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Teaching Strategies:
Dancing Definitions
Dancing Definitions is a powerful pre-reading strategy that can be used with students, pre-school-adult. Teachers report success using Dancing Definitions as it:
- intensifies teaching to accelerate students’ mastery of the meanings of hundreds of words and concepts in a short period of time
- includes inquiry, discussion, recitation, memorization, and making connections to students’ lives.
- incorporates urban students’ cultural principles;
- is fun and highly successful with all students, especially those who are behind;
- provides many opportunities for students to practice speaking Standard English in the style of textbook language.
Teaching Process
- Identify all the words in the reading selection whose meanings students either do not know or cannot clearly explain.
- Revise and adapt textbook explanations and dictionary and glossary entries, to create definitions and “tag” sentences for each word, consistent with the usage of the words in the selection to be read. Each of these “tag” sentences includes references familiar to students.
- Write the definitions and a sentence for each one on chart paper.
Write the definitions in a memorable, slightly rhythmic pattern—make them “dance”.
Note: you don’t want to make the recitation too rhythmic or too physical, as then students focus more on the movements than on the meaning of the words.
- Before the students see the definitions written on the chart, use an inquiry approach to engage students in discussions that help them understand and remember the meaning of each word. This includes any words within the definitions that they do not know. This is the teaching part of the lesson. The mastery part of the lesson follows;
- After students understand all the word meanings, introduce the chart of Dancing Definitions and, in random order, lead the students in rhythmic recitation of each of the definitions and tag sentences. Periodically, cover the definitions by raising the bottom of the chart, as students practice reciting them and the tag sentences from memory. Using repetitive recitation, practice until students have memorized all of the definitions and sentences.
Examples of Dancing Definitions for a short narrative text:
Jack the flying rooster
(Italics indicate words and syllables to be spoken with emphasis.)
- A leader is some-one who guides and directs other peo—ple.
(guides and directs, guides and directs, guides and directs other peo—ple.)
Tag sentence: I can be a good leader, I know I can! (Each student points to him or herself as the word “I” is spoken.)
- A roc—ket ship is a space—ship. Tag sentence: Blast off, rocketship!
- Planets are hea—ven—ly bodies that move a—round the ausn. (Hea—ven—ly , hea—venly bodies (repeat two more times) that move a –round the sun.)
Tag sentence: We live on the planet earth!
- Rather means prefer.
Would you rather have a vanilla ice cream cone or a strawberry one, please?
- To concentrate means to pay close attention. (close attention—not just pay attention,)
Tag Sentence: I was really concentrating on my homework.
- Etc.
From the Guidebook for Phonics and Vocabulary Building, Module #1, A Videotaped Workshop by Augusta Mann.
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