Vocabulary Archives - The Candy Class

28 05, 2019

Deepening Reading Comprehension with Vocabulary Strategies

By The Candy Class|2019-05-30T13:52:06-04:00May 28th, 2019|Reading Strategies, Strategy Share, Vocabulary|0 Comments

Understanding the meaning behind words is an important part of reading comprehension. Vocabulary strategies are the tools to help students crack open unknown words. When teaching vocabulary strategies, it is important to break things down into simple steps that students can apply. While it is important to also teach vocabulary words, vocabulary strategies are more like a decoding skill that help students open up new words in the text as they read. These vocabulary skills that are developed through strategies will help students deepen their understanding of various texts, improve their writing skills, and hopefully encourage them to be lifelong learners. Today, I want to go over five different vocabulary strategies that will help deepen reading comprehension. I will go over some tips to get students applying these strategies. I will also be sharing a free vocabulary strategy resource too!

These reading strategies can be taught in a mini-lesson or during guided reading. Then students can apply them as they read, just like they would use a decoding strategy.

Vocabulary Strategy #1: The Case of the U.W.T. (Unknown Word in the Text)

First, it is important to teach students not to ignore unknown words. Some students may have already formed a habit of jumping over words, so it’s important to train them to stop and pay attention to those words. This strategy is simple. It’s about getting them to look closer at that unknown word. The other strategies will help them crack open the meaning more easily.

Steps for Students to Apply the Strategy:
1. Stop when you see an unknown word.
2. Take a closer look at the word and sentence to see if you see any clues.

Vocabulary Strategy #2: The Case of the Told-You-So Owl

Sometimes the meaning is hooted out in the same sentence. Students can look to see if the sentence explains the word. Linking verbs are the clues to solving these types of vocabulary mysteries.

Steps for Students to Apply the Strategy:
1. Look at the words closely for clues. Do you see the words is, are, or means?
2. If you see a linking verb, the meaning is being hooted out for you right there in the sentence.

Vocabulary Strategy #3: The Case of the Flipped Pancake

Sometimes, students stumble on a new word that relates to other words they know, and the supporting text helps them to understand that word. With this strategy, you can teach students to flip the word to a synonym that would make sense with the rest of the text.

Steps for Students to Apply the Strategy:
1. Think of a word that would make sense there.
2. Change the word to the synonym. Keep reading to see if it still makes sense.

Vocabulary Strategy #4: The Case of the Repeating Parrot

Sometimes, the meaning of words is repeated in another way in the very next sentence that is more understandable. Sometimes, students need to read the next sentence to gain comprehension of the unknown word.

Steps for Students to Apply the Strategy:
1. Read on to see if it is repeated in another way.
2. If it is repeated in another way, think about the meaning of the new vocabulary word. Then keep reading. If it is not repeated in another way, try another strategy.

Vocabulary Strategy #5: The Case of the Runaways

Don’t let any newly learned vocabulary words runaway. Teach students to be on the lookout for words they cracked open with vocabulary strategies and encourage them to point them out when they find the words in other texts. A vocabulary journal comes in handy for this purpose too.

Steps for Students to Apply the Strategy:
1. See if you can spot the new vocabulary words in other books you read.

These are just five of twenty-four vocabulary strategies. In addition to these five strategies, the others also teach students to use picture clues when applicable, ask questions about the unknown words, use various types of context clues, utilize visualization and inferences, pay attention to the text features, and use resources like a dictionary, glossary, and online resources. It includes a strategy for when to ask for help when all else fails and a strategy to recycle the use of the word too.

Tips for Getting Students to Apply the Strategies and Retain Vocabulary Words:

Model and practice the strategy with a mini-lesson. Seeing the strategies in action with a sentence or short paragraph will help students grasp how to use the strategy so they can apply it to unknown words as they read.
Give them a visual reference. Miniature strategy posters help students see the strategy. That way, they can apply it as they read. These also can be used as a bookmark if your students are reading chapter books.
Use a graphic organizer. Graphic organizers help students make their thinking more concrete. They will retain more. This gives some accountability to where they have to show they actually applied the strategy. Also, this extends more critical thinking. You can incorporate a graphic organizer by having students record at least one unknown word after they are finished reading. To make this fun, have students store their graphic organizers in a case file.
Use a vocabulary journal. Another option is to use a vocabulary journal. Graphic organizers can also be added to the vocabulary journals.
Extend the vocabulary work. Newly discovered words should not be forgotten. By having students revisit their vocabulary journals or graphic organizers to use with a new activity, students will build their vocabulary and ultimately, their reading and writing skills.

