Welcome to the Academic Language/Bloom’s Taxonomy page! New to the Language page is a section on how the visual and performing arts can enhance academic vocabulary!
The first part will identify and explain a level of Bloom’s Taxonomy. The second section is dedicated to academic “power words” that may be used in math, science, or everyday conversation. The third and final section features questioning prompts that will facilitate the use of the “power words”.
Basic Early Literacy
If your child has not yet started to read:
Practice the sounds of language. Read books with rhymes. Teach your child rhymes, short poems, and songs. Play simple word games. Example: How many words can you make up that sound like the word “bat”.- Take spoken words apart and put them together. Help separate the sounds in words, listen for beginning and ending sounds, and put separate sounds together.
- Practice the alphabet by pointing out letters wherever you see them and by reading alphabet books.
If your child is just beginning to read:
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Point out the letter-sounds your child is learning on labels, boxes, newspapers magazines, and signs.
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listen to your child read words and books from school. Be patient and listen as your child practices. Let your child know you are proud of his/her learning.
If your child is reading:
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Re-read familiar books. Child need practice in reading comfortably and with expression using books they know.
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Build reading accuracy. As your child is reading aloud, point out words he missed and help him read words correctly. If you stop to focus on a word, have your child re-read the whole sentence to be sure he understands the meaning.
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build reading comprehension. Talk with your child about what she is reading. Ask about new words. Talk about what happened in the story. Ask about characters, places, and events that took place. Ask what new information he/she has learned from the book. Encourage your child to read on his/her own.
Building Academic Language via VAPA!
A strong Visual And Performing Arts program that is designed to advance students’ ability to discover and develop their own voice through artistic expression builds and supports our focus on academic language.
A student-centered, interdisciplinary approach that balances the exploration of artistic traditions, the development of concepts and the building of skills can accelerate academic growth.
Using new vocabulary, students learn to express themselves, create and problem solve.
Ideas
Dance: Give students the opportunity to explore and practice dance via improvisation, and composition, working toward developing awareness, freedom and control in the use of the body as an instrument of expression.
Music: Seek to expand the musical knowledge of students while enriching cross-curriculum study. Explore music from around the world.
Theater: Introduce the concepts related to technical theater, including stagecraft, scenic design, lighting design and set construction.
Acting: Allow students to recognize their own personal responses to the environment, specific emotions or a given situation, and utilize these reactions in creating individual and unique characters.
Digital Art/Video: Provide students the opportunity to access the computer as both a creative tool and medium for self-expression. Teach students to plan, shoot, edit and compress digital video .
Drawing: Develop visual vocabulary to utilize in exploration of literal, visual and expressive qualities of drawings.
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Level 1: Remembering
Description: Exhibit memory of previously learned material by recalling facts, terms, basic concepts, and answers.
Power words
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choose
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define
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find
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how
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label
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list
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match
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omit
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recall
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relate
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select
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show
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spell
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tell
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what
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when
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where
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which
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who
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why
Question Prompts
- What is …?
- Where is …?
- How did ___ happen?
- Why did …?
- When did …?
- How would you show …?
- Who were the main …?
- Which one …?
- Can you recall,,,?
- How would you explain …?
- Who was …?
Level 2: Comprehension
Description: Demonstrate understanding of facts and ideas by organizing, comparing, translating, interpreting, giving description, and stating main ideas.
Power words
- classify
- compare
- contrast
- demonstrate
- explain
- extend illustrate
- infer
- interpret
- outline
- relate
- rephrase show
- summarize
- translate
Question Prompts
- How would you classify the type of …?
- How would you compare…? contrast…?
- Will you state or interpret in your own words…?
- How would you rephrase the meaning …?
- What facts or ideas show …?
- What is the main idea…?
- Which statements support…?
- Can you explain what is happening…? what is meant…?
- What can you say about…?
- Which is the best answer…?
- How would you summarize…?
Level 3: Application/Apply
Description: Apply an abstract idea in a concrete situation to solve a problem or relate it to prior experiences. Solve problems to new situations by applying acquired knowledge, facts, techniques and rules in a different way.
Power Words
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apply
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build to
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calculate
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change
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construct
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develop
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identify
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modify
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organize
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utilize
Question Prompts
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How would you use…
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Give an example of…
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How would you change…
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What would result if…
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What approach would you use to…
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How would you solve…
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How would you alter…
Level Four: Analysis/Analyze
Description:
Examine and break information into parts by identifying motives or causes. Make inferences and final evidence to support generalizations.
Power words:
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analyze
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categorize
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compare
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distinguish
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examine
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infer
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motive
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outline
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survey
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theme
Questioning Prompts
- How is ____ related to …?
- What is the theme?
- Discuss the pros and cons.
- What ideas justify…?
- Why do you think…?
- What could have caused…?
- How is this similar to …?
- Can you list all the parts …?
- What evidence can you find …?
Level 5 Synthesis/Create
Description:
Bring together ports of knowledge to form a whole and build relationships for new situations. Compile information in a different way by combining elements in a new pattern or proposing alternative solutions.
Power Words
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adapt
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arrange
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combine
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compose
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design
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elaborate
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imagine
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modify
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propose
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theorize
Question Prompts
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How would you change the plot?
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How would you improve _____?
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What would happen if I_____?
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How would you portray ______?
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How would you test _____?
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How would you formulate a different _____?
Level 6 Evaluation/Evaluate
Description:
Make informed judgments about the value of ideas or materials. Us standard and criteria to support opinions and views. Present and defend opinions by making judgments about information, validity of ideas or quality of work based on a set criterion.
Power Words
- agree
- appraise
- compare
- criteria
- interpret
- justify
- prioritize
- prove
- recommend
- support
Question Prompts
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What is your opinion of…
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Would it be better if…
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Why was it better that…
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How would you prove…
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Determine the value of…
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Is there a better solution…
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What would you select…
