A vital part of communication is vocabulary. Share the vocabulary unique to your subject using this free interactive site.
https://quizlet.com/
Quizlet is a great, free service that allows you to create personalized vocabulary lists for your students. This is my Quizlet page, with all my earth science vocabulary. You create a free login, then create a unit at a time. (They call them sets.) Students can access it anonymously, or create their own account to join your class.
I like that as you type in a new word, it offers you a list of definitions that others have used. You can use one of theirs, create your own entirely, or edit theirs to fit your needs. It saves typing time! Plus, you can add images from their stock. (If you want to add your own images, you have to pay for the service.) If you find that you like someone else's unit, just add that entire unit to your class.
Once you've made your unit(s), give your students a link to your class page or to the unit page directly. Now they can choose to print out flashcards, test themselves, or play games with the terms. The Speller is a helpful tool - it's like a traditional spelling test where they hear the word & have to spell it. When we have free class time, I post the Scatter game on the Promethean/SmartBoard, then have students stand in line & match the word to the definition. It times them, and students get competitive about beating other classes or working individually to improve their time.
If you have students create their own account with Quizlet, they can register for your class. Now, when you log in, you'll see who has been signed in & what they've been practicing. Maybe have this as a homework assignment!
Whenever you start a new unit, email/text the link to that unit's Quizlet so students can start working on the vocabulary. This extra communication piece really helps! Parents of students with reading difficulties or who need extra time studying for tests really appreciate getting it early on in the unit. English language learners should also spend time with this site.
Quizlet is a great, free service that allows you to create personalized vocabulary lists for your students. This is my Quizlet page, with all my earth science vocabulary. You create a free login, then create a unit at a time. (They call them sets.) Students can access it anonymously, or create their own account to join your class.
I like that as you type in a new word, it offers you a list of definitions that others have used. You can use one of theirs, create your own entirely, or edit theirs to fit your needs. It saves typing time! Plus, you can add images from their stock. (If you want to add your own images, you have to pay for the service.) If you find that you like someone else's unit, just add that entire unit to your class.
Once you've made your unit(s), give your students a link to your class page or to the unit page directly. Now they can choose to print out flashcards, test themselves, or play games with the terms. The Speller is a helpful tool - it's like a traditional spelling test where they hear the word & have to spell it. When we have free class time, I post the Scatter game on the Promethean/SmartBoard, then have students stand in line & match the word to the definition. It times them, and students get competitive about beating other classes or working individually to improve their time.
If you have students create their own account with Quizlet, they can register for your class. Now, when you log in, you'll see who has been signed in & what they've been practicing. Maybe have this as a homework assignment!
Whenever you start a new unit, email/text the link to that unit's Quizlet so students can start working on the vocabulary. This extra communication piece really helps! Parents of students with reading difficulties or who need extra time studying for tests really appreciate getting it early on in the unit. English language learners should also spend time with this site.