Building Sight Vocabulary

Learning objectives: “Adults should be taught to possess a limited, meaningful sight vocabulary of words, signs and symbols.”

Suggested activities Ask students to locate their own name on the class register.

Ask students to identify their home address from a list.

Ask students to write their date of birth in words.

Ask students to highlight certain days of the week from a diary or a TV guide. Ask students to locate certain months in a diary.

Have a group discussion concentrating on high-frequency words. Make a list of the students’ suggestions and begin to learn these words.

From the list highlight the words in newspaper articles or magazines. Using newspapers, ask students to trace the outline of key words to help them recognise the shape and length of the words.

On an individual basis, ask students to describe themselves/their family and scribe the conversation. Highlight key words and ask students to recognise them. Put these words into a personal list. Have a discussion about how to remember words e.g. writing them on paper and carrying them around, sticking them to the fridge etc. and ask students to choose a preferred method. Encourage students to use this method.

Resource Sheets 1 - 4 can be laminated and cut up. These cards can be used for playing ‘Snap’. Put students into pairs and ensure they have two complete sets of cards per pair. Ensure cards are shuffled prior to the game starting. (Words have been derived from social sight vocabulary.)

Resource Sheets 1 – 4 can be used to play ‘The Memory Game’. In pairs, with two sets of cards, place all the cards face down. Each player takes it in turns to turn two cards over. If they match, they can keep the cards and have another go. The winner is the player with the most cards in their pile.

Resource Sheets 5 – 8 have been derived from the Dolch list and are important key words in learning to read. Although it may be unrealistic for the students to memorise all of these words they may already be familiar with some. Using one card at a time, ask students in pairs to take it in turns to read one of the words with which they are familiar and then put this word into a sentence verbally. Continue until all known words have been read.

Resource Sheets 5 - 8 can be used as bingo cards. Call out a word from the list. Students are to identify that word and place a counter on it. The first player with 3 counters in a row shouts ‘Bingo’ and receives one point. At the end of the game, the student with the most points is the winner. Students with dyslexia may require additional assistance with this activity.

When students are familiar with the words on Resource Sheets 5 – 8 they can also be used for ‘Snap’ or ‘The Memory Game’.

Any of the Resource Sheets can be used to play ‘Word Association’. This can be played as a group activity or in pairs. Call out a word. The next person must call out a word associated with the first. The next person must call out a word associated with the one just spoken (not the ‘starter word’) e.g. coffee-sugar-sweet-chocolate-brown-earth etc. The game ends either when it has gone full circle or when a person is unable to think of an associated word.

When students are familiar with all of the words on the cards they can keep the cards as personal reference sheets. (This may not be applicable until at least Entry Level 3)

Overview

This 180-minute lesson for Year 12 English students in Australia focuses on equipping adults with a limited, meaningful sight vocabulary of words, signs, and symbols. The lesson aligns with the Australian Curriculum v9's emphasis on functional literacy and communication skills, particularly addressing high-frequency words and practical vocabulary recognition. The activities foster collaboration, discussion, and hands-on learning through multimodal resources, including classroom registers, diaries, newspapers, and specially prepared resource sheets.

Australian Curriculum (v9) Alignment

Content Description:
While there is no direct AC content description explicitly about "Adults learning limited sight vocabulary" in the senior English curriculum, this lesson supports the general capabilities of Literacy and Personal and Social Capability, nurturing practical reading and comprehension skills essential for everyday communication.

This lesson addresses:

ACELY1752 (Year 12 English): Understanding the use of language to create meaning, including high-frequency and functional vocabulary.
ACSIS233 (Critical and Creative Thinking): Communicating for a range of purposes and contexts.
Literacy General Capability: Recognising and using high-frequency sight words in everyday contexts.
Personal and Social Capability: Communication skills to function in society meaningfully.

The lesson's focus on sight vocabulary through practical and everyday text sources aligns with the curriculum's goal to develop students’ confidence and competence in comprehending and using texts crucial for daily life.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

Identify and recognise key high-frequency sight words, signs, and symbols relevant to their daily lives.
Locate personal information (name, address, date of birth) in common texts such as registers, lists, and diaries.
Use contextual clues to find days of the week and months in diaries or guides.
Engage in discussions about sight vocabulary, building a personalised word list for ongoing learning.
Play educational games ('Snap', 'Memory Game', 'Word Association', 'Bingo') using resource sheets to reinforce recognition and recall of sight words.
Reflect on and choose memory strategies to support retention of sight vocabulary.

