Strategy: Vocabulary Anticipation

Method: Word Sort

1. After sharing information about an upcoming book, have students predict words that might be found in the text. Record the words on a chart.

2. Create a list of words that must be known for a successful independent reading, including high frequency and text specific words. Spelling lists can also be used for word sorting.

3. Using the list, have students make word cards for sorting. Each child needs word cards containing the vocabulary. Ask the students to complete a variety of word sorts. The sort can be open (student independently discerns a pattern) or closed (the teacher provides the sort pattern).

4. Possible patterns for word sorts are below.

5. Students can record the word sort results on the attached tracking form.

6. After reading, compare predicted words with those found in the book.

Semantic Sorts

· antonyms

· synonyms

· words that describe____

· words that are related to____

Syntactic Sorts

· nouns

· verbs

· adjectives

· prepositions

· articles

· morphemes (prefixes, suffixes, plurals, possessives, etc)

Graphophonic Sorts

· letters or letter patterns

· phonograms (clusters)

· beginning sounds

· ending sounds

· vowels

· sounds or sounds patterns

· number of syllables

· compound words

Word Sorts

Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Day 4	Day 5
Words
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Pattern

Name:____________________________