Dr. Robert J. Marzano’s
Six-Step Process
for Effectively Teaching
Academic Vocabulary
Elizabeth Russell – November 2010
Step 1:
 The teacher provides a description, an
explanation, or an example of the new term.
For example: OBSTREPEROUS
The teacher might say: obstreperous means
unruly and rambunctious; he or she might give
the example of a large group of unsupervised
five year children visiting the zoo.
Step 2:
 Next, the teacher asks the student to give a
description, or explanation, or example in his
or her own words.
For example:
My little brothers are obstreperous when I am
trying to sleep on the week-end.
Step 3:
 The teacher will then ask the student to
draw a picture or symbol or to locate a
graphic to represent the new term.
For example:
The student draws a picture of two small
children jumping up and down on a bed.
Step 4:
 The students will participate in additional
activities that allow them to interact with
the new vocabulary they are learning.
For example:
The teacher will use and will encourage the
students to use the vocabulary words
whenever possible in the classroom.
Step 5:
 The student will discuss the term with
others in a cooperative group setting.
For example:
The students will be heterogeneously grouped
and each will share his or her explanations
and pictorial representations of the term.
Step 6:
 The learner will participate in games that
will provide additional reinforcement of the
new term.
For example:
The Great American Fly Swat, Around the
World, Group Relay Races, Vocabulary Bees
An Important Point:
 On a regular and ongoing basis, the teacher
permits the students to go back and revise
and elaborate on their original descriptions
and symbols, as their understanding of the
term deepens.
For example:
If this process was being used in a science class,
the term might be transpiration.
 The student might have started the unit of study
with a very limited background knowledge or
understanding of the process of transpiration.
 As the days pass, he or she is given multiple
opportunities to interact with the term,
facilitating a deeper understanding.
 Research shows that this six- step process results
in an enduring understanding of new vocabulary.
Warning……………….
RESEARCH ALSO SHOWS THAT
HAVING STUDENTS LOOK UP
WORDS IN A DICTIONARY AND
COPY DOWN THE DEFINITIONS IS:
AN INEFFECTIVE
INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICE!