Vocabulary Journal

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Reading Skills

• Clarifying words or phrases as seen in context of novel
• Organizing vocabulary acquisition through a graphic organizer

Overview of the "Vocabulary Journal" Strategy

Students acquire and retain knowledge of vocabulary in various ways. An effective method is through a vocabulary journal. In this lesson, students will clarify unfamiliar words or phrases by listing them on a chart in their journals. They write what they perceive is the definition by reading and recognizing clues within the sentence or surrounding sentences. They note the type of context clue they used in order to derive the meaning of the word or phrase. This activity should be introduced and applied in conjunction with the lesson on idiomatic expressions.

Activity for the "Vocabulary Journal" Strategy

Prepare the students for this activity by reviewing how to clarify for meaning when confronting unfamiliar words or phrases within the context of the novel Wish You Well. Then have them maintain a vocabulary journal as they read the novel, using and filling out copies of the following blackline master.

Blackline Master
Vocabulary Journal
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Directions: As you read Wish You Well, fill in this graphic organizer by jotting down words or phrases that you clarify.

Blackline Master
Vocabulary from the Novel Wish You Well by David Baldacci
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Words are listed by chapter in their order of their appearance.