Dec 07
By learning root words, students can better understand language. Learning just a few root words can increase word knowledge ten-fold. This post includes both free materials and ideas to make learning fun. Begin with this idea…
Root words are often associated with trees. Make a root word tree by drawing a tree shape. Near the base of the tree, write a root word and its meaning. In the branches of the tree, write as many words as you can think of that are created using the root word.
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Nov 16
When I started researching for this post, my mind came up with dozens of ideas for using digital flashcard apps. Naturally, you can use flashcards for vocabulary and definitions. But the other possibilities are endless. Imagine, as teachers develop lessons, they create sets of cards that cover their lecture notes at the same time. This would take just a few extra minutes as the details are already typed up. After teachers use traditional means to teach the facts, they assign the cards for students to study.
Decks can contain anything from simple multiplication fact practice to learning complex sets of information such as features of each planet in our solar system. History teachers can create cards with famous people and their accomplishments or events and their significance. Are you beginning to think of ideas too?
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Nov 08
English is a mix of several languages including French, Italian, Greek and Latin, Vietnamese and so on. This makes the number of words linguists estimate the English language to have extremely large…approximately one million words. About 170,000 of these words are in current use. The average adult English speaker has a vocabulary between 20,000 to 35,000 words. Ninety-five percent of everyday writing and speech in newspapers, most books, movies, etc. use only about 3,000 words. So…how do we prepare our students for college entrance exams when everyday life exposes them to such a narrow list of vocabulary words? —- We teach students prefixes, suffixes, and Greek and Latin roots.
Many prefixes have to do with numbers. Learning these prefixes can help students figure out the meanings of many unfamiliar words.
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Sep 28
Keeping students motivated during distance learning is a real challenge. Learning games are a great way to keep students enthused in addition to providing brain breaks from the routine. Download a free sample of Word Find, a free online Boggle game. This Google Slide activity is set up for distance learning using both individual and shared slides.
The bonus game is simplified. The full set contains 21 games set up in rounds. The game is set up for 4 players; however, it can easily be played with 2 or 3 players. The object of the game is to spot more unique words than your friends. This video provides great instructions for playing.
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Aug 31
With many schools starting back at least partly with distance learning, my focus is to create educational Google Slide activities that students will enjoy while learning. These activities are perfect for distance learning and will work well in the classroom when school resumes it normal routine.
This game is based on Scrabble with a few changes.
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Aug 24
For the new school year, many schools will be starting back at least partially with distance learning. Learning with games is a great way to start off the new school year. To help teachers with this, I am creating a set of digital game activities for Google Slides. To know what was already available, (There is no point in reinventing the wheel.) I searched the internet. I found many free resources including templates for creating great educational games for Google Slides. This post is about sharing some great finds.
When the link sends you to a Google Slide you can’t edit, all you need to do is make a copy to your Google Drive. Do this by clicking File > Make a Copy. This makes the activity yours and you can edit it to meet the needs of your subject and students.
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May 11
During this stressful time make distance learning fun with these free digital games created in Google Slides. Everything you need is on the slides. This includes the dice and movable playing pieces.
If you haven’t used the educational game BUMP in your classroom, you are in for a real treat. I’m turned the board game into an interactive Google Slides game. Everything students need is on the slide. The rules are basically the same.
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