Innovative Vocabulary Games to Improve TAKS Success

1. Innovative Vocabulary Games to Improve TAKS Success Ami Jones, LCSIDTracey Rich, LCISD

2. Who we are… • George Junior High is a middle school serving approximately 900 7th and 8th grade students. • Located in Rosenberg, TX, about 35 miles outside of Houston, TX.

3. Our Demographics We are a Title I Campus with 59% economically disadvantaged students.

4. 2006-2009 Performance History

5. Campus Performance by Sub-population

6. Since Implementing These Games and Activities… • Received a “Recognized” rating for the first time in 2009. • Economically disadvantaged students meeting the standard increased from 63% to 76%. • Hispanic students meeting the standard increased from 66% to 79%. • All students show an increase from 73% to 80%.

7. Innovative Ideas

8. Catch Phrase

9. Catch Phrase • Each game is approximately $20. • It is exclusive to Target, but if they are not a vendor for your school district, you can get through Amazon.com • It was originally designed as a party game to get a team to describe the term shown on the game without saying the actual word. • Similar games would be Charades or Taboo.

11. To adapt it for our students, we created our own cards to insert into the game. • They have been used in stations during a review activity. • But were also successful as a class competition (boys vs. girls, etc).

13. Jenga

14. Jenga • Each game is approximately $3. • Off-brands can be purchased at Family Dollar, Walmart, etc. • Students use color coded vocabulary cards to quiz each other. • When they answer it correctly, they pull a block that matches the card without making the tower collapse.

18. Trivial Pursuit

19. Trivial Pursuit • Any version of Trivial Pursuit can be used. • Average cost for a new game is around $20. • Games can also be found at thrift stores, since it doesn’t matter if the cards are intact. • The same vocabulary cards can be used for this game as the others. • Dividing the cards by the five science objectives and having one random category.

20. Lunch Line Quizzing • Questions are written once per week. • Lunch Room Monitor and Security Guard ask each student a question before they are allowed to enter into the lunch kiosk. • While standing in line, they hear the word and the definition a minimum of three times per day, for five days.

22. Movie Maker Vocabulary • Students use vocabulary to make a movie, using the definition and a picture representation. • They can be shown to the class. • Are also compatible with the I-pod • Great for ELL and Tutoring.

23. Movie Maker

24. What is on your CD? • This power point presentation. • Over 200 TAKS vocabulary cards with definitions ready to copy and print. • Four example Catch Phrase Cards. • Catch Phrase word lists. • TAKS Pursuit Questions, sample set. • LCISD TAKS Vocabulary List.

25. Contact Information Ami Jones- aijones@lcisd.org Tracey Rich- trich@lcisd.org