If you are interested in having a resource with all these vocabulary strategies and resources, you can find it here. This resource includes an engaging introduction where they are on a mission to become vocabulary detectives. It includes mini-lessons with sentences that connect to the fun theme of each strategy, strategy posters, student size strategy cards, no prep graphic organizers and journal size ones, vocabulary extensions, rubrics, and rewards for becoming a vocabulary detective. It is easy to differentiate instruction with this resource. You can pair it with any book you like. Also, you can set the strategy goals to whatever fits your class best. That way, all students are encouraged to be vocabulary detectives! Find the resource here.

Would you like to test out a vocabulary strategy? Here is a free vocabulary strategy resource to test out with your classroom. It is for the Case of the Repeating Parrot.

Also, make sure to check out some of my other vocabulary posts here and here.

Now before I close out, I want to let you know about my free tech course. This free course shows you a simple three-step system for setting up the use of technology in your classroom. With the abundance of tech options out there, it can get overwhelming in the primary grades. The key is to wisely pick just a small amount of tools and add on from there. This course will help you get a system in place, includes some free tech resources to utilize with the system, and even includes short student tutorials to get your class on board. Find more information about it here.

I hope you find these strategies and tips useful. What ways do you teach vocabulary strategies in your classroom? Feel free to continue the discussion in the comments.

Thanks for stopping by the Candy Class!

Jolene Mathew 🙂

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14 03, 2019

Five Fun Compound Word Activities

By The Candy Class|2019-03-14T18:07:29-04:00March 14th, 2019|Resources, Vocabulary|0 Comments

Here are five fun compound word activities to liven up your lesson. These activities fit in nicely as a center activity.

Activity #1 Logic Sentences

Logic sentences are a fun way for students to form compound words and gain some depth in understanding the words.

Examples of Logic Sentences:

Shells in the sea are _______________. (They would write seashells.)

A coat you wear in the rain is a ______________.

You can write these on index cards to make your own set of task cards. For encouraging higher-order thinking, you can flip it by giving them a list of compound words. Then let them choose words to write out their own logical sentences. I would recommend modeling a few first if you plan to have students writing them.

Now, this will not work for every single compound word out there. For example, you would not write, “A type of butter that flies is a ___________.” However, there are many words that do make logical sense, and this is a fun activity for vocabulary development.

Activity #2 Picture Addition

This activity works really well for visual learners. Pictures are used to form addition problems, and students will need to use the pictures to name the compound word.

For example, jelly + fish = ___________

Click the image or here to link to the compound words task cards.

You can also turn this into missing equation problems too.

For example, jelly + __________ = jellyfish

These can also be completed digitally. If your class is handy with devices, you could extend this by letting students create their own addition problem with a compound word by importing pictures. They can also illustrate one on paper too.

Click the image or here to link to the digital task cards for compound words.

Activity #3 Magnetic Compound Words

This is an engaging activity for your kinesthetic learners and for the those that love science. Write out a part of a compound word on each index card. Attach a paper clip to each card. Provide a horseshoe magnet. Let students try to grasp two words to form a compound word. Let students identify if the word is a real compound word or not by sorting them into piles. You could provide a laminated mat that has a section for real compound words and a section for unreal compound words too.

There are different ways students can share their learning with you or others. One way is to let them discuss their words on video after they have completed the sorting. This also gives an opportunity for them to review their work, which will help them to retain what they just learned.

If you do not have a tablet or other type of device with video features, you could also have students use a recording sheet or share their learning with a partner or a small group.

Activity #4 Categorizing with Compound Words

This may seem like a simple activity, but categorizing is level four on Bloom’s Taxonomy because it involves analysis. Categorizing helps students to make more connections in their brains. Plus, this adds a hands-on element that is great for your kinesthetic learners. Here students are going to analyze those compound words and sort them into the categories of person, place, thing, and animal.

