Strategies for Adolescent Vocabulary Expansion

Ages 13 through 18. The activities in this book help junior and senior high school students with language deficits acquire strategies for learning and using vocabulary more effectively. High-interest activities are included in which students talk about the meaning of words in short stories, interpret sentences, compare alternative word meanings, reformulate sentences using precise vocabulary, etc. Reproducible worksheets are included.

The worksheet activities that follow each passage are divided into three sections:

• Comprehension Check. The questions in this section are used to determine if the student comprehends basic facts from the story.
• Vocabulary Expansion. The student defines words presented in the story, uses these words in sentences, compares word meanings, and so forth.
• Thinking Questions. In this section, the student responds to thinking questions relating to the information presented in the story.

Examples of Lesson Topics:

• Earthquakes in the United States
• The History of Dolls
• The Navajo Code Talkers
• Names Have Meanings
• Building a Fast Food Restaurant
• Vocabulary Around You
• The White Elephant Expression
• Going to School in Saudi Arabia
• Carnivorous Plants
• Cinco de Mayo
• Marriage Customs

The passages provide opportunities for students to experience new vocabulary in contexts that are interesting and relevant to classroom learning. The book targets thinking and problem-solving skills commonly emphasized in state academic standards. Reproducible worksheets are included.