The two vocabulary lesson videos chosen for this assignment have several similarities and differences. Both movies emphasize explicit vocabulary training, though they differ in grade level (Kindergarten and 2nd grade) and the specific strategies employed. The teacher can be heard reading aloud from the book “Honk!: The Story of a Prima Swanerina” on the Kindergarten lesson recording (“7. Vocabulary Instruction”, n.d.). During the 90-minute reading period, the teacher introduces, clarifies, illustrates, assesses understanding, and goes over three words from the text with the class using a preset teaching strategy.
On the other hand, the 2nd-grade lesson plan revolves around Becky Bloom’s book “Wolf!” Similar to the Kindergarten video, the teacher selects three terms to teach, emphasizing the definition, teaching, providing examples, and confirming that the pupils understand (“4. Vocabulary Instruction”, n.d.). Using decoding skills, involving students in group and partner activities, exposing them to words several times, and relating the words to the book were among the instructional practices observed.
The two movies share the use of read-aloud books, the choice of specific words for instruction, and the execution of instructional steps such as introducing, explaining, demonstrating, validating learning, and assessing. They both actively engage pupils and strive to enhance vocabulary learning through group and pair replies. The subtle tactics employed in the Kindergarten recording—such as movement and gestures—and in the 2nd-grade video—such as decoding abilities—are where the distinctions lie.
Some of the tactics that were demonstrated in the movie will be useful to me as a future teacher. For instance, when working with Kindergarten students, I would use engagement-boosting strategies including group responses, partner sharing, movement, and facial expressions. Or, while working with 2nd graders, I might use decoding and repetition with larger words to improve retention and comprehension. Moreover, I would adopt the structured, step-by-step approach of the teachers in the videos, as it has clearly yielded good results. As a result, I will include structured instruction, decoding strategies, and student engagement tactics in my teaching style.
References
4. Vocabulary Instruction – 2nd. (n.d.). Explicit Instruction.
7. Vocabulary Instruction – K. (n.d.). Explicit Instruction.