Description
By words the mind is winged.
— Aristophanes
Finding just the right word is often a mighty big struggle for student writers and seasoned writers alike. Each week we will explore a cluster of words and, teasing out their connotations, discover lost meanings and functions. Our approach helps students to utilize higher order thinking skills by asking them to slow down and mindfully consider each word’s function in a well crafted, complex Example poetry lines. Over the course of this exploration, students will unearth the rich potential in an abecedarian of words, enriching their lexicon each week with four remarkable additions.
What’s a Lexicon?
A lexicon is the collected vocabulary of a person. Over the course of 26 weeks, students will explore a cluster of words from the lexicon of Emily Dickinson. Using these words in an original way, with inspiration from her many poems and letters, will help the budding wordsmith recognize the plasticity of language and delight in its beauty.
In His Own Words
Anyone who writes down to children is simply wasting his time. You have to write up, not down. Children are demanding. They are the most attentive, curious, eager, observant, sensitive, quick, and generally congenial readers on earth. They accept, almost without question, anything you present them with, as long as it is presented honestly, fearlessly, and clearly.
Operation Lexicon will not only enable your student to acquire new vocabulary, but will simultaneously improve all areas of communication. Utilizing vocabulary introduced each week, students will exercise creative writing skills as they craft imaginative story-poems. As students explore the collection of words in this Discovery Guide, they will begin to
appreciate the potential of singular words!
Overview
- Each week is divided into three days of word explorations that include:
- Word definitions
- Example poetry lines from the works of the author.
- Sentence crafting opportunities
- Copy work
- Story-poem writing opportunities
Skills Addressed
- Vocabulary acquisition
- Complex sentence writing
- Creative writing
- Contemplative attention to detail
- Handwriting practice
- Self-guided work
