Teacher to Teacher - May 2008 - (Page 2) Fostering Verbal Skills— Talking (and Writing) in School One student, a history buff, consumes every book he can find on World War II. His knowledge of weaponry and war strategy amazes everyone. Another student, however, shows little interest in anything that smacks of history, favoring biology, or more specifically, zoology, with an eye toward becoming a veterinarian. You are delighted with these interests and encouraged that the students pursue them with enthusiasm. You anticipate that they might be pursuits that will carry the students through their teen years and into adulthood. Perhaps they might develop into careers. The students are bright; they do well in their schoolwork; they perform above average on their yearly achievement tests. They have mapped out a collegeprep course of study for their high school years. Is there anything else teachers and parents can do to give them that academic edge as they seek admission and success in college? The rite of passage into college admission is the ACT or SAT college entrance exam. Colleges in the East and West usually require the SAT, and schools in the Midwest and South tend to prefer the ACT. The tests are comparable in that they both emphasize math/ science (analytical) skills and English/reading (verbal) skills. And the analytical scores and verbal scores rank equally in both tests. But, if all other considerations are equal, most college admissions officers give more weight to verbal scores. Research shows that academic achievement in college is closely aligned with the mastery of cognitive (thinking) skills associated with verbal abilities: namely, reading and writing. So, while students are focusing on a college-prep course of study, they also need to be developing those all-important verbal skills. Reading If students are already readers, that is certainly a plus. You want to encourage their interests. But encourage them to broaden their reading to include not only their favorites but also a variety of authors and genres, both fiction and non-fiction. Don’t ignore the classics in literature! Research has shown that the literature of the nineteenth century (both British and American) is particularly enriching in vocabulary and usage. But the writings of the twentieth century are useful as well. You will want to be ready to discuss the troubling themes, but the moral and spiritual maturity teens can develop by exposure to these issues will be advantageous. Vocabulary The habit of reading challenging publications and books will undoubtedly help build a student’s working vocabulary. Teachers can foster that development by encouraging him to make up his own vocabulary list. When he meets an unfamiliar word in his reading, he should immediately look it up and enter the definition into a notebook he keeps for just such a purpose. He should learn to use the word correctly— practice its use in both speaking and writing. A word root study is also helpful. Word roots provide a clue to the word’s meaning, even when the word itself is unfamiliar. If possible, students should be studying a foreign language. Many colleges require two years of a foreign language for admission, but that study will also help a student with his mastery of English. Not only does it help to reinforce grammar, but Latin and the Romance languages also provide the origin for many of our English words. Another way to reinforce both grammar and vocabulary skills is to require correct usage in everyday conversation. You should use correct grammar and expect it of your students. Make a conversation game of using new vocabulary Teacher to Teacher balanced perspectives in education Executive Editor Dawn L. Watkins Assistant Editor E. Anne Smith Creative Director Elly Kalagayan Graphic Designer Kelley Moore Advertising Coordinator Kathy Johnston Photography Ablestock, p. 2 Courtesy BJU Australia Mission Team, p. 5 (bottom) iStockphoto, p. 1 (both), pp. 4–7 (background), p. 8 Joyce Landis, p. 4, p. 6 Darlene Matzko, p. 5 (top) Brett Zukowski, p. 7 © 2008 by BJU Press, Greenville, SC 29614-0060. Teacher to Teacher is published five times a year by BJU Press and Bob Jones University School of Education. U.S. subscriptions are free. All rights reserved. Send all correspondence and changes of address to Teacher to Teacher, BJU Press, Greenville, SC 29614-0060. 1.800.845.5731 www.bjupress.com t2t@bjupress.com page 2 Teacher to Teacher | May 2008 http://www.bjupress.com
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Teacher to Teacher - May 2008 Teacher to Teacher - May 2008 Teacher to Teacher - May 2008 - (Page Intro) Teacher to Teacher - May 2008 - (Page 1) Teacher to Teacher - May 2008 - (Page 2) Teacher to Teacher - May 2008 - (Page 3) Teacher to Teacher - May 2008 - (Page 4) Teacher to Teacher - May 2008 - (Page 5) Teacher to Teacher - May 2008 - (Page 6) Teacher to Teacher - May 2008 - (Page 7) Teacher to Teacher - May 2008 - (Page 8)
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