Vocabulary Instruction with Visuals

Every time we start to read a new book, I always devote at least two-three days working with the new vocabulary within the text.

Since my classroom doesn't have a Smartboard, last year I had to think of creative, low-tech ways to incorporate visuals into Each day, we work on a different strategy to learn the words, such as playing a matching game with visuals:













This year, I was able to at least get a projector that I can hook up to an iPad to get a little more high tech.  With this new access to technology, I decided it would be fun to create some visual presentations for my students to go along with vocabulary instruction.

When I first starting playing around with Animoto, I made a short, 1 minute presentation on just the vocabulary words I would be introducing in my small reading group, The Hyrax.  When I showed it to the students they were engaged and excited to be looking a real images to make connections with the words.  They even asked to watch it a second time!

Given that I had such great success with this short clip, I decided to take the vocabulary video one step further and add in an interactive component.  After students watch the introduction to the words, students can then "test their knowledge" and see how many of the words they can correctly match up with the correct picture.  Again, the students loved looking at the colorful pictures and trying to figure out which word matched each picture.  I will definitely be using this web tool again for my other reading group books!




You can also check out this article from LD Online (which was actually written by one of my undergraduate professors at Southern!) that gives some other helpful information and tips on how to teach vocabulary to students with learning disabilities: Vocabulary Assessment and Instruction.
What are some ways you have had success with teaching vocabulary to students with learning disabilities?