General Introduction

This blog is part of my Differentiation and Adaptive Teaching Knowledge Base.

I use the terms differentiation and adaptive teaching synonymously. To me, they are the same, as genuine differentiation has always involved adapting your planning and your teaching to meet the needs of the learners in front of you.

For me, differentiation is all the practical strategies, activities and techniques teachers use to personalise learning.

For ease, we can break that down into my five categories of differentiation: Activities, Questioning, Words and Writing, Things the Teacher Can Do and Things You Can Ask Learners to Do or Use.

This blog falls into the category of words and writing.

Appointing Dictionary Champions in Your Class

This technique is generally used in primary schools, and sometimes in the first year of secondary.

Emphasise the importance of dictionaries, and their use as a tool, by appointing Dictionary Champions in your class.

The specific requirements of this role are flexible and may include any of the following.

• Looking up the meanings of new words that come up during whole-class discussions or periods of teacher talk and communicating these to the rest of the group.
• Creating a glossary of new words during a lesson, or series of lessons, with the teacher then photocopying this so that all learners can have a copy.
• Looking up the meanings of words on behalf of the group with which the learner is working. In this instance, the teacher will need to appoint a Dictionary Champion for each group (and provide a similar number of dictionaries).
• Finding out words relevant to the topic that have not come up during the lesson, obtaining the definitions of these, and then sharing them with the rest of the class. A variation on this involves the teacher giving the Dictionary Champions a list of extra words at the beginning of the lesson and asking them to present the meanings of these towards the end of the session.
• Looking up the meaning of words that come from a specific source, for example a video, a talk given by a speaker, or a newspaper article. In this context, the Dictionary Champions are working in real-time for the rest of the class, helping them to better understand the source.

It is good to rotate the role to give several learners an opportunity.

In addition, you might like to vary the requirements depending on who the champions are at any particular time.

The fourth point above, for example, may be better suited to more-able learners, whereas the third is appropriate for all learners.

How can having Dictionary Champions help you to differentiate?

Dictionary Champions can teach their peers the meanings of the words they look up.

This creates a different teacher-learner relationship in the class; learners are taught by their peers, with whom they share codes, past experiences and conceptual frameworks.

This can make it easier for learners to access the learning.

Making more-able learners Dictionary Champions provides an opportunity to challenge them and stretch their thinking – as in the fourth point outlined above.

Encouraging – even lionising – the use of dictionaries is a great way of getting learners to see them as tools that can help them with their work.

If learners do come to see dictionaries like this, then they will have a constant companion to aid them in their work.

Dictionaries are scaffolds.

Tools that exist in the learner’s environment, and which the learner can use to go beyond what they can do independently.

By emphasising their use and making using dictionaries desirable and meaningful for all learners, you can help your learners to self-scaffold, making it easier for them to engage with the learning.

Create-a-Glossary

A glossary is an index of keywords complete with definitions.

Here are five ways to get your learners to create their own glossaries, binding them into the process of thinking critically about language.

Create-a-Glossary: Method One

At the beginning of a topic, give learners a handout containing all the keywords they will encounter over the coming weeks.

During the period of study, learners can complete their glossaries by writing in the definitions they learn.

You might like to leave enough space between keywords for learners to write examples of how they are used in sentences as well.

A systematic approach to this method involves setting aside a short amount of time at the end of every lesson for learners to define and exemplify the keywords they have learned in the session.

Create-a-Glossary: Method Two

During a course of study, or across the entire year, ask learners to write down keywords and their definitions in the backs of their books, as they come across them.

Create-a-Glossary: Method Three

Choose two or three learners as ‘Glossary Champions’.

Their job is to create a glossary entry for each keyword that comes up and to stick this on the classroom wall in a section designated as the glossary display.

Learners can refer to this area during future lessons.

Create-a-Glossary: Method Four

If your room is set up so that learners sit in groups, designate a ‘Glossary Champion’ on each table.

Their job is to add any new keywords to a group glossary that is kept in the middle of the desks, such that each member of the group can access it as and when they wish.

Rotate ‘Glossary Champions’ over a few lessons so that everyone has an opportunity to take on the role.

Create-a-Glossary: Method Five

At the beginning of a topic, put learners into groups and supply each group with a selection of relevant materials (handouts, textbooks, worksheets and so on).

Invite groups to search through the materials to find as many keywords (and their definitions) as possible.

These should then be collated into a glossary that learners can use during their upcoming lessons.

How can you use the construction of glossaries to help you differentiate?

Learners can use glossaries to check the meaning of words.

They therefore act as a scaffold, both in terms of helping learners to remember key terms and in helping them to get to grips with the meanings of these words.

If a learner finds themselves stuck, they can turn to a glossary for help.

Glossaries are therefore a way in which learners can help themselves to be more independent. To self-scaffold.

The construction of a glossary involves learners manipulating and engaging with keywords, definitions and, in some cases, examples.

All learners will make progress through such a process.