Acronyms,+synonyms,+antonyms+and+more


 * Acronyms**

An acronym is a shortened version of a series of words that make a phrase, for example, ANZAC. While acronyms are useful in the English language and assist us in communicating more effectively, they are very hard for ESL students as they can’t be looked up in the dictionary to obtain meaning or clarification, and so confusion is created. Because of this, when teaching acronyms to ESL students, it is wise to focus on the acronyms they may come across in everyday life.

__SPACEQUEST Acronym__

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This is a poster that can be put up around the room. While it is directed at assisting with writing and acts as a checklist, it can stimulate a discussion about what an acronym is. Also by having visual acronyms displayed around the room acts as a constant reminder of what an acronym might be. This resource is directed at level 4, mainly because the writing the acronym is aimed at is at level 4, although it can also be introduced earlier. For use in the classroom, I would start the discussion by talking about the attributes of an acronym. For example, why are the letters of SPACEQUEST all capital? This would then assist with ESL students to recognise that when they see a word that is in all capital letters, it may stand for something, rather than them wasting their time trying to locate the word in the dictionary.


 * Synonyms**

A synonym is a word has the same or almost the same meaning as another word. A word may have one synonym or many. For example, pain, ache, discomfort. Having lists of synonyms that students use in their writing displayed around the classroom is extremely useful for students who may be struggling with their writing.

__'If you were a synonym' - Michael Dahl__

This is a picture story book aimed at level 2 to 3. It is available as a picture story book or as an e-book, which is useful in the 21st century classroom. An e-book also means that it is cheaper and therefore more accessible in every classroom. It provides the meaning of a synonum while also giving examples. It also uses pictures as well as words which assists younger students learning to read as well as ESL or dyslexic students who can use the pictures and still understand fully. While this is a great resource for introducing what a synonym is, it’s also useful to have around the classroom so that students can access at any time they like, whether they would like to refresh their understanding or stuck when writing.

__Synonym Flash Cards__

[|http://www.firstschoolyears.com/literacy/word/other/synonyms/synonyms.htm__]

This resource would be best aimed at level two students. It can be useful as a simple activity when introducing students to synonyms and developing their writing. If you were to design a class set and pair the students up they can play mix and match with the cards.

__Student Activity Centre__

[|http://www.sadlier-oxford.com/phonics/synonyms/synonyms.htm__]

This is the same game as the antonym game listed further down the page. It can be adapted to suit the varying needs of students by creating your own game using flash cards. The students could also be asked to use this game as a basis to create their own synonym or antonym challenge which they could then play against the other members of the classroom.

__'What's another word for..? What's the opposite of..?' J. Wolf, September, 2003__

[|http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3887__]

This is a great article for teachers to make reference to when teaching students about synonyms and antonyms. There are a number of activities and games that would all be useful in the classroom and can be adapted to any year level of primary school. Quite a few of the activities are group or partner based which assists ESL students who may need a partner to help them understand the task a bit better. All these games/activities are based around the assumption that students already have an understanding of what antonyms and synonyms are so would be best used in an older classroom or as an extension or reinforcement of the ideas.

__Bitesize Games__ __﻿__﻿ [|http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks1bitesize/literacy/synomyms/__] This is a great game for younger students to play. It uses simple words and requires them to find the synonym of the word, the game refers to a synonym as a word with a similar meaning. The students can choose the setting of the game by playing medium, hard or very hard, which allows the students to adapt it to their level. This is useful for ESL students as they can play the game at their own level without feeling embarrassed for not being at the same place as the rest of the class.


 * Antonyms**

An antonym is a word that has the opposite meaning to another word, for example, ancient vs. modern.

__'If you were an antonym' - Nancy Loewen__

This is from the same series of picture story books as if you were a synonym. It is also aimed at level 2 to 3 students. While it can be useful having around the classroom for older students, it would be more beneficial as an introduction to antonyms for younger primary (I.e. level two).

__Student Activity Centre - Antonyms__

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This is a game that would be directed at older students, probably level four as the language is a bit more advanced. It requires students to have a full understanding of what an antonym is as the game requires you to match the words up. It also requires the students to have quite a large vocabulary, which may not be suited to ESL students. The game runs quite quickly as well so for dyslexic students who may take a bit longer to read the words that pop up, it may not be well suited. This can be overcome though by creating a similar game using flash card that are made up by the teacher. This is better suited as it gives the ESL or dyslexic students a bit more of an opportunity to read the words they are presented with, as well they are able to look up any words they don’t understand in the dictionary. The game can also be scaffolded in this way for younger students, using simpler words, or even picture cards to show the antonym.

__Learning Antonyms__

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This website is made up of different word games that students can play. There are many different types of games however the link above will take teachers to a specific game where students need to choose whether the words that come up are antonyms or synonyms. This is a quick activity that can be done as a refresher in a higher level or as a starting point for younger year levels. Using a game like this as a form of diagnostic assessment is a great way to introduce students to these terms. Each game has higher levels and the website can also direct the students to more challenging games/quizzes so that students can extend themselves when they feel ready. This form of structure accommodates ESL learners who may take a little bit longer to complete the game because they need to look up definitions. It can also assist with their confidence if they try the game a second time and get better and better at it.

