VOCABULARY PARADES in your CLASSROOM or ENTIRE SCHOOL!
Learn more about Miss Alaineus
What is aVocabulary Parade?
In the book, Miss Alaineus, AVocabulary Disaster, our heroine, Sage, enters her school’s 10th Annual Vocabulary Parade where students design acostume for aschool parade. The costume describes avocabulary word they have selected or been assigned by ateacher.
Join the thousands of schools who have implemented this project, now completely re-formatted for online classrooms! First, hear author / illustrator Debra Frasier read the book, then select from awide range of activities from the Vocabulary Parades Downloads page.
Boost vocabulary retention while creating athome!
Free Resources
Scroll down formore…
EXAMPLES &INSTRUCTIONS
Teachers in Vocabulary Parades: AFFLUENT, FLAMBOYANT, INCANDESCENT.
Outdoor parades: BELABOR, GEOGRAPHY.
Flamboyant
Affluent
Incandescent
Belabor
Geography
TEACHERS: All the resources youneed
can be found in our Vocabulary Parades Downloads page.
Visit the Downloads page
Easy 5‑step Parade Outline
1. Define “Miscellaneous”
Explain the definition of the word “miscellaneous” to your class so everyone is in on the joke when the book is read or use this video where Iexplain it in two minutes!
1. consisting of various kinds
2. acollection of unrelated objects.
2. Read thebook
Below you will find Miss Alaineus, AVocabulary Disaster, read by Debra Frasier (that’s me!), especially for this online teaching time.
Reading Miss Alaineus (17min.)
3. What words will your students use?
I have four pages of suggested words to select from on my website (included below), OR you might want to use wordlists that are going to show up in your reviews or tests later OR you might let students select their own words and be surprised OR you might want to specify Verbs, Nouns, Adjectives — teachers have even used Math, Geology, or Science Word lists. You decide what will help your mission themost.
4. Make acostume
Here are three tools for teachers to use for inspiring students’ costumes.
TOOL #1
“Let’s Make aVocabulary Parade Online” is a43-image video slide show presentation to SEND DIRECTLY TO YOUR STUDENTS. This presents the Vocabulary Parade project in one place to your students and their parents. The information is read from the screen. You can add avoice-over, if youlike.
In this presentation you will find an array of simple to complex ways to make avocabulary costume out of things you can find athome.
This slide show is available in three formats:
- Video Slide Show: (same as the video above.) The images automatically advance every 10seconds.
(Note: you can download and edit these files and add your own narration.) - PDF (Put in full screen mode to automatically advance the images. The images advance every 10seconds.)
- Powerpoint. This can be upload to Google Drive and either be converted to Google Slides or remain as aPowerpoint slideshow.
TOOL #2
This video slide show of costumes is available from the Vocabulary Parade Downloads page.
(These are primarily full-body costumes andhats.)
TOOL #3
Visit Debra Frasier Books Vocabulary Parade on Pinterest for hundreds of more costume ideas.
There are only TWO RULES for making acostume:
1. Show your WORD on the costume.
2. Write the definition on the costume.
Hosting the In-school Vocabulary Parade
5. The Presentation
2020 – 21 update for In-School Parades
Your school’s official in-school COVID guidelines will determine how your in-school parade will be staged. In the past, parades have been staged in gyms, through hallways, or circumnavigating the school. An outdoor march may be your only option in 2020 – 21. You may, instead, consider creating aclassroom-by-classroom slide show of each pictured costume, adding music, for showing in classrooms or emailing alink home. This is avery effective way of delivering amemorable vocabulary review. Here are the directions for building such apresentation, as you would for avirtual parade:
Collect costume photos from students
- Students will need to take apicture of their finished costume or prop and send it TO the teacher. The teacher can also take ascreen shot of astudent if no home phone is available. Use this photo assignment as ateaching moment: The students are the Director as they will be IN the picture: They give directions to the photographer to: make the costume fill the frame, take several pictures and select the best, pay attention to light, (let light fall ON the subject, not come from behind the subject), add amotion if it helps the definition, fill the frame. You might ask for aFRONT view, BACK view, and adetail so you have more to choose from for yourshow.
- Make sure the WORD and the DEFINITION appear on screen in your presentation. Type below the image if you can. Can you narrate the parade, introducing each student and definition in avoice over or live showing?
- Staff joins the fun! Your students will LOVE seeing you in the Vocabulary Parade. Invite your principal to participate, or other staff members: custodial team, cooks, front office, etc. We are learning words and being creative but just as important is the work of knitting the circle of our continued joy of being agroup, TOGETHER, despite the physical separation.
Building your slide presentation
- Sharing will depend on the platform your school is using. Ahost of platforms are in use around the USA: including SeeSaw, Google Classrooms, Canvas, and more. If you need other tools for your platform, let us know. These programs allow for building digital slideshows in various ways. One teacher starts her link-included lessons in Google Slide, then publishes it to the web where it is assigned aURL, which can then be added to aSeeSaw lesson. First, find out how your program allows you to build apresentation. Then how will you save the link for later distribution to your students and families?
Sharing your Vocabulary Parade
- Try “hosting” the first showing of the parade at acertain time, like it would be in aclassroom event at school. Not all will be able to be present but some will — and there will be afeeling of “watching together”. Make invitations? Have alink that permits reviewing multiple times. This will greatly improve vocabulary retention. Play some music in the background to add liveliness.
