The LINCS Vocabulary Strategy

1. The LINCS Vocabulary Strategy

2. cue card #1AN EFFECTIVE LEARNING STRATEGY A systematic plan for learning that includes "thinking smart" and using a set of thinking tactics. Example: Using the words "CAME FAR" to remember the names of the countries that fought with the United States during World War II: Canada Australia Mexico England France America Russia

3. cue card #2CHARACTERISTICS OF STRATEGIC LEARNERS • Who they are: • They are active learners. • They think carefully about what they are learning. • They understand information better. • They learn things easier. • They learn more information. • They remember better what they have studied. • What they do: • They set goals and work toward them. • They ask questions to ensure understanding. • They change and manipulate information to makeunderstanding and remembering easier. • They spend less time studying. • They use effective strategies for learning and expressinginformation.

4. cue card #3ALL ABOUT THE LINCS STRATEGY A strategy for remembering the meaning of new words ALWAYS • Helps you remember the meaning of a new word. • Focuses your attention on the parts of the definitionyou need to remember. • Uses knowledge you already have to help youlearn new knowledge (learning by association). • Involves testing yourself to check whether you canrecall the meaning of the new word.

5. cue card #3aALL ABOUT THE LINCS STRATEGY A strategy for remembering the meaning of new words SOMETIMES • Helps you remember the meaning of some words in a list of related words. • Is easy to apply to some words; is difficult to applyto other words. • Involves leaving out some steps because they arenot needed.

6. cue card #3bALL ABOUT THE LINCS STRATEGY A strategy for remembering the meaning of new words NEVER • Is used to memorize a series of items in a list orsteps in a process. • Is used to memorize a passage or a poem. • Is used when you already know what the wordmeans. • Is used when a different strategy is better formemorizing a particular word.

7. cue card #3cALL ABOUT THE LINCS STRATEGY Use LINCS to remember: • The aorta is the major artery taking blood out of the heart (science). • Herbert Hoover was President of the United States at the beginning of the Great Depression (history). • Onomatopoeia is a device in poetry that uses a sound that sounds like its name (e.g., throb) (language arts). • A preene valve controls air intake in a carburetor (vocational).

8. cue card #3dALL ABOUT THE LINCS STRATEGY Don't use LINCS to remember: • The heart circulates blood throughout the body. (Don't use the strategy when you already know the information.) • The five key events that started the Great Depression. (Don't use the strategy to memorize lists.) • Lines or phrases of a poem. (Don't use the strategy to memorize passages or poems.) • The steps to rebuilding a carburetor. (Don't use the strategy to memorize the steps in a process.)

9. cue card #4AN OVERVIEW OF THE LINCS • Step 1: List the parts • Step 2: Identify a Reminding Word • Step 3: Note a LINCing Story • Step 4: Create a LINCing Picture • Step 5: Self -test

10. cue card #5A CLOSE-UP OF THE LINCS STRATEGY Step 1: List the parts • List the word on the front of a study card. • List the most important parts of the definition on the back of the study card. Step 2: Identify a Reminding Word • Think of a familiar word that sounds like the new word, or part of the new word. • Write it under the new word. Step 3: Note a LINCing Story • Make up a short story about the meaning of the new word that includes theReminding Word. • Write it on the bottom left half of the back of the study card.

11. cue card #5A CLOSE-UP OF THE LINCS STRATEGY Step 4: Create a LINCing Picture • Create an image in your mind of what the word is about. • Draw the image on the bottom right half of the back of the study card. Step 5: Self-test • • Self-test "forwards": • Say the new word. • Say the Reminding Word. • Think of the LINCing Story. • Think of the LINCing Picture. • Say the meaning of the new word. • Check to see if you're correct. • • Self-test "backwards": • Say the meaning of the new word. • Think of the LINCing Picture. • Think of the LINCing Story. • Think of the Reminding Word. • Say the new word. • Check to see if you're correct.

12. cue card #6CREATING LINCS STUDY CARDS Take an index card and draw lines like those shown here. Write the word to be learned on the top half of the front of the card. Then circle the word fief

13. cue card #6aCREATING LINCS STUDY CARDS Write the parts of the definition you need to remember on the top of the other side. Land given by a king for fighting in army fief

14. cue card #6bCREATING LINCS STUDY CARDS Write the Reminding Word on the bottom left half of the first side. Land given by king for fighting in army fief chief

15. cue card #6cCREATING LINCS STUDY CARDS Write the LINCing Story in the left-hand box on the bottom half of the second side. Land given by king for fighting in army fief chief Chief of his land.

16. cue card #6dCREATING LINCS STUDY CARDS Draw the LINCing Picture on the bottom right half of the second side. Land given by king for fighting in army fief Chief of his land. chief

17. cue card #7AN EFFECTIVE REMINDING WORD • An effective Reminding Word is a word that sounds similar to the new word and is used to remind you of the meaning of the new word. • An effective reminding word • always • Sounds like part or allof the new word. • Is a real word. • Has a meaning thatyou already know. • Helps you rememberwhat the new wordmeans.

