Word Study: reading requires words

It's becoming more and more clear that reading is all about exposure, which make sense sinse reading is a part of everyone's daily. Students word knowledge is highly related to comprehension, if they don't know important words it is very hard to understand what they are reading. Developing vocabulary is a continuous process throughout life. Giving the students different skills decipher meaning of words themselves can make reading more fun, less difficult, and more practiced. I really liked some of the idea's of the Ten important words plus. I really want to teach the younger grades so I tried to tink of some ways it could be tweaked to make it more level appropriate for beginning readers:

1. In readings for younger children there are less difficult words because their vocabularies are smaller. A teacher in the younger grades may want to have the students pick out four words. Since the children are still developing reading skills the teacher may want to read the text to the class first and let them listen for comprehension and then they can go back and find four words they may not know on their own.
2. After the children get their 4 words do a similar chart and see which words the students chose. Have a discussion about the words. 
3. Let the children practice using the words in a sentence. Choose one word for each day and have them write a sentence that includes that word used correctly.
4.  Next, put them into groups and have them talk about what clues helped them decide what a word meant and what other words could be used in its place.(The beginning of understanding synoyms and comprehension) Have them read their sentences to eachother and talk about them.
5. On Friday, or however you want to do it, have the students get in their groups again and make a story using their words and sentences from the week. This will be fun for them and then they can present to the class. This gives you the chance to discuss any misinterpretations but also to praise the creative ways the children used the words to express an idea.

I think the writing exercises can help students with the concepts discussed about invented spelling. The more students are requried to read and write the more they will be exposed to words and learn to use them correctly, spell them correctly and understand their meaning. Maybe teachers could even pick out the words that children may struggle with and do a making words activity with the students before they do the the Important vocabulary words. Plan the lesson using the words of the week so if one of of your words of the week is gigantic us that for a making words activity before you define it and use it in a sentence.

I think a word wall like the one above could be a really cool way to keep tracks of the word the students have learned. Tis not only shows them their progress but gives them constant exposure to the words so they may continue to use them in discussion and writing. It might be really great to comment on the children using these words and encourage them to do so.
The blog I got this from has some really  good ideas about activities for writing : http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/top_teaching/2011/02/my-january-top-ten-list-writing-lessons-and-resources#.UKr-gAb6MlE.pinterest

Questions of the Day:
 Do you think it would be effective to blend the two activities I talked about?
What other ideas do you have about incorporating these lessons into daily class, maybe use a book about butterflies when discussing metamorphosis in science?