Lesson Duration

Total time: 180 minutes
Class size: 10 students

Materials Needed

Class register with student names
Sample list of addresses
Diaries or TV guides
Newspapers and magazines
Resource Sheets 1 – 8 (laminated and cut into cards)
Pens/highlighters
Counters for Bingo
Paper and writing materials for personal lists

Lesson Outline

1. Introduction and Personal Information Recognition (30 minutes)

Activity: Students locate their own name on the class register.
Activity: From a list, students identify their home address.
Activity: Students write their date of birth in words (e.g., “twentieth of March, nineteen eighty-two”).
Rationale: This personalises learning and connects sight vocabulary to students’ real-life information, enhancing relevance and engagement.

2. Identifying Time-related Sight Words (30 minutes)

Activity: Students highlight specific days of the week in a diary or TV guide.
Activity: Students locate particular months in a diary.
Rationale: Understanding temporal words supports real-life text navigation, enhancing functional literacy skills.

3. Group Discussion: High-Frequency Words (15 minutes)

Activity: Facilitate a group brainstorming session on frequently seen or important words. Create a class list on the board.
Rationale: Promotes shared knowledge and recognises the breadth of meaningful vocabulary students encounter.

4. Applying Sight Words in Real Texts (25 minutes)

Activity: In newspapers or magazines, students highlight chosen high-frequency words from the group list.
Activity: Ask students to trace the outline of key words to visually imprint the shape and length on their memory.
Rationale: Multisensory interaction with words assists recognition and retention.

5. Personalised Description and Word Recognition (20 minutes)

Activity: Individually, students describe themselves or their family verbally while a scribe writes down the conversation.
Activity: Highlight key words in the transcribed text and encourage students to recognise these words.
Activity: Collate these words into personal word lists to take home.
Rationale: Personal interest words increase motivation and meaningful learning.

6. Memory Strategies Discussion (10 minutes)

Activity: Discuss various memory aids such as writing words on paper, sticky notes on the fridge, or carrying cards.
Activity: Students select a preferred method to help remember words and plan to implement it.
Rationale: Encourages independence and self-directed learning techniques.

7. Sight Vocabulary Games (50 minutes)

Snap and Memory Games (Resource Sheets 1–4): In pairs, students play Snap using social sight vocabulary cards.
Memory Game (Resource Sheets 1–4): Students find matched sight words, reinforcing recognition.
Sentence-making with Dolch Words (Resource Sheets 5–8): Students take turns reading words and making verbal sentences to contextualise meaning.
Bingo (Resource Sheets 5–8): Play Bingo reinforcing sight word identification. Additional support is given for students with dyslexia as needed.
Word Association Game: Use any resource sheet cards; students call out associated words in turns in groups or pairs.
Rationale: Games make learning interactive and fun, catering to different learning styles and reinforcing sight vocabulary through repetition and social interaction.

Assessment

Formative: Monitor students’ ability to locate personal info, highlight words, and engage in discussions.
Observation: Participation and accuracy during game play and group discussions.
Personal Lists: Collect and review personal word lists for completeness and word recognition.
Self-Reflection: Students share chosen memory strategies and reflection on their effectiveness.

Differentiation and Support

Provide extra assistance or modified activities for students with reading difficulties or dyslexia.
Use clear, large print on resource sheets and provide verbal support when needed.
Encourage peer support in pair activities.

Extension Ideas

Create digital flashcards or an interactive word wall using classroom tech resources.
Incorporate sight word recognition apps or software tailored for adult learners to complement classroom activities.

Reflection and Follow-up

Encourage students to apply their sight word knowledge in everyday reading outside the classroom.
Plan follow-up sessions to revisit and expand sight vocabulary, using student feedback to adapt activities.

This lesson, grounded in practical literacy skills, encourages active student engagement and fosters meaningful word recognition essential for adults' everyday literacy, as guided by the Australian Curriculum's emphasis on functional literacy and lifelong learning competencies.

If teachers need further alignment or differentiation guidance, they may consider linking activities to specific Australian Curriculum English content descriptions relevant to Year 12 functional literacy and speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills.

If you need me to create detailed resource sheets or any specific scripting for activities, please let me know!

Teaching Instructions