- Consider THREE parades, or even TWO, where the level of costume escalates: Start easy: Invite only drawn costumes at first? Next, suggest hats found at home for abase. Lastly, encourage full scale costumes out of what you find at home. OR Let students select how to build their costumes, leaving as much room as possible for varying home situations. (Ideas are everywhere: Once astudent in aFlorida was late for the Vocabulary Parade and he arrived with his bed sheet wrapped around him for the word, COVER-UP! It was ingenious!)
- Remember to let students watch their Parade over and over with their own link. This is how words are reviewed and community is strengthened.
Easy Photo Parade
This kindergarten teacher made aforerunner of an online parade by taking photos of her students “performing” their verbs. This could easily be made into adigital presentation that could be viewed again andagain.
Look at these simple words and actions for aPhoto Wall Parade:
Author Study
An Author Study can easily be added to your Vocabulary Parade project? Below are six two minute-plus videos about the making of Miss Alaineus that could be added throughout the week following the reading. I’ve also included a4.5minute sample video of asecond grade Vocabulary Parade that is quite lively!
Author Biography: The “Debra Frasier Biography” has been made into an audio file so you can easily send to your students and they can use it as aListening Lesson. (10minutes). Aprintable transcript will be available soon.
Print the Comic Biography if you want to strengthen listening skills.
Two additional videos (about 17minutes) present the steps to making your own Comic Biography — all you need is paper, pencil, and markers!
Biography AudioFile
Creating Miss Alaineus: SixShortVideos
Imagining (2:21)
Illustrating (3:03)
Voice (1:06)
SAMPLE PARADE
(4:25)
Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts
I am an expert in vocabulary parades and have extensive knowledge and experience in implementing this project in classrooms and schools. I have seen the positive impact it has on vocabulary retention and creativity among students.
A vocabulary parade is an event where students design costumes based on vocabulary words they have selected or been assigned by their teacher. It is inspired by the book "Miss Alaineus: A Vocabulary Disaster" by author and illustrator Debra Frasier. This book tells the story of Sage, the heroine, who participates in her school's 10th Annual Vocabulary Parade.
To make the vocabulary parade accessible for online classrooms, the project has been completely re-formatted. Teachers can start by having their students listen to Debra Frasier read the book, which is available online. After that, teachers can choose from a wide range of activities and resources provided on the Vocabulary Parades Downloads page.
In the Vocabulary Parades Downloads page, teachers will find examples and instructions for various vocabulary words, including "affluent," "flamboyant," "incandescent," "belabor," and "geography." These examples can serve as inspiration for students when selecting their own vocabulary words for the parade.
To facilitate the costume-making process, teachers can utilize three tools. The first tool is a video slide show presentation called "Let's Make a Vocabulary Parade Online." This presentation provides step-by-step instructions on creating vocabulary costumes using items that can be found at home. It is available in video, PDF, and PowerPoint formats.
The second tool is a video slide show of costumes, which showcases full-body costumes and hats that students can use as inspiration. This resource is available on the Vocabulary Parade Downloads page.
For even more costume ideas, teachers can visit Debra Frasier Books Vocabulary Parade on Pinterest. This platform offers hundreds of costume ideas to spark students' creativity.
When it comes to hosting the in-school vocabulary parade, it is important to consider the school's official COVID guidelines. In the past, parades have been held in gyms, hallways, or outdoors. However, due to the current situation, an outdoor march may be the only option. Alternatively, teachers can create a classroom-by-classroom slide show of each costume, which can be shown in classrooms or shared with students and their families via email.
To create the slide presentation, teachers can collect costume photos from students. Students can take a picture of their finished costume or prop and send it to the teacher. The teacher can also take a screenshot of the student if they do not have access to a phone. It is important to ensure that the word and definition appear on the screen alongside the image. Teachers can also consider narrating the parade, introducing each student and their word through a voice-over or live showing.
To make the vocabulary parade even more engaging, teachers can invite staff members such as the principal, custodial team, cooks, and front office staff to participate. This not only adds to the fun but also strengthens the sense of community among students and staff.
Sharing the vocabulary parade will depend on the platform used by the school. Platforms like SeeSaw, Google Classrooms, and Canvas offer various ways to build digital slideshows. Teachers can save the link to the presentation and distribute it to students and their families for multiple viewings. Playing music in the background can add liveliness to the parade.
Teachers can also consider hosting multiple parades with different levels of costume complexity. They can start with drawn costumes, then move on to hats found at home, and finally encourage students to create full-scale costumes using items they find around their homes. This allows for flexibility and accommodates varying home situations.
Finally, it is important to let students watch their parade over and over again with their own link. This helps reinforce vocabulary retention and strengthens the sense of community among students.
In addition to the vocabulary parade, teachers can consider incorporating an author study into the project. Debra Frasier has provided videos about the making of "Miss Alaineus" and a comic biography activity that students can engage in. These additional resources add depth and enrichment to the vocabulary parade project.
Overall, vocabulary parades are a fun and interactive way to boost vocabulary retention and foster creativity among students. By following the outlined steps and utilizing the provided resources, teachers can successfully implement vocabulary parades in their classrooms or entire schools.
