Purpose
Students make connections between words, descriptions, and visuals.
Materials
Instructions
- Organize students into thinking partners.
- Provide each group with a set of cards that feature 5-10 vocabulary words. For each word, include a word card, a description card, and a visual card.
- Pairs collaborate to match the word cards to the description and visual cards, justifying their matches.
- Observe students’ thinking and clarify/verify as appropriate.
Classroom Management
- Model how each word has a double match (a description and a visual).
- Time Saver: Provide each group with a handout of the cards and let students cut the cards apart.
- Time Saver: Have student groups create a Matching Double Trouble card set (words, descriptions, and visuals) for 3 vocabulary words. Groups trade cards and complete the activity with new words/cards.
- Consider using the activity as a learning station.
Differentiation
- Promote access by previewing the cards with a supportive peer/adult and by allowing a peer to read the text aloud.
- Provide response support by allowing for speech-to-text or word prediction support if creating digital cards.
- Access language supports by proficiency level ->
Think It Up!
- Have students think more deeply about the concept by responding to a Think It Up prompt as an exit ticket or journal entry:
- Draw a conclusion about which word is most important and explain why.
- How can you classify or categorize the words?
- Encourage students to use lead4ward’s Thinking Stems (English/Spanish) to frame their responses, if needed.
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Read the video transcript
This instructional strategy is called Matching Double Trouble. Make sure to save this post for the start of the school year. Organize students into thinking partners. Provide each group with a set of cards that feature five to ten vocabulary words. For each word, include a word card, a description card, and a visual card. Pairs collaborate to match the word cards to the description and visual cards, justifying their matches. Observe students' thinking and clarify as appropriate. Follow for more instructional strategies like this one.

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