Module 2 Activities 1 and 2

Activity 1:

Complete Exercise #3c on page 58 in the text: first write a definition of each word listed. Did you notice yourself using any fairly consistent principle for determining what the words might mean? Discuss. Then read the first chapter of A Clockwork Orange to find the meanings of at least six of the words: http://www.ebooktrove.com/top_ten/AClockworkOrange.pdf. In each case, how do you finally determine what the word means? Combine this assignment with Activity 2 in this module. Create a blog post.

Before Reading: I had no idea what these words could mean. I tried using common prefixes, roots, and suffixes to decode them with no luck.

Creech- a loud sound

Droogs- An animal

Glazzies- Glasses

Goloss- Shiny

Malenky- Money

Messel- a vehicle

Milicents- Change

Poolgy-Water

Rezrez-Around

Skorry-Scary

Spatted- Touching

Zoobies-Small animals

After reading, I used context clues to acquire the following definitions.

Droogs- Friends

Skorry- Quickly

Goloss- Voice

Glazzies- eyes

Zoobies- teeth

Malenky- just a bit

Activity 2:

Read Exercise 7 on p. 85 and rather than showing it to an audience, complete the exercise yourself. Answer the questions, including the two at the top of p. 86. Combine this assignment with Activity 1 in this module. Create a blog post. Name this blog posting "Module 2: Activities 1 & 2."

Who tried to read the words letter by letter?

I did not try to read the words this way.

Who tried to read the words mostly by chunking them into syllables?

This was the strategy I used to try to decode these words.

Who tried to read the words by sampling the letters more or less all at onece?

I could not have read the words this way.

What words do you know the meaning of, or think you know the meaning of?

I know that submandibular is a gland located below the jaw bone or the mandible.

I know that a dissepiment is a tissue that separates something. It can be in plants or organs.

Did pronouncing the words give you insights into their meanings?

No.

How do handle unknown words when you encounter them in normal reading.

I usually figure out meaning using context clues. Since there was no context, I had great difficulty decoding words that I wasn’t familiar with.

What do you think are the implications of this experiment and how should we help students deal with unfamiliar words in print?

               I think that it is very important to provide students with many strategies to decode word meaning. Some students work well knowing root words. That was never me. I needed to know how to use the word. Context clues are a great way to decode meaning. Students need a variety of strategies to find what works best for them.