PALMDALE – Intermediate schools within the Palmdale School District have elevated learning to new heights.
Students are taking part in cross curricular activities by wearing Physical Education uniforms that deliver a strong message about the importance of vocabulary development and understanding.
The gray shirts with black lettering list the 12 Most Powerful Words identified by educational consultant, author and motivational speaker, Larry Bell.
The words help students build the understanding of California’s newly adopted Common Core State Standards (CCSS) as well by stressing the importance of vocabulary development and comprehension in all subject areas.
Larry Bell has identified 12 words that are commonly used within CCSS and on standardized tests that cause students difficulty when they encounter them. These words can confuse students and result in wrong answers when the student may have known the information.
The 12 words are trace, analyze, infer, evaluate, formulate, describe, support, explain, summarize, compare, contrast, and predict. Bell claims that incorporating these words into students’ daily lives will boost their academic achievement.
The 12 Most Powerful Words are being taught to students in Kindergarten through 8th grade.
By incorporating this strategy into the P.E. curriculum, “Students will understand that learning and fun go hand in hand.” stated Judy Hall, Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services.
Students see the difference too. The words are used in songs and chants during the P.E. period, and students are having fun while boosting their vocabulary.
Jezelle Fullwood, Director of Curriculum and Instruction said, “Familiarizing students with the importance of mind and body is a big step in the right direction.”
(Information via press release from the Palmdale School District.)
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