Evelyn Ford-Conners
Boston University

What are some of the basic ways to introduce students to new words?

• User-friendly definitions as an entry point
• Relying on dictionary problematic
• Understandable context necessary at first exposures to new words
  
  

Does using a simplified definition as a starting point "dumb down" the process of learning the nuances of word meanings?

• Meaningful introduction, not the "end-all and be-all"...
• Can use word immediately, but through experience the students find that there are shades of meaning that differentiate similar words such as "able" and "eligible"
  

Help us understand how this teacher broadens the definition of "eligible" from the simplified version (to be able).

• Building on definition with student input
• Nuances exposed with concrete example that students really understand
  
  
  
  

What is meant by "mapping" a word?

• Graphically organizes discussion in progress & helpful summarizing technique
• Assesses student understanding of meaning during discussion
• Categorization/organization of ideas on maps assists students and teachers in making necessary associations to learn material more deeply
• Allows the teacher to model the process of organizing ideas, i.e., bringing order to the chaos of what may seem like random and/or unrelated elicitations from students
  

What are some effective teaching strategies that support the classroom use of Word Generation?

• Introducing words in ways that help students explore
• Encouraging use of words in discussion
• Including all students
• Allowing mistakes...learning is incremental
• Necessary time devoted to Word Generation
  

Is this just the latest faddish thing?

• Understandable that teachers would be skeptical
• Word Generation is not a script
• Academic vocabulary helps students do better in all curriculum areas