There are two types of homonyms; homophones and homographs. //Homographs:// are words that have the same spelling, can have the same pronunciation but have different meanings, for example, row (as in boat) and row (as in fight), band (as in hair band) and band (as in music). //Homophones:// are words that have the same pronunciation but different spelling or meanings. For example, meet and meat, sea and see.
 * Homonyms**

__Homophones Word Bank:__

[|http://www.firstschoolyears.com/literacy/word/other/homonyms/homonyms.htm__]

Having a list like this on display in the classroom will assist with students spelling and understanding. This type of list would be useful to have displayed in the classroom for any grade or level. Students can be asked to contribute their own when they come across them either in their own writing or a book they might be reading. It would also be quite useful for ESL students as they can have a reference sheet to aid their understanding and hopefully lessen their confusion when words sound the same but mean completely different things.

__Skillwise Website:__

[|http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/words/spelling/recognising/homophones/index.shtml__]

This website offers a range of fact sheets, games, quizzes and worksheets all to do with homophones. Students can explore this website at their own pace and take from it what they want. It is also useful for teachers to access if they are wanting to teach their students about homophones as it includes a range of activities and even a section for tutor notes. This is directed at European countries although any teacher can sort through and get valuable ideas and activities.

__Homonym Reference Sheet:__

[|http://www.enchantedlearning.com/english/homonyms/__]

This is a great resource that offers students many examples of different types of homonyms. They vary in complexity and length and so could really be shown at any level of primary school. While every student may not know every single word or even use them in everyday writing or speech, having them as a reference gives the students a little bit of a push to understand more complex words. I would use this sheet by having it stuck in the students writing book, either on the back or front cover. It could also be in their reader folders. The reason for this is that they can quickly access the reference sheet, but also, if they come across a word in their reading that doesn’t make sense in the rest of the sentence, they can refer to this sheet and see if that word is perhaps a homonym. They can also add to their sheet when they come across other homonyms and also it will broaden the students’ vocabulary as they will be forced to look these words up if they're wanting to understand them better. In the national curriculum planning for the English strand, there is a steer towards “deliberate attention” being “given to expanding students’ vocabulary resources and developing their literal and inferential comprehension” (ACARA, 2009).


 * Paragraphs**

VELs states that in level 3, “students are expected to write texts containing several logically ordered paragraphs that express opinions and include ideas and information about familiar topics” and in level 4, “students explore the relationship between the purpose and audience of texts and their structures and features, for example: sentence and paragraph structure“ (VCAA, 2010). It is also intended in the planning of the National Curriculum English strand that students will “learn to write grammatically clear, purposefully constructed, coherent sentences, paragraphs and texts” (ACARA, 2009). As both the current curriculum and the proposed national curriculum expects correct teaching of paragraphing in primary schools, we have included some helpful resources and links below.

__Graphic Organisers__

[|http://www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/pdf/sandwich.pdf__]

These can help scaffold the students ideas and allows them to make clear and concise paragraphs. Using an example of an actual authors work will deepen their level of understanding. Together as a class, you could destruct the paragraph and put the main ideas in the graphic organiser as a modelling activity. This level of organisation would be suited for upper primary students, level three or four. By breaking down the paragraph using the graphic organiser would also assist ESL students as it allows access to a step by step process and is clear to follow.

__Hamburger Metaphor__ [|http://www.teachthis.com.au/products/view-resource/link/Parts-of-a-Paragraph/id/1654/__]

This is a poster that can displayed around the classroom as a constant reference. It uses a familiar metaphor of a hamburger to describe the structure of paragraphs. This would be useful in almost any classroom although I would probably direct it more at a level three or four classroom. Structuring paragraphs like the poster is describing is a little bit more advanced and probably too much so for younger students. It can be used to assist with advanced writing for argumentative writing or even more detailed or complex narratives.

__Purdue OWL:__

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This resource is directed at teachers wanting to introduce paragraphs. It describes to the teacher what are the sections of a paragraph and what should go in each section. The teacher would then need to adapt this information to a more coherent example when teaching the class. For example, using a hand. The students use their hand to structure their paragraphs. Each finger represents one section of the paragraph.


 * Figurative Language:**

This is language where you describe something by comparing it to someone else. According to VELs, in level three, “students use a range of strategies to interpret the main ideas and purpose of texts - interpreting figurative language or linking information from headings“. In level 4, “they being to use simple figurative language and visual images” in their writing (VCAA, 2010).

__Figurative Language Resource Page:__

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This page is handy for students to either display in the classroom or even in the back of their writing books as a quick reference. This resource page can be directed towards any level, from one to four. It can be adapted using pictures and different examples to suit the different year levels and understanding. The students can even create their own resource page by writing their own example. This would not only demonstrate their understanding but also, it means that students can use their own language and are therefore more likely to understand it later when they refer to the page. Using pictures and simple language is useful for ESL students. Having something that they can refer to whenever they need it and easily accessible in the back of their books is quite important for ESL students. It means that if they are stuck on something or not understanding something fully, they aren’t distracted from their work, walking around the classroom trying to find the information, or even asking another student and distracting that student from their work. They can just flip to the back of their book and find the answer that they need.

