Word closet
Word Closets give students an additional classroom resource for “researching” the correct spelling of words to use in their daily writing. Word Closets are particularly focused toward concept words, season words, and favorite words that students like to use in their writing but may need help with spelling.
A lesson plan for grades 2–4 English Language Arts
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Related topics
- Learn more about language arts, pre-writing, and vocabulary.
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Learning outcomes
Students will learn valuable tools to “research” the spelling of words.
Teacher planning
Time required for lesson
30 minutes
Materials/resources
- poster board
- markers
- clothes hangers
- masking tape
- chart stand
Activities
- Each chart will be made as the need arises or when the time is appropriate, such as, when writing needs to be focused and students help brainstorm words.
- For example, when students are writing stories about their family or friends it would be wise to first brainstorm a “Family and Friends Word List” and place those words on a chart (mother, father, grandpa, cousin, aunt, best friend, etc.) or when writing stories about “Fun Places to Go” have a chart listing such places as Carowinds, Disneyworld, McDonald’s Playland, Myrtle Beach, etc.
- Other charts could be: Weather Words, Christmas Words, Action Words, Cooking Words, Vacation Words, School Words, Math Words, Game Words, etc.
- Tape each chart to a separate clothes hanger. Each chart will hang in the “Word Closet” until students need to find a particular word. Then the chart becomes a useful class resource.
Assessment
- contribute to the word closet
- refer to the word closet throughout the year
North Carolina curriculum alignment
English Language Arts (2004)
Grade 2
- Goal 5: The learner will apply grammar and language conventions to communicate effectively.
- Objective 5.02: Attend to spelling, mechanics, and format for final products in one's own writing.
Grade 3
- Goal 5: The learner will apply grammar and language conventions to communicate effectively.
- Objective 5.06: Proofread own writing for spelling and correct most misspellings independently with reference to resources (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, word walls).
Grade 4
- Goal 5: The learner will apply grammar and language conventions to communicate effectively.
- Objective 5.06: Proofread and correct most misspellings independently with reference to resources (e.g., dictionaries, thesauri, glossaries, computer spell-checks, and other classroom sources).
- Common Core State Standards
- English Language Arts (2010)
Language
- Grade 2
- 2.L.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. 2.L.2.1 Capitalize holidays, product names, and geographic names. 2.L.2.2 Use commas in greetings and closings of letters. 2.L.2.3 Use...
- 2.L.6 Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts, including using adjectives and adverbs to describe (e.g., When other kids are happy that makes me happy).
- Grade 3
- 3.L.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. 3.L.2.1 Capitalize appropriate words in titles. 3.L.2.2 Use commas in addresses. 3.L.2.3 Use commas and quotation marks in dialogue. 3.L.2.4...
- 3.L.6 Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate conversational, general academic, and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal spatial and temporal relationships (e.g., After dinner that night we went looking for them).
- Grade 4
- 4.L.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. 4.L.2.1 Use correct capitalization. 4.L.2.2 Use commas and quotation marks to mark direct speech and quotations from a text. 4.L.2.3 Use...
- 4.L.6 Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal precise actions, emotions, or states of being (e.g., quizzed, whined, stammered) and that are basic to a particular topic...
- Grade 2
- English Language Arts (2010)
