaningful Use: In order to check understanding and create meaning around the spelling test words, the teacher will not just read out the list for the pupils to copy into their notebooks. Some words from the vocabulary board will be said in Bahasa Malaysia, and the pupils will have to write the English word of the same meaning that was on the word card. In other instances, the teacher will test the pupils' grammar knowledge as well their spelling. For example, to test the pupils' knowledge of the word 'cried', the teacher will make a 'crying' action and ask the pupils 'What am I doing?' they will call out 'cry' or 'crying', but the teacher will ask them to write the past tense word on their test.
Pupil Involvement: The problem with things like spelling tests is the lopsided nature of communication. teacher talks and pupils listen (and write). Teacher Khairi and the mentor are trying to correct this imbalance. One way to correct it is by turning the test into a question and answer routine, like we did with the meaningful use example, So, like the 'cried' example (above), the teacher can open a conversation with the pupils about the spelling test word.
E.g.
T: What animal is this? It's a bird.
P: Parrot!
T: No it's a farm animal.
P: Goose!
T: Goose is a farm animal, right, but this bird lays eggs, and we eat them.
P: Chicken!
T; Yes, but 'chicken' is not one of our spelling words.
P: Hen!
T: That's right, but I want you to write the PLURAL form, like on the vocabulary board.
(Pupils write)
Further ways to increase pupil involvement is to allow pupils to exchange books after the test and grade each other's work. Pupils who scored 5/5 in their last spelling test may be rewarded by being allowed to choose a word, or words, for that day's test. Choosing test words could also be shared among less well performing pupils as well, or sometimes just randomly. It shouldn't just be the teacher choosing the words for that day's test.
The next job is to make a set of word cards to match those on the vocabulary board, that can be kept in a large envelope and used for choosing test words, and other classroom vocabulary building activities.
What activities would you suggest we think about for our envelope of matching word cards?
Stephen-Peter Jinks (ELC Jerantut)
