We began a slow return to our regular school schedule this week.
We started off the morning with family school — student planners opened up and reviewed scripture verses and vocabulary.
The kids had already made a card for each vocabulary word showing part of speech, definition, synonyms and antonyms, along with sentences and pictures illustrating each word. Many times we incorporated vocabulary into free writes, challenging the kids to create a short story in 10 minutes using their vocabulary words. We have had a lot of laughs over their stories.
I wanted to do a quick review of last semester’s vocabulary, so I told the kids to get out their cards and sort them alphabetically.
They have a LOT of cards, about 90.
There was some groaning, but even more laughing. It perked everyone right up and was a nice, gentle way to ease back into school.
AND the vocabulary card sorting got the kids looking at their vocabulary words, jiggling those little memory wires in their brain, burying those words deeper into long-term memory. At least, that is my hope.
Prairie Sings 