__Picture Story Books:__

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The best and most familiar examples of figurative language can often be found in picture story books. You can pick almost any picture story book located in the classroom off the shelf and find a perfect example of figurative language. Beth Olshansky demonstrates this in her book and video, ‘the power of pictures: creating pathways to literacy through art, grades K-6' (see link above). She uses picture story books to talk about personification, so that students can then go off and enhance their writing through the use of personification.


 * Simile:**

A simile uses the words “like” or “as” to compare one object or idea with another to suggest they are alike. For example, busy as a bee.

__Poetry__

//An emerald is as green as grass,// //A ruby red as blood;// //A sapphire shines as blue as heaven;// //A flint lies in the mud.// //A diamond is a brilliant stone,// //To catch the world's desire;// //An opal holds a fiery spark;// //But a flint holds a fire.// //Christina Rossetti//
 * //Jewels//**
 * //1830-1894//**

Poetry is a magnificent example of similes. Students aren’t necessarily exposed to poetry as much as other forms of writing and so exposing students to this form of writing, even just as an example is a useful task. The simile examples in this poem are quite obvious and so can be used for any year level and also with all students, despite their learning capabilities. Because the writing is simple, you can ask the students to use similes to write a poem. For younger students this could be just two or three lines and perhaps either give them a theme to focus on or a choice of a few different themes, for example, animals. For older students who may have already had a bit more of an exposure to poetry, you would want them to do a longer poem using similes. Older students would probably need less direction and so they would choose their own themes, this can be adapted for different learning capabilities though and maybe if an ESL student is finding the task difficult due to not having as large a vocabulary, the teacher can give them a theme and possibly even some key words to use, depending on the situation. Part of the national curriculum planning for English, from prep to year two, students are intended to be exposed to a variety of literary texts, including picture story books, poems and many more. “They listen to teachers and others read respond to reading” (ACARA, 2009).


 * Aliteration:**

Alliteration is the repetition of the same initial letter, sound or group of sounds in a series of words.

__Dr. Seuss__

Dr. Suess’ books are full of alliteration examples and as almost every student would have access and exposure to his books, they make for great references when describing alliteration. For example, the second line of ‘The Lorax’ by Dr. Seuss reads “where the Grickle-grass grows”.

__Aliteration Word Bank__

This is a worksheet with four columns; adjectives, names, verbs and nouns. The aim of the activity is to choose a word from each column to make an ‘tongue twister’. This activity can be made really fun if you pair the students up and get them to share their tongue twisters. Who can make the trickiest/creative tongue twister? It can be adapted to almost any year level by changing the complexity of the words in the word bank. As the game can be worked out by focusing on a single letter or sound, it doesn’t really need to be modified for ESL or dyslexic students.


 * Metaphor:**

A metaphor states a fact or draws a verbal picture by the use of a comparison. In comparison with a simile that says you are like something, a metaphor says you are something.

__Think Quest - Introduction to Poetry__

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This site is fantastic for an introduction to not only reading and writing poetry but also to figurative language in general. Students can click on the headings to find out the definitions for different components of figurative language. There is links to classic poems as well as links to authors. Along the way there are quizzes to test the students understanding which not only reinforces the information but also acts as a little challenge for the students. The last option on the website is called post your poetry, this is a space where students can actually send in their own poems and it will get displayed on the website. It is always important for students to have an authentic audience for their writing and publishing their writing on a website is the ultimate. Whether it’s a one off activity or an entire unit on poetry, this is something students would really value accomplishing. The students can also read other students poetry that has already been published.


 * Personification:**

A figure of speech in which human characteristics are given to an animal or an object.

__Poetry__

//I like to see it lap the miles,// //And lick the valleys up,// //And stop to feed itself at tanks;// //And then, prodigious, step//

//Around a pile of mountains,// //And, supercilious, peer// //In shanties by the sides of roads;// //And then a quarry pare// //To fit its sides, and crawl between, Complaining all the while// //In horrid, hooting stanza;// //Then chase itself down hill//

//And neigh like Boanerges;// //Then, punctual as a start its own,// //Stop-docile and omnipotent-// //A stable door.// //The Railway Train - Emily Dickinson//

Once again, poetry is a great source for figurative language examples. In this poem by Emily Dickinson, we can see obvious examples of personification. She describes the train feeding ‘itself at tanks’. Showing students how authors use these techniques to enhance their writing helps them understand how they can apply it to their own work.

__Brainstorming Graphic Organisation:__

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This graphic organiser allows students to organise their thoughts and learn how to use personification in a sentence. It can be quite confusing for younger students and ESL learners to apply personification correctly as they may be unsure when to apply it or may tend to overuse it which limits it’s effectiveness. This particular worksheet would assist these students to understand when and why personification can be used. I would use this in a level two or three classroom although it could be adapted to a level four classroom by changing the complexity.