18. cue card #7aAN EFFECTIVE REMINDING WORD SOMETIMES • Sounds like the beginning of the new word. • Sounds like the end of the new word. • Rhymes with the new word or sounds like almost all of the new word. • Has a meaning that is very similar to the new word's meaning. • Can be two or more words that sound like the new word. NEVER • Sounds completely different from the new word. • Is a nonsense word. • Has a meaning that you don't know.

19. cue card #7bAN EFFECTIVE REMINDING WORD Examples and Nonexamples New Wordexamplenonexample Shivaree shiver celebration Paramecium parachute parapuse Crinoline crinkle crinium Flourite floor Marsupium opium Fief chief Serf servant Paraffin pair of fins

20. cue card #8AN EFFECTIVE LINCING STORY An effective LINCing Story is short and simple and helps you take advantage of what you already know by associating the meaning of the Reminding Word with the meaning of the new word.An Effective LINCing Story ALWAYS • Includes the Reminding Word or some form of the Reminding Word. • Links the Reminding Word to the meaning of the new word. • Is short and simple. SOMETIMES • Includes both the Reminding Word and the new word. • Is funny and/or bizarre.

21. cue card #8aAN EFFECTIVE LINCING STORY NEVER • Includes only the new word and the Reminding Word. • Is so complex that it takes a lot of mental energy to remember it. • Is long like a paragraph. • Includes words you don't understand.

22. cue card #8bAN EFFECTIVE LINCING STORY EXAMPLES • FLOURITE: a purple mineral used to make steel hard. Reminding Word: FLOOR. LINCing Story: "My knee turned purple when it hit the hard, steel floor." (Story helps you think of steel and the color purple.) • DECREE: to make a decision and force it on others. Reminding Word: DECIDE. LINCing Story: "The dictator decided to force everyone to pay higher taxes." (Story helps you think of a decision being forced on others.) NONEXAMPLES • FLOURITE: a purple mineral used to make steel hard. Reminding Word: FLOOR. LINCing Story: "The floor was messy." (Story does not help you think of steel or the color purple.) • DECREE: to make a decision and force it on others. Reminding Word: DECIDE. LINCing Story: "He decided to go to town." (Story does not help you think of forcing a decision on others.)

23. cue card #9An Effective LINCing Picture • Contains a part related to the Reminding Word • Contains parts related to the important ideas in the definition. • Helps you remember the new term's definition. • Example term: palisades • Definition: a line of steep cliffs that rise along a river or ocean • Reminding Word: pal • LINCing Story: My pal, Joe, dove from the cliff into the ocean.

24. cue card #9An Effective LINCing Picture Poor LINCing Picture joe Better LINCing Picture Best LINCing Picture

25. cue card #10CHAIN ANALOGY • Different pieces of knowledge are linked together like a chain. • Many times, if you can remember the information in one of the links in a chain, you will remember information in many of the other links. • When you apply the LINCS Strategy to a word you need to remember, you create a strong chain between the word and its meaning. • The stronger the links between pieces of information, the easier you can remember them. The weaker the links, the more difficulty you'll have remembering them.

26. cue card #11THE LINCS MEMORY CHAIN word LINCing Story Definiton Reminding Word LINCing Picture

27. cue card #12SIMILARITIES BETWEEN A PLAYIN A BASKETBALL GAME AND THELINCS STRATEGY Shared characteristics Basketball Play LINCS Strategy It is related to mastery over the other teams and getting a high score in the game. It is one of many plays necessary to witn the game It helps you put together some familiar moves in a new order Picturing how the play looks ass it takes place helps you remember what to do. It is related to mastery over the information & getting a high score on tests It is one of many tactics used to prepare for scoring well on a test. It involves using words & ideas you already know in a new way. Picturing what the word means helps you remember what is means. ITS USE IS RELATED TO REACHIN A GOAL IT IS PART OF A TOTAL PACKAGE IT USES WHAT YOU KNOW IN A NEW WAY IT INVOLVES USING IMAGERY

28. cue card #13HOW LEARNING THE LINCS STRATEGY IS LIKE LEARNING A NEWBASKETBALL PLAY SHARED CHARACTERISTICS LEARNING THE LINCS strategy Learning a basketball play • Teacher provides students with a copy of the strategy steps and tells what happens in each step & the advantages of using them. • Teacher demonstrates what to do for each step. • Students explain the strategy steps to each other and then memorize them. • Students practice performing the strategy on easy words; teacher helps them do it correctly. • Students perform the strategy on real vocabulary words from school & take practice quizzes; teacher gives feedback. • Coach draws the play on chalkboard and tells players what is supposed to happen & the advantages of using the play. • Coach demonstrates key parts of the play. • Players discuss the play and then memorize what they are supposed to do. • On the practice court, players walk through the play in slow motion; coach helps players do it correctly. • Players practice on the court • against other team members to see what it will be like in a real game; coach watches & gives feedback. • (describe stage) an expert explains what • TO DO. • ( model stage) modeling by an expert • (verbal practice) understand & memorize • (controlled practice) • learning how it feels to • do it in simple • situations. • (advanced practice) learning how to do it in situations similar to the real thing.