This PP outlines various strategies teachers could employ to address/improve Subject Specific Terminology /Build Vocabulary.

1. Subject Specific Literacy

2. • “Students’ comprehension will increase by
33 percentile points when vocabulary
instruction focuses on specific words
important to the content they are reading”
(Robert Merzano, 2004).

3. Some possible strategies:
• Words banks/glossary of key terms – available
to students at the commencement of the unit
(available on students’ home page)
• Word Wall – ongoing, organised display of key
words that provide visual reference for
students throughout a unit of study or a term
• Graphic association – colour coded, eye
catching, size, graphic/picture  SST with
definition

4. • SST show bag
• ABC Brainstorm – effective as a pre-test
• Post-it notes (informal assessment)
• Wordle
• Flash cards/match the word to the definition (ask 3
before me) or look up definition on computer
• ‘Word Storm’ (use of white board/collaborative
brainstorm)
• Battleship/Bingo/Hang
Man/Scrabble/Pictionary/Acrostic SST association

5. • Word of the day (how many times can it be used in the lesson –
written/verbal)
• Paragraph writing/sentences Underline/highlight SST or write it
in a different colour (Teacher could specify words to be included)
• 30 second madness
• Find-a-word, cloze passage, crosswords
• SST page with spaces to add new terms/sophisticated (tier 3)
vocabulary
• Tier 1: Everyday words
• Tier 2: SST
• Tier 3: Sophisticated vocabulary (www.visuwords.com)

6. • Write on the reading:
• In blue underline key facts in an article
• In red circle SST and write their definition in the
margin
• In black write any questions that arise from
what you have read (this can be about content
or the meaning of words)

7. • Coding strategy when reading a text:
* I already know this
+ New information
! Wow
? Don’t understand
_ What’s this word?

8. • Promoting Thinking with Terminology (revision
strategy):
• 3 minutes to list as many SST as possible
• 3 minutes ‘shopping time’ (time to ‘buy’ terms from
peers to add to own list. Cost is 3 terms = 1 mintie)
• Person with the most comprehensive and accurate
list of SST is the winner