You can do this by writing each category on a piece of construction paper or colorful paper and laminating it. It does not need to be fancy, but you could always type one up with some fun fonts too. I recommend using one that they can easily read.

After you prep the mats, you will need compound words for them to categorize. I recommend having the words either written out or typed out on small pieces of paper. You may want to laminate it for future use. Also, you will need the pictures of the compound words. Of course, you can differentiate by having the words and pictures together as one. By having the words and pictures separate, students can match the words and pictures and then sort them into categories. That way, you are meeting the needs of your visual learners, and you are getting students to pay attention to reading the actual word too. Otherwise, they may just read the picture and not even pay attention to the word.

Activity #5 Compound Word Puzzles

You can easily put this together with some paper cut-outs such as some strawberry themed paper cut-outs or whatever theme you prefer.

To create the puzzles, write one part of the compound word on the left side and the other part of the compound word on the right side. Cut them in half. If you want to make them self-checking, cut each one different when cutting them in half. Laminate for durability.

Students will join the puzzles together to form the compound words. Students can record the words on a recording sheet. You can also have them make an illustration for each word they write down too.

I hope these ideas will make learning compound words a fun and engaging in your classroom! If you would like to have more ideas like this sent to your email here and there, some freebies along the way, and more, please sign-up for email here. By signing up today, you get a free set of task cards.

Grab the task cards for free when you subscribe to the newsletter! Then get inspired, find teaching ideas, receive exclusive freebies along the way, find out about secret sales, learn about new resources, and more through the newsletter!

Thanks for stopping by the Candy Class! Make sure to check out some of my other vocabulary posts here.

Jolene Mathew 🙂

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9 01, 2019

Five Ways to Teach Multiple Meaning Words

By The Candy Class|2019-03-12T21:05:58-04:00January 9th, 2019|Resources, Vocabulary|0 Comments

Today, I want to share five ways to teach multiple meaning words. Multiple meaning words are words that sound alike but mean different things. These can include homonyms, but it also can include words that have a noun and verb meaning too. Students will need to depend on the context to understand the intended meaning of the word.

Why teach multiple meaning words? Teaching multiple meaning words will help deepen reading comprehension and expand vocabulary use in writing.

Activity #1 Homophone Picture Match

Visuals are a great way to help your visual students to build a mental image of the homophones. Playing a game of cards that involves matching is a fun, easy way to accomplish this. Print some pictures of some homophones like pair/pear, hair/hare, ate/eight, etc. Attach the pictures to some index cards with the words written on the bottom. Laminate them. Students can use the cards to play a memory game or a round of go fish.

Activity #2 Homophone Sort

Word sorts are also beneficial to students. While visual pictures should be used too, it’s important to focus in on the spelling differences too. For this activity, write the homophones on some index cards and laminate them. Let students sort the matching homophones into pairs.

Activity #3 Illustrate Two Meanings

With this activity, students will draw two illustrations to represent the word with multiple meanings. Have students fold a sheet of paper in half. Then on each side, let them illustrate the meaning of the word. For example with the word bat, students will draw a baseball bat on the left side of the paper. On the right side, they may draw a flying bat.

To up enthusiasm, let your class use this activity to make the game cards for the picture match activity that was mentioned first. Instead of using paper, they can draw on index cards. Let students write the word under each illustration. Instead of it being folded, they will make two separate cards for the same word such as the word bat. Laminate them for durability. Place the cards in a center for them to use. They will LOVE this even more. I’m telling you, this will be a hit and have them very engaged and picking up on those multiple meaning words FAST.

Activity #4 Dig into Context

It’s important that students also be able to use context to distinguish the differences in multiple meaning words. Task cards are a fun way for students to determine the meaning of a multiple meaning word in context. Students can read sentences, and then select the meaning that fits the word.

Task cards can also be used for an assortment of activities. You can play a game of Scoot or combine them with a game board easily.

On a side note, these task cards pictured below actually tells a story about a bat that loves baseball for fun.

Click here or the picture to check out these printable task cards. These include color and black lined options. There are also two options for the recording sheets, so you can use 20 or 28 task cards with your students.

You can also save time with the digital format instead. That means no cutting, and it is engaging for students! Click here or the image to link to it.

