Spelling Homework –
Part 4
Language Conventions Semantics
by
Melinda Matthews,
SPELD NSW Referral Officer & Tutor
Semantics is the meaning of words and phrases and meanings of words in particular context.
Learning spelling words with activities involving word meanings, using the word in various contexts,
knowing synonyms, antonyms and homonyms and understanding the subtlety and layers of English
with idioms and proverbs will help increase vocabulary and create a memory for the word.
•
•
•
•
.
Words do not exist in isolation so they should not be learnt in isolation.
The context in which words are used can change a words meaning.
Words are easier to remember if associated with meaning.
Knowledge of words is enhanced by:
defining the word especially in the child’s own words
knowing a word can have several meanings, e.g. the word ‘stand’ has 28 meanings in the
COBUILD Dictionary
knowing the grammatical uses of the words
general knowledge about the word
understanding the subtlety and layers of English e.g. idioms and proverbs
knowing homonyms, synonyms, antonyms
being able to use the word in context in sentences
SPELD NSW Parents Corner Issue 10, from E News Aug-Sept 2015
1
Games / Activities:
•
Word Study
Select one word from the weekly
spelling list and complete a word
study web / sheet.
Example:
•
Sorting Spelling lists
Sort spelling lists into ‘nouns’, ‘verbs’, and ‘others’ then write an ‘adjective’ for the spelling word
nouns and/ or ‘adverb’ for the spelling word verbs. Refer to Appendix 1 for grammar definitions.
Example:
VERBS
ADVERBS
ADJECTIVES
NOUNS
OTHER
stun
quickly
short
step
still
stop
suddenly
wavy
tail
wait
quietly
heavy
rain
wash
carefully
large
wash
want
really
was
SPELD NSW Parents Corner Issue 10, from E News Aug-Sept 2015
2
•
Categorise words
Words are easier to remember if they are
grouped into meaningful categories of
information. Terms and meanings can be
learned through grouping words.
Example:
Word: Dogs
Category: Breeds, Jobs, Body Parts, Food,
Famous Dogs
•
Definition Writing
Dictionary Definitions: Using dictionaries and the internet to explore the word (remember that
dictionary meanings are truncated and incomplete, they do not explain how the word is actually
used)
Example:
Word:
Australian Primary Schools
Dictionary Definition:
Learn
To find out about something to get knowledge or skill
Own Definitions: Use the following structure to write your own definitions:
Definition:
A
word
is (a)
category
that (is, does)
attributes
.
Example:
Word: Learn
Category: acquire knowledge, understand, become proficient, grasp, master, absorb, assimilate,
digest.
Attributes: Education, training, skill, talent, information, concepts.
Definition: To learn is to understand and master information and concepts by participating and /or
being exposed to new activities.
SPELD NSW Parents Corner Issue 10, from E News Aug-Sept 2015
3
•
Sentence Writing
Write sentences using spelling words in simple, compound and complex sentence structure.
Basic construction for a sentence is - SUBJECT (noun) - ACTION (verb) - OBJECT (noun)
The three types of sentence explained:
Simple:
One naming part (subject) and one action part (verb) = one clause
e.g. The man ran.
road.
or
The fat old man and his brother ran slowly down the steep narrow
Compound:
Two naming parts (subjects) and two action parts (verbs).
Each clause can stand by itself.
e.g. The man ran down the street as he yelled to a dog running on the road.
Complex: Two naming parts (subjects) and two action parts (verbs) but one clause needs the first
clause to make sense (there is no subject in the second clause)
e.g. The man ran down the street while yelling at a dog running on the road.
The second clause- ‘yelling at a dog running on the road’ does not tell us what or who the subject is.
Who was yelling at the dog?
Answer - ‘the man’, as information from the first clause is needed for the second clause to make
sense.
