Cause and effect study

A study of the words someone used and the reaction by the person who hears them.

Students consider how a character speaks or the author writes, and determines the effects, positive or negative. This can be done by a T-chart, graphic organizer, or discussion. Also, a study of other ways something might be said and how the reaction might be different.

Character analysis

Students study how a particular character speaks, including the word choices, phrasing, tone, etc., and what the manner of speaking indicates about the character.

This could be used as a preliminary step to a cause and effect study.

Choral reading

Small or large group of students read aloud together multiple times, with in-between discussion of the phrasing, emphasis, or tone of voice.

Close-reading

Students conduct an in-depth examination of particular word choices and the intended and received messages that those choices communicate.

Discussion

Small groups discuss responses to questions about language use, word choices, cause and effect, and multiple ways to communicate the same idea.

Explicit instruction

The teacher directly teaches particular word choices, sentences, and ways to communicate various ideas; teaches specific language patterns for the students to use, such as how to ask a question or respectfully indicate disagreement.

Graphic organizers followed by discussion

Individual students or small groups work on a graphic organizer about words, such as multiple words with similar meanings, effect of language choices, connotative meanings of words, or character analysis of speech and word patterns.

This is a good preliminary step for meaningful interaction in a discussion to share similar or different interpretations.

Guided oral reading

A highly recommended strategy.

One student reads aloud, and the teacher or another student listens. The student receives feedback on phrasing, expression, and emphasis, and then reads the same passage aloud. This can occur with multiple repetitions.

Reading and writing skits

After reading a skit together, students discuss the various characters, expressions, tone, etc., and then the students take roles in the skit to read aloud. The same skit should be read more than once, with discussion and feedback between each reading.

Revising and rewording

Students identify other ways to say the same thing, whether revising an expression entirely or simply changing words to produce a different effect.

Rhyming and “word play”

Students find as many rhymes as possible for a particular word. This can be in the form of a contest to see who can identify the most words. Another way is to use rhyming poetry or songs and change the rhyming words to other rhyming words to change the meaning. This can get a bit silly, which is fun.

Short-answer questions

Students respond to the teacher’s open-ended questions about word choices, language use, appropriate expressions for a particular situation, etc.

Student-created questions followed by discussion

Same as short-answer questions, but the students generate the questions. After the short-answers are given, the teacher leads a discussion about differences in the answers, and students may keep or modify their responses.

Teaching language patterns

The teacher directly teaches particular word choices, sentences, and ways to communicate various ideas; teaches specific language patterns for the students to use, such as how to ask a question or respectfully indicate disagreement. Students practice the patterns and then use them in discussion or mock-situations.

Text analysis followed by discussion

Students analyze a character’s or author’s use of the language, with attention paid to the character’s / author’s style and whether or not the style supports the purpose.

Word Groups

Students use a graphic organizer or create a list of words that have similar meanings or purposes.

Writing prompts followed by discussion

Similar to short-answer questions, but the students write their response before discussing them as a small group. The prompts may also be topics for reflection.