Vocabulary Bottom Line
Robust instruction must provide Think: FREQUENT interaction with words! If 5-10 words (a reasonable
number) are introduced in a given week, by the end of the week, each word
should be the focus of attention through direct instruction, discussion, and
activities 8 to 10 times! Yes, 8 to 10 times. The goal is not “covering”
words but inducting them into a student’s repertoire of language for present
and future use.
RICH activities are those that cause students to create context and
discover facets of meaning and draw relationships among words.
EXTENDED use of words beyond the classroom. Students need to see the
words in action in print and oral communication. They need to hear and see
that the words are useful and interesting in the “real world.”
Still don’t feel like you have enough ROBUST
activities to draw upon? Here’s more…..
To reveal FACETS OF MEANING have students differentiate between two
descriptions of the word’s meaning. The descriptions should be quite similar,
differing only in features critical to word meaning.
Retort
The player comes backs with a
quick answer after the reference
calls a foul on him.
The player complains to the
coach after the referee calls a
Foul on him.
Berate
A police officer yells at a driver
whose car is blocking traffic.
A police officer calls a tow
truck to move a car that is
blocking traffic.
To reveal RELATIONSHIPS between words provide questions to students
that cause them to examine and explain how words are related. For example:
“Can a virtuoso be a rival?”
“Can a novice be impatient?”
To provide more context for words provide multiple definitions of words,
especially through initial period of instruction. Students should hear and see
a slightly different take on the words. This will help students do more than
memorize the words, especially when coupled with robust activities. Go
beyond synonyms to deeper definitions, explanations or examples of the
words. Here are two examples:
Ambitious
1. Really wanting to succeed in becoming successful, rich or important.
2. Wanting to get ahead by becoming powerful.
3. Wanting great success in life.
Stern
1. Being very strict about how you look and what you do.
2. Very demanding about how you and others behave.
3. Acts hard and serious.
A quick assessment called Beat the Clock can give you and your students
feedback on how well words are being absorbed, It’s easy to construct and
fun to do! Students are given a limited time (just a couple of minutes) to do
items like the following:
Shrill sounds can hurt your ears.
true
false
Gregarious people would rather be alone.
true
false
It might be hard to have conversation where there’s a commotion.
true
false
Frank people keep their thoughts to themselves.
True
false
Remember, to make your vocabulary instruction robust….
•Use direct instruction of vocabulary.
•Provide Student-Friendly explanations of the words. Dictionary definitions
are rarely enough and, indeed, may be misleading and frustrate acquisition of
word meaning.
•Students need to learn words in context. They need to make connections to
the words…those connections should be to self, their world, and other words
they already know.
•Ensure the words are the focus of repeated attention throughout the
period of study and beyond.
•Ensure students have multiple opportunities to pronounce the words with
you and each other. They must see the words, hear them and speak them.
•Activities should be varied and rich. Those suggested here are good
examples. Work with colleagues to share more.
•Words should be anchored in text as much as possible. Words learned from
isolated lists are less likely to become part of a student’s language
repertoire.
•Use the words with students in the classroom and help students find the
words in action outside the classroom.
•Revisit previously learned words. Let them live on in Vocabulary Logs and
Word Walls.
•Content areas like Science, Math and History provide their own vocabulary
terms but also many opportunities to enhance vocabulary development of
those Tier II, less specialized words. Remember Hatshepsut!