Going Beyond Vocabulary Definitions

More than a single definition, mastering new vocabulary words requires numerous exposures and workings with the word. One of the essential components is that students need to create a visual representation of the word (a drawing). Even the most abstract and conceptual ideas need to be drawn.

Washington Township Elementary teacher Susan Furman has her students regularly work on word explanations and visual representations to increase their understanding of the new words they come across in their reading. Check out the students’ drawings for the words diminish, coaxed, and altitude.