Vocabulary

I included a copy of the unit 5 affix answer key just so you can see what I expect them to be able to produce. Also, I included an attachment that is the unit 5 test so you could see question #24. I would write a fictitious word on the board during the test that the students copy on the line. They then proceed to follow the directions for item #24 on the test with the word. I give a different fictitious word to each class period so that the students cannot share the word with each other and corrupt the results of the test.
 * Affix activity for Sadlier-Oxford Level B (7th grade)**



Vocabulary: Sadlier-Oxford, Level B (7th grade) --Robin
The context clues (set 1) and matching handouts are retyped from the Sadlier-Oxford book definitions and examples. The 2nd set of context clues sentences are written by Laurel Smith (NPHS) and Robin Glowatz.

Here's how I've taught using these: 1. minilessons on context clues strategies (keywords, part of speech, fill-in-the-blank, connotations/tone, etc.) 2. pair students (high/low ability level); each student gets either set 1 (from book) or set 2 (teacher-written) 3. pairs work together to predict meanings of words. Predictions do not have to be right, only "reasonable." 4. work together to match words with definitions on matching sheet. 5. **//This is the important step...//** as a class, go over the "matching." Have students explain //why// they predicted each meaning--don't just say that it's "right" or "wrong." For me, this often includes prompting students to explain what keywords they thought of, what kinds of things the words might mean, whether the word sounded like it was a "good" or "bad" thing, and giving lots of encouragement: "That's not the correct answer, but it was definitely a reasonable guess!" or, even, "I'm not sure what your reasoning was for predicting that meaning... was it more of just a guess than an educated guess?" This takes a lot of encouragement and scaffolding at the beginning of the year--metacognition is a skill that many of them do NOT have--but the kids really do pick up on it and are fluent in it soon!
 * Note: We don't have a second set written for 8th grade at this point.*