A few years ago, I tutored a 3rd grade girl and it was the first year that she met the vocabulary card assignment. The task was to take the list of vocabulary words, write a word on a note card, look up the definition in the glossary at the back of the book and copy the definition on the back of the card. Sounds simple but for some children it is a difficult assignment especially if there’s attention issues. She would come to me and I would check her cards, correct her definitions that were all jumbled up and we’d practice. She would also practice them at home, feel confident that she knew them but fail the test. Her mother made the comment that she just didn’t understand why she was doing so poorly because when she called out the definitions, her daughter knew every matching word.

The next week I was working with her and she had vocabulary cards to finish. She found the word in the glossary and started writing the definition on the back of the card. She was struggling to write the words in the correct order and I asked her to read the definition to me. There were words in the definition that were new to her and she didn’t know how to pronounce them …and then it clicked … with me. She had been doing all of her studying orally and she needed to be reading. So the rest of the session I made the “vocabulary game”, we “played” it, I explained it to her mother, they played it some more. She took the test and for the first time that year she did well. When I saw her teacher the next time, she said, “I don’t know what you did, but it worked”.

What I did was figure out that when it came to test time, it was the first time she was actually reading the definitions. If there was an unfamiliar word it confused her. Once that was figured out she started being successful and her self confidence grew.

Last year I started out the school year for a 4th grade teacher on maternity leave and quickly learned that it’s a a big jump for the students going from a self contained 3rd grade classroom to rotating between 3 teachers in 4th grade. Going from science and social studies not being taught in tandem. Going from a reading book to reading a novel. It’s just different in so many ways. A cultural shock, a jolt or a wake up call and the first test had parents on the warpath. My child has always been an A student! Why was the test so hard? There were emails to teachers and some of them weren’t very nice. It was obviously time to help the parents to understand how their children need to study for 4th grade tests … and it would take time and effort, not only for the child but for the parents. Unfortunately, especially in a private school setting, some parents feel that since they are paying for their child’s education they shouldn’t have to help them at home. We’ll save that discussion for another TeachLearnLaugh post.

It was time to introduce the “game”. It became a game when one of the parents told me her daughter loved playing the vocabulary game. It gave her a new study skill and she was more successful on the next test.

I’m back starting the year out for another 4th grade teacher on maternity leave. The following was sent home to all of the 4th grade parents before the first test. I printed off the first set of vocabulary cards to go along with it.

Dear Parents,

The 4th grade teachers would like to offer some ideas to help your child learn words and definitions for vocabulary tests.  Keep in mind that it will require help from you.

1.  The night before the test is not when to begin to study for vocabulary tests.  It takes lots of practice and needs to start the day your child is given the word list.

2.  The first thing you need to check is whether or not your child has written the correct definition to go with the word.

3.  Then you need to make sure your child can read out loud the word and its definition.  When they take the test they will be reading.  Yes, you can still call out the definition to them and have them tell you the word for practice but if they can’t read the words on the test they won’t do well.

4.  You will need index cards x2 per word.  On one card write the word on one side and the definition on the other (this is where your help comes in).  On the 2nd card, just write the word.

5.  To practice, after you’re sure they can read the words and definitions, lay all of the cards out with the definitions facing up.  Your child will then read the definition and find the correct word card and place it on top.  When they finish all of them, they can self check to see if the words match.  It’s not something for them to do without you but they can do it while you’re cooking dinner, helping a sibling with homework or just while you are in the same room with them.  Try to do it every day until the test.  It takes less than 10 minutes.

This method been used with several children over the years with great results. Some think it is like a game.  We hope you find it helpful.  Let us know if you have any questions.

The 4th Grade Teachers