Activity #5 Write it in Context

Once students have some experience with defining multiple meaning words in context, challenge them more by letting them come up with their own sentences that contain them. If your students have an interactive notebook, you can let them use one of these free templates linked below and write the multiple meaning words within the context of sentences under each word. Click here for the free template.

There you have it, five ways to teach multiple meaning words. I hope you found these ideas helpful! If you would like a free set of task cards for long and short vowels, sign-up for email here. You will also receive many other freebies, more teaching ideas, sales announcements, and more over time.

Thanks for stopping by the Candy Class! Make sure to check out my post about prefixes here and my post about vocabulary strategies here.

Jolene Mathew 🙂

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17 09, 2018

Activities for Teaching Context Clues in the Primary Grades

By The Candy Class|2019-03-12T21:05:58-04:00September 17th, 2018|Vocabulary|0 Comments

Let’s dive into activities for teaching context clues in the primary grades. I also have a post that breaks down how to teach vocabulary strategies that you can find here.

Activity #1 Picture Journal for Vocabulary

Many young learners are very concrete and visual. You can let students keep a picture journal to illustrate unknown words they find in the text. Encourage students to use the context clues or a vocabulary strategy to decipher the meaning of the unknown word as they read. Let students record the newly discovered word in a journal and create an illustration of the word. This will pair very well with words that have visual descriptions in the text as context clues. Illustrating will help them to understand the meaning of the new word more by making it more real and concrete.

Now if you already use a vocabulary journal, this can simply be a section in their notebook dedicated to illustrating words. For some students who are still developing their writing, you may want to start with just having a picture journal all together until they are ready to be pushed with writing the word’s meaning.

You can also extend this by having students also write their interpretation of what the word means. Bonus: You may need to read these for a good laugh every now and then. 😂

Activity #2 Clue Into the Word

With this activity, students revisit a word they wrote in their vocabulary journal or picture journal. If your students do not have a vocabulary journal, simply challenge them one day to find an unknown word and use context clues to decipher the meaning. Then have students write their word with its meaning and/or illustration on a sheet of paper. Students will mainly just need access to a word they have discovered on their own and figured out the meaning through context clues. Have students write the word in a sentence on a sheet of paper or even type it up on an iPad. With their new sentence handy, let students visit with other students, share their sentence, and ask the other student what it means. Let students switch partners as much as you like. You can also extend this a bit more by having students write down the words that were shared with them on a sheet of paper, and then hold a class discussion of the new words that were learned. It is a fun way to collaborate and learn new words in context. After all, they say the ones that learn the most are the ones that teach it, and this activity lets the students teach with something they have learned.

Activity #3 Digital Mystery Stories

Mystery themes and context clues go hand and hand, so why not let students read a mystery story and look to uncover unknown words with context clues? To make the reading more engaging, let them read digitally. I actually put together these task cards that have a story being told across from card-to-card. Students solve the unknown word, slide the magnifying glass to the word’s meaning, and answer some reading comprehension questions at the end that involves more higher-order thinking. It is good practice to build up their confidence by using context clues so that activities like Clue Into the Word can be done with confidence. You can find the context clue cards by clicking here for the digital ones or here for the printable ones.

I hope you found these activities helpful to help deepen the use of context clues! Context clues and vocabulary strategies are something I am very passionate about because I really do believe that is a big gap missing with students struggling with reading in the older grades and even adulthood. If you would like access to a resource library full of free teaching resources and a free course on using technology in the primary grades, make sure to sign-up here.

Thanks so much for stopping by the Candy Class!

Jolene Mathew from The Candy Class 🙂

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2 01, 2018

Ideas for Teaching Prefixes in 2nd Grade to Strengthen Vocabulary Skills

By The Candy Class|2019-03-12T21:05:59-04:00January 2nd, 2018|Resources, Vocabulary|0 Comments

Students need opportunity to work with words and manipulate the parts of them. In primary grades like 2nd grade, students can start to dive into prefixes to strengthen their vocabulary skills. There are many ways for students to work with prefixes, and you will find a few ideas for teaching prefixes below.

