List-Group-Label
This vocabulary strategy is extremely effective for identifying words with similar meanings. The strategy allows students to access their prior knowledge on the concept the teacher has chosen (Taba, 1967). It can also help students gain an interest in the topic at hand. There are multiple ways in which a list-group-label (LGL) can be carried out. Reutzel and Cooter describe a LGL as open and closed sorts (Reutzel & Cooter, 2015). The general outline for a LGL is as follows:
1) Teacher writes a word on the board
2) Students offer up words that are similar to the main word. (List)
3) Students work in small groups to group the words with similar meanings or features. (Group)
4) Students create a label for each group of words. (Label)
The process of doing a list-group-label is usually tied to reading of a text. A teacher will do a LGL before reading a text in order to preview vocabulary words students will be viewing. During reading students come across these vocabulary words and it catches their attention. After reading students can look at the groups and determine if words need to be taken out of groups or moved to another group.
Below is an example of a List-Group-Label in action:
1) Teacher writes a word on the board
2) Students offer up words that are similar to the main word. (List)
3) Students work in small groups to group the words with similar meanings or features. (Group)
4) Students create a label for each group of words. (Label)
The process of doing a list-group-label is usually tied to reading of a text. A teacher will do a LGL before reading a text in order to preview vocabulary words students will be viewing. During reading students come across these vocabulary words and it catches their attention. After reading students can look at the groups and determine if words need to be taken out of groups or moved to another group.
Below is an example of a List-Group-Label in action:
As mentioned above, an open or closed sort are variations of a list-group-label. In the closed sort, students are given the list of words and the headings of the groups. Students doing this activity must decide which words go into each group. In an open sort students are again give the list of words, but must create their own labels for groups. The biggest difference between word sorts and a list-group-label is that students are not given the responsibility of listing out the words.
An LGL can be used in almost any content area. One example would be in science when you are classifying objects as plants or animals, or living/non-living. The same goes for math if you are classifying what numbers are multiples of 2, 5, and 10.