Materials:
Flash Cards, 30 cards per set
Audio files, matching each set
Digital player
30 minutes of time per day
Procedure:
1) Start with set #1. Organize the words so they are in the same order as the audio files play.
The student then listens to the audio files (word/definition/sentence) of thirty words, following along and reading the words out loud with the audio file.
When complete, the student reverses the order of the cards, putting them back in the original order. With each card he replaces he merely says the word, without the audio file.
2) Repeat step one again. Note: new sets are learned for two weeks, but on the second week, step two should be done without the audio file, with each missed cards repeated until without error.
TIME REQUIRED: 10 seconds/word (5 minutes) plus 2 seconds/word (2 minutes) to put them back in order. Total time: about 15 minutes.
3) The student also reviews a previously memorized set each day. To do this, he merely repeats the steps above for an old set, marching through the previously learned sets, a new one each day. Every set will thus be seen dozens of times.
Total time: 15 minutes.
The whole process takes about 30 minutes each day. This is a very minor investment for a complete mastery of English vocabulary.
Because the definitions and sentences are short and snappy, and the corresponding digital file creates an auditory response, the words are memorized through slow, steady repetition, not brute force. Students find this sort of memorization easy and fun.
The purpose of using an audio file:
· to become conditioned to moving at a rapid pace
· allow independent work without concern the words are being mispronounced
· provide an audio sensory input to aid memorization
· allow very young students to memorize more advanced words and sentences than they otherwise could, thus allowing them to start memorizing earlier and finishing before they take their SAT
Below is a step-by-step process of how to actually use the vocabulary cards. It may seem a bit regimented, but it pays to start the process right, so it becomes automatic and no teacher input is necessary later.