Idea #1 Sorting Prefixes

Have students sort words by the prefix. Simply write the words on index cards for students to sort by prefix. You can laminate for durability. Another way is to type them up, print on card stock, and laminate. Making prefix sorting mats provides a visual for students to place the words on top of as they sort. Simply type the prefix on a single sheet of paper. I recommend putting the prefix meaning on the mat too, so students can really learn that prefix.

Idea #2 Creating and Decoding Words with Prefixes

Let students figure out the meaning of words by providing a small list of prefixes and a root word. Include the meanings of the prefixes with this list. Let students form a new word from the list, and use the root word and the prefix meaning to define the new word in their own words. This activity is great because it pushes students to use some higher-order thinking. Now you can always create the lists and root words yourself, but if you would like to save time, I have a paperless resource for that here or by clicking the picture below.

Strengthen Vocabulary Skills with these Ideas for Teaching Prefixes in 2nd Grade Link Here

Idea #3 Prefix Interactive Notebook

Use an interactive notebook template for students to write a prefix on top and a group of words with that prefix under the flap. You can get a FREE interactive notebook template by clicking here to use for this activity.

I hope you find these ideas for teaching prefixes helpful to use with your students, so they can strengthen those vocabulary skills! If you would like some helpful tips, ideas, freebies, and sales announcements sent to your email, make sure to subscribe here. You can also view my privacy policy here.

Thank you for stopping by the Candy Class!

Jolene 🙂

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15 11, 2015

Tips for Increasing Vocabulary and a Free Sample

By Jolene|2019-03-12T21:06:05-04:00November 15th, 2015|Reading, Vocabulary|0 Comments

Hi everyone! Today, I am going to share some tips on how to increase vocabulary during reading. Vocabulary is so important for deepening reading comprehension and critical thinking skills. It is an essential ingredient for improving student literacy. Once students know how to decode those words phonetically, it is so very important to be able to grasp the meaning of the words they decode to better understand the text. I also have a free vocabulary strategies resource!

Tips for Increasing Vocabulary and a Free Sample

Tip #1: Teach Vocabulary Strategies

Research Tip about vocabulary strategies

Vocabulary instruction should include both direct instruction of words AND vocabulary strategies. This is actually research-based. It can be easy to teach the direct instruction part. We pull out those vocabulary lists alongside the spelling lists each week, and we read some authentic literature while putting a focus on those new vocabulary words from the book.

It is often the other half, vocabulary strategies that do not get a whole lot of needed attention. Sure, there are the occasional lessons on context clues, but it is not enough to get students intentional every day as they read.

Students are reading books and being exposed to SO MANY new words that they might not be exposed to within their own homes, and those moments to learn those new words are lost if students are not fully equipped to apply vocabulary strategies to crack the code to those unknown words.

Now, some might think that vocabulary strategies are simply context clues. However, vocabulary strategies include other strategies besides context clues. They are like a bag of tools students can pull out to crack open those unknown words.

Tip #2: Teach Vocabulary Strategies During Guided Reading or Reading Workshop

Vocabulary strategies are the next step in teaching reading after word decoding. Think about it. Once students know how to phonetically open each word or use other decoding skills to read known words, the next step to being a good reader is to be able to interpret those unrecognizable words that they now have the ability to sound out. I actually broke the strategies into 24 different ones, so students have a bag of tools to help them crack open those words. These strategies can be taught during guided reading, reading workshop, or other small group activities.

Tip #3: Encourage students to Use Vocabulary Strategies During Independent Reading

Vocabulary Strategies Means to Cracking Open New Words Tip

Vocabulary strategies are the means to gaining the skills needed to crack open new words during reading. In addition to guided reading, students should be applying the vocabulary strategies during independent reading too. If you do a reading workshop format, you can actually incorporate the vocabulary strategies there too. What is great about this is you are potentially tapping into their natural curiosity as they stumble across unknown words while reading. This is such an authentic, relevant way to learn new vocabulary. Not only that, but they are going to have a deeper understanding of what they are reading. It’s a two-for-one deal that you can’t beat. 😉

Tip #4: Teach More than Just Context Clues

Vocabulary Strategies encompass more than just context clues

Vocabulary strategies include primarily context clues, but they encompass more than that. Vocabulary strategies are like a tool bag that students can pull out and apply, so they can determine the meaning of unknown words. It includes starting from the basics of just paying attention to those unknown words on up to using various context clues to using dictionaries and online resources.

