Teach vocabulary

1. Building Vocabulary
A research-informed, classroom-
tested strategy for pre-teaching
critical words.

2. The limits of my language are the
limits of my mind.
All I know is what I have words for.
-Ludwig Wittgenstein

3. Does this sound familiar?
“When I’m starting to read a chapter, I just sit
down and open the book up and start from the
top. I read every line once slowly, but if it’s too
long, I skip to a new paragraph. If it is a long
chapter I will take a few breaks. If there is a
difficult word I don’t know, I try to pronounce it or
I might just skip it so I can finish faster. If it is
really hard, I just wait for the teacher to go over
it.”

4. Effects of weakness in oral
language
 Because poor readers read
considerably less than better readers,
the gap between good and poor
readers in number of words read, and
both receptive and expressive
vocabulary becomes progressively
greater as the child advances through
school.
 Cunningham, A. and Stanoich

5. Importance of Vocabulary
 There is a strong relationship between
vocabulary knowledge and reading
comprehension.
 Vocabulary knowledge is so strongly related
to intelligence that Klouis Terman, creator of
modern IQ tests, stated that if he could use
only one factor to determine a person’s
intelligence, it would be vocabulary.

6. How do you build vocabulary?
 Determine critical terms to be explicitly
taught. Keep the list short.
 Essential lesson concept words
 Academic Vocabulary (see slide 20)
 Teach students meaningful work parts-
prefixes, suffixes, and roots (handouts sent).
 Students must participate actively and
accountably in explicit vocabulary instruction
to process words more deeply.
 Reinforce use of vocabulary multiple times.

7. Explicit Vocabulary Teaching
 Connect - Create explanations before
definitions. Longman’s Dictionary does this.
 Process - Active elaboration through use of
synonyms/antonyms, verbal examples, non-
verbal examples, compare and contrast,
apply in new contexts
 Practice - Receptive (read and listen) and
Expressive (speak and write)

8. Determine what students already
know about the words.

9. Vocabulary Knowledge Rating
High Knowledge Low Knowledge
4- I could teach it to the class 2- I recognize it, but need review
3 - I am pretty sure what it means 1. I have no clue what it means
Term Before
Instruction
After
Instruction
estatic, adj.
Lexicon, n

10. Vocabulary Note-Taking Chart
Term Synonym
Explanation
Example
Image
ecstatic Extremely happy
Feeling excited or
joyful

11. Instructional Sequence for
Teaching Critical Words
Taken from Dr. Kate Kinsella:
 Make sure students see the new word
 Lexicon
 Pronounce the new word
 Lek si kan
 Ask students to repeat the new word
 Lexicon
 Clarify the part of speech
 Noun

12. Instructional Sequence
 Provide an accessible synonym and/or a
brief explanation
 Synonym: a dictionary
 Definition: all of the words of a particular
language, the special vocabulary of a
profession, hobby
 Provide a visual or non-linguistic
representation and/or “showing” sentence.
 Medical lexicon
 Skater lexicon

13. Instructional Sequence
 Rephrase the simple definition/explanation,
asking students to complete the statement by
substituting aloud the new word
 To understand the doctor’s prognosis, you had to
understand his lexicon.
 It was difficult to understand what the skater was explaining
because of his lexicon.
 Check for understanding with a brief, focused
question/task.
Would you have a lexicon if you were cooking?

14. Effective Vocabulary Instruction
 Descriptions as opposed to definitions (see
Longman dictionary)
 Use of linguistic and non linguistic
representations
 Gradual shaping of word meaning over
multiple exposure
 Teaching and using word parts
 Students interacting with the words they are
learning

15. Differentiate Instruction
 Prepare lesson
 Provide note-taking scaffold to support
listening and review. This provides for active
participation in vocabulary instruction.
 Structure routine opportunities for students to
apply the new word both in speaking and
writing.

16. Vocabulary Note-taking
Scaffold - Prepare Lesson
Term Synonym/explanation Example/image/showing
sentence
Comparison
n
An examination/study of
two or more things to
show how they are alike
and different
• comparison shopping for a new
car
• The jeep looks tiny in
comparison to the Hummer.
Impact, n Effect or influence • image of a Big Mac and fries
• Eating a junk food diet will have
a negative impact on your health

17. Heavy Scaffold
Term Synonym/explanation Example/image/showing
sentence
Comparison
n
An examination/study of
two or more things to
show how they are alike
and ____________.
• comparison shopping for a new
car
• The jeep looks tiny in
comparison to ______________.
Impact, n Effect or influence • image of a Big Mac and fries
• Eating ____________ will have
a negative impact on your health

18. Weaning from Scaffold
Term Synonym/explanation Example/image/showing sentence
Comparison
n
• An examination/study of
two or more things to
show how they are alike
and different
• comparison shopping for ________
•.
Impact, n •
•
• image of a Big Mac and fries
• Eating a junk food diet will have a
___________ impact on
__________.

19. Plan Vocabulary Instruction
 Which key words or concepts are vital to
understanding?
 Is the word encountered frequently?
 Are their words that can be grouped together to
enhance understanding of a central concept?
 How can I help students use the word/concept in
meaningful ways in future speaking and writing
contexts?
 How will I teach them to study academic vocabulary?
 What method is most appropriate for student to study
the words?

20. Another resource for
vocabulary instruction
 The Academic Word List - a high-
incidence and high-utility 500 word list
occur frequently over wide range of
academic texts
 http://language.massey.ac.nz/staff/awl/ind

21. Assignment
 Create a vocabulary lesson using the
note-taking structure.
 Modify the lesson by substituting blanks
for some of the words based on the
needs of the student you are following.