“Word of the Week”
at St. Francis Seraph School

Through the 2003-2004 school year, St. Francis Seraph Grade School teachers introduced our students to the “Word of the Week.” They learned to spell the word correctly, its definition, and how to use the word in context. All students, kindergarten through eighth grade, studied the same word; however, the definitions were grade level appropriate.

Our kindergarteners made us very proud when Ohio’s First Lady, Hope Taft, visited our school last September. They were able to explain the meaning of compare, contrast, and analyze to Mrs. Taft with little difficulty.

The purpose of this project is to make our students familiar with the terms they need to know to be successful in test taking. This activity is part of a school-wide goal to “implement a variety of strategies in all content areas targeted to improve skills of students.” This year the words were general terms associated with all curriculum areas and language arts. Next year, the words will be associated with math.

For a fun way to end the year, the culminating activity was a “Word of the Week Bee.” Michael Virge won a $50 award for best defining, spelling, and using the words in context.