Middle School Café – Strategies & Support for Middle School ELA Teachers
Are you a middle school ELA teacher looking for practical, proven strategies to help your students grow as confident readers and writers? Middle School Café is your go-to podcast for engaging teaching ideas, classroom-tested tools, and real talk about what works in today’s ELA classroom.
Each episode delivers actionable tips to help you close reading gaps, build student ownership, and create a classroom culture where literacy thrives. Whether you're navigating a curriculum, supporting struggling readers, or just looking for fresh ways to inspire your students, you'll find support, strategy, and a sense of community right here.
Join a community of passionate middle school ELA teachers working to build confident, engaged readers. Visit www.middleschoolcafe.com for classroom tools, podcast extras, and resources to support every student on their reading journey.
Middle School Café – Strategies & Support for Middle School ELA Teachers
Vocabulary Instruction: Is it still relevant? [Ep. 13]
Does vocabulary instruction sometimes take a backseat to other ELA standards? In this episode, I explore why vocabulary needs to be a consistent part of your instruction—not something squeezed in when there’s time. Vocabulary is essential for reading comprehension, and when we teach it with intention, we help students become more confident and capable readers.
I’ll share practical ways to include vocabulary instruction in every unit, strategies students can use to figure out unfamiliar words, and ideas for making vocabulary learning more engaging and relevant to your students.
Read more in the show notes.
Vocabulary resources you can use with your class:
- Vocabulary Activities
- Word of the Week
- 6th Grade Context Based Vocabulary Activities - Full Year
- 7th Grade Context Based Vocabulary Activities - Full Year
- 8th Grade Context Based Vocabulary Activities - Full Year
Related blog posts:
- Vocabulary Instruction: The Key to Comprehension
- Vocabulary instruction that works
- 5 Ways to Gamify your Vocabulary
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