The Missouri Reader Vol. 37, Issue 2 | Page 25

student build vocabulary knowledge
incrementally.
Because academic words are abstract for
the most part, Townsend (2009) chose various
pictures for each word to prompt discussion in
small groups. For example, she used a picture
of a computer working correctly and one not
working correctly as a way to discuss what it
means to be functioning. A picture of a sponge
and a screwdriver also allowed for a discussion
of the function of the items. With the idea that
students learn vocabulary incrementally, it was
realized that just because the learners could
discuss the word function did not mean that
they knew the word. They needed multiple
exposures and multiple opportunities to use the
word. Besides the picture puzzlers, they used
music puzzlers where students had to use
target words to talk about favorite songs. For
example, they had to interpret the songs, using
the word interpret in their discussion. In
addition, they had matching games where the
student drew a card with the word, a definition
or a sentence and they had to find students
with the matching definition or sentence.
There were variations of these games where
they had the cards taped to their backs or they
had to find their partners in silence. Follow-up
activities to the matching games included
making skits to dramatize the words, drawing
pictures of what the word means, or writing
new sentences. Teams of students travelled
around the room trying to guess what word the
students were drawing or writing about. Also,
there were other games which had features
very similar to commercially available games
such as dice games, a game similar to Taboo by
Hasbro, a game similar to Pictionary by Milton
Bradley, and a game called Action Jeopardy
based on the TV show Jeopardy.
Digital aides. To jumpstart knowledge of
cultural background, literacy skills, and
language development for ELLs to understand
challenging texts, Rance-Roney (2010) studied
the effects of using digital storytelling with ELLs.
Students needed to learn the words and

phrases that would appear in a topic area and
given that most students in this digital age
would see the relevance of using digital
storytelling, the digital materials provide a
natural platform of visual images to help
students understand both the vocabulary and
cultural background for the dream of Martin
Luther King, for example. Rance-Roney (2010)
refers to the University of Houston web site,
http://www.digitalstoytelling.coe.uh.edu/esl.ht
ml/ as a resource for teachers who want to use
or produce “digital jumpstarts” (Rance-Roney,
2010).
Digital jump starts are materials pre-service
and in-service teachers create using digital story
telling technology (e.g., iMovie, PhotoStory) “to
compose readily accessible instructional
material in support of academic literacy for ELLs
in their classrooms” (p.286). She gives step-bystep instructions on how to make digital
jumpstarts. In order to master the language of
academic subjects, ELLs need various exposures
through multiple modalities to process the
language. “Before ELLs feel ready to use
academic language in front of their teachers
and peers, they must be confident in meaning,
contextual appropriateness, and pronunciation”
(Rance-Roney, 2010, p.389).
Graphic novels. Chun (2009) asserts that the
multimodalities of graphic novels along with
engaging content can deepen students’
engagement and help develop their critical
literacies. Moreover, he feels that “their
increased engagement can facilitate their entry
and apprenticeship into important social
networks that amplify opportunities for
academic success in mainstream classes”
(p.144). From his research, Chun reports on a
pilot study of teaching Maus in an ESL high
school class. He also explicates how graphic
novels can be used to develop students’
multiliteracies practices.
Chun (2009) notes that “cultivation of
interest in reading can help level the playing
field” (p.145). He draws on the pedagogy of
multiliteracies (New London Group, 1996) with
©The Missouri Reader, 37 (2) p.25