You know how sometimes you think you have a good idea, only to have your students end up not as interested as you? Well, I wasn’t sure about having a Vocabulary Parade to celebrate Dr. Seuss’s birthday and Read Across America, but this event turned out great!! The kids learned so much and it was FUN! This wasn’t a school-wide event, I just did it in my SDC class. I sent a simple letter home telling families to help their child come up with a word they that they would want to dress up like on Friday. It could not be a Halloween costume. I had some pictures from the internet with things like popcorn and apple. Some kids came up with their own costume and we helped those who didn’t bring one Friday morning.. so 100% of the class, including adults, had a costume and/or sign with an object or picture of their very own word, along with the definition. We practiced having a “fashion show” where students had to say their word loud and clear (which was enough for my students with speech disorders). After videotaping, we watched ourselves (this helped some realize they had to be louder.) Then we took our show “on the road” to about 3 other classes (including speech room and office). The kids got so much positive attention, practiced using their words, and they loved every second of it! Moreover – and this is the part I didn’t anticipate at all – since we were done by 10:00 recess, they got all their energy and hyperness out of their systems… and were calm the whole rest of the day! Note to self: don’t make them wait until afternoon for fun things all the time!
Words chosen: monkey, race car, popcorn, dolphin, playing card, math, policeman, popcorn again- I let more than one kid have the same word, lion, heart, watermelon, apple, and rabbit.
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