Tip #5: Break Down How to Use Context Clues Step-by-Step

Vocabulary Strategies Tip to Break Down Context Clues

Breaking down how to use the context clues into steps helps students to apply them appropriately. There is more than one type of context clue, and students need time to let each type of context clue sink in and be applied. An example of a strategy that breaks things down is named “The Case of the Appearing Rabbit”. With this strategy, students are taught the strategy, which is, “Poof! It may appear as an example.” Then a tip is given for students to look for specific word clues that are signals that an example might be present. By looking for wording like “for example” and “such as,” students know where to look for the example.

Tip #6: Teach Students When to Use Other Resources

Vocabulary Strategies Tip on Using Dictionaries

It’s important for students to lean in on those context clues first to help improve fluency and to gain more understanding of the word in its actual context. However, sometimes, they will have to break out a dictionary or use an online resource because the context did not offer any clarity to the meaning. When should students turn to other resources to determine the meaning of unknown words? I recommend letting students know to use other resources if they can not find any context clues, or if they are still unsure of the meaning of the word.

Tip #7: Use Visual Prompts of the Vocabulary Strategy

Vocabulary Strategies Prompt Tip

Give students visual prompts of the vocabulary strategies. If students only employ vocabulary strategies when they are reading to you, they are not practicing them enough. They need to be using vocabulary strategies when they are doing independent reading. Visuals are great reminders to use the vocabulary strategies, and it also helps make them more concrete to understand. You can do this easily with some index cards or anchor charts printed four to a page.

Vocabulary Strategies Cards in Black and White

Tip #8: Students Can Show Their Thinking with a Graphic Organizer

Vocabulary Tip to Show Thinking on Paper

Students can show how they used a vocabulary strategy with a graphic organizer. Not only does this give some accountability, but it creates an environment for more critical thinking and gives room for the meaning to resonate more with them.

Tip #9: Use a Vocabulary Journal

Vocabulary words are meant to be reused and recognized when seen again. A vocabulary journal is a great tool for this purpose. Graphic organizers can be placed in the journal too!

Tip #10: Use Extensions for Discovered Vocabulary Words

Give extension activities for students to apply the words they gleaned from using vocabulary strategies. This way, students can revisit those words later down the road. This actually ties in with the tip above. You want students reusing those vocabulary words, so have them break out their vocabulary journal for some extension activities.

Tip #11: Use Fun Incentives

To keep students motivated with practicing those vocabulary strategies, offer incentives. We are all prone to get off track with our goals, so trackers help students to stay focused with using the vocabulary strategies throughout the year. You can also celebrate their progress along the way when using a tracker. Reward them for their accomplishments. You can differentiate this easily, so everyone is successful with it. They will all make progress in their own way, so set reasonable goals for each student. Make it a big deal. Incentives need not cost a lot of money. The main ingredient is to make them feel special and to cheer them on. I also like to think this helps students to become mature adults who work toward goals and can self-monitor their progress to stay motivated.

Tip #12: Make it Engaging

Make it fun. Engage them from the start. Remember, they will always remember how we made them feel more than what we said (my paraphrase of Dr. Maya Angelou). I set-up a fun intro where you can get into character as you introduce students to the unit with a fun script and visuals. It is a sure way to make them laugh some and ultimately get their interest in learning those vocabulary strategies.

Official vocabulary detectives spend their entire lives using vocabulary strategies to break cases of unknown words.

Engage students with a fun detective introduction

Let’s make it a lifelong adventure of reading and discovering vocabulary. Unlike direct instruction that is limited to the words being taught, vocabulary strategies transcend into skills that can be used throughout life. These are skills that students can carry from grade to grade, and this will enable students to succeed in leaps and bounds in their educational journey.

Of course, you can venture out on your own with these ideas from this post. It took me quit a bit of research to come up with catchy names for the 24 vocabulary strategies that I identified through a lot of my own analysis and through various research-based books. Each strategy is very catchy, so students can easily remember them. If you would like to save time on researching strategies to teach and creating resources, I have everything you need to teach vocabulary strategies throughout the year. It also has a fun detective theme, and covers all the tips I included in this blog post.

You can click on the image below or click here to link to the resource.