Remember when working with your child:
Quality not quantity
Make it fun
Model it if necessary
SPELD NSW Parents Corner Issue 10, from E News Aug-Sept 2015
4
Appendix 1 - Grammar Terminology
Sentences are made up of clauses and phrases.
Clauses
A group of words containing a subject and an action. A sentence can contain one or more clauses.
e.g.
The bird whistled.
1 clause
The bird whistled / while it swung on its perch. 2 clauses
Phrases
A part of a sentence that functions as a unit.
e.g.
under the bridge the tall brooding man
after the party
eating chocolate cake
Words have nine classes or parts of speech:
Nouns
Nouns are the name of something: a person, a place or a feeling or state of being. Nouns are the
subjects and objects in sentences. The subject is what the sentence is about and the object is the
person or thing having the action done to it/ them.
e.g.
Sally went home.
Subject- Sally
Object- home (the object of went)
The children swam across the river.
Subject- The children Object- the river (the object of swam)
Common nouns are everyday items we can see and touch.
e.g.
chairs, cats, banana, book, athlete
Proper Nouns are the names of a place, person or special occasion.
These nouns start with a capital letter.
e.g.
Peter, Sarah, Sydney, Christmas, March
Pronouns
Pronouns are words used in place of nouns or noun phrases.
e.g. He asked whose cup was that. “You can go over there,” she said.
Verbs
Verbs are action or doing words that tell us more about the subject and can be one or more words.
Verbs can be present, future or past tense and can be one word or a group of words.
e.g.
Sally walked home.
Sally wanted to walk home.
Adjectives
Adjectives are describing words that tell us more about nouns/pronouns.
e.g.
The small boy held one large red balloon.
(nouns- boy and balloon, Adjectives- small, one large red tells more about the nouns)
SPELD NSW Parents Corner Issue 10, from E News Aug-Sept 2015
5
Adverbs
Adverbs are describing words that tell us more about verbs.
e.g.
The boy tightly held the balloon.
(verb- held, Adverb- tightly tells us how the boy held the balloon)
Conjunctions
Conjunctions are joining words linking clauses.
e.g.
The boy held the balloon but then let it go.
The boy held the balloon while eating ice-cream.
Prepositions
Prepositions are words that tell us the relation of a noun to the rest of a sentence. They show how
something is positioned or is done relating to something else.
e.g.
The boy ate ice-cream under the table.
The boy went into the cubby house after eating cake.
REFERENCES
Birsh J.R. (2005) Multisensory Teaching of Basic Language Skills 3rd Edition. Paul H Brookes
Publishing Co.
Henry M.K. (2010) Effective Decoding & Spelling Instruction. 2nd Edition. Paul H Brookes Publishing
Co.
Meeks L. (2013) SPELD NSW: Certificate Course for Teachers of Students with Specific Learning
Difficulties
Moats L.C. (2010) Speech to Print. Paul H Brookes Publishing Co.
Moats L.C. (2005) LETRS Module 3 Spellography for Teachers: How English Spelling Works Sopris
West Educational Services.
Moats L.C. (2005) LETRS Module 10 Reading Big Words: Syllabication and Advanced Decoding
Works Sopris West Educational Services.
Need help to put the Spelling
Homework activities into practice?
SPELD NSW will present an informal Parents Workshop to discuss and practise how to incorporate
the activities mentioned in the Spelling Homework article with the weekly spelling homework lists.
When: Saturday 10 October, 2015 from 1.30pm – 4.30pm
Where: SPELD NSW offices, Concord
Audience: Parents & Carers
Cost: $50.00 for Members, and $85.00 for Non-Members
RSVP: Tel: 02 9739 6277 or em: [email protected]
Or see website for more info: http://speldnsw.org.au/event/spelling-homework-help-for-parents/
Bookings Essential as we can only cater for small groups of up to 14
Originally Printed in the SPELD NSW Aug-Sept 2015 E NEWS
SPELD NSW Parents Corner Issue 10, from E News Aug-Sept 2015
6