Definition Clues Teaching Technique
A fun and motivational strategy for helping students
in the learning (memorization) process of new vocabulary words

To help students learn the meaning of new vocabulary words you can use a teaching technique known as Definition Clues.   The process works as follows. 

STEP 1 - Students must be told the meaning of all vocabulary words to "plant" the word meaning into their memory.  This can be done by simply discussing word meaning with the students or having them look up the words in the dictionary as a previous homework assignment.

STEP 2 - After passing out paper (or using our ReadingKey Vocabulary Building Worksheet), students are then given either an example of the word - a synonym - or the actual word definition.    For instance, if the new vocabulary word was "accelerate" - the teacher could say the following definition clues:

"Cars do this going from 0 to 60 miles per hour." 
"This is also something a rocket does when blasting off from the launching pad."

For the students, this becomes a riddle that is highly motivational and challenges them to think what is actually happening with the definition clue and to then transfer it to the word meanings.  If possible, the teacher should give several definition clues for the same word, pausing 10 or 15 seconds between each Definition Clue.

STEP 3 - After giving several Definition Clues and waiting at least 30 seconds,  the teacher can then give the students the actual word meaning or synonym to help students that could not locate the correct answer from the Definition Clue.  So, in the case of the word "accelerate" - the teacher would then say - "This also means the same as "Steadily increasing the speed of an object" - "Going faster and faster and faster."

STEP 4 - It is recommended that the teacher then tells the students the word or asks a student to say the word.  This enables students who do not know the correct word to then use their "phonics skills" to identify and write the correct word.   This enables  students who do not know the definition of the word to locate the correct word and further learn the correct word definition.

The teacher then proceeds to the next word and repeats STEPS 2 - 3 - and 4.

STEP 2 - Give Definition Clue (an example of the word in a real situation)
STEP 3 - Give the actual definition of the word
STEP 4 - Ask students for the correct answer after each word.