Teaching Vocabulary
using
PAR Framework
Objective: To understand that students learn and grow
when teachers spend time teaching vocabulary
strategies that students may use independently to enrich
their own understanding.
- J. Richardson, R. Morgan, and C. Fleener
P (Preparation)
Students attempt to make sense of
vocabulary terms before reading
begins.
Word Inventories
readers assess their own knowledge and rate
themselves
Graphic Organizers
information is displayed in a diagram and a
discussion takes place on why it is arranged that
way
*most popular type of graphic organizer is
semantic map (depicts the interrelationships
and hierarchies of concepts in a lesson)
Possible Sentences
designed to introduce the new vocabulary and
arouse curiosity about reading passages
Vocabulary Connection
students use a term from a previous book to
describe a situation in a book currently being
studies
*encourages higher-level thinking skills as
students make connections to content area
subjects
Capsule Vocabulary
readers explore relationships among words and
helps students connect those relationships with
what the students already know
A (Assistance)
Teachers encourage students to
develop word consciousness.
Context Clue Discovery
teachers share specific clues that students should
look for in text to discover the meaning of
unfamiliar words
*definitions, signal words, direct explanations,
synonyms, antonyms, and inferences
DISSECT
D-Discover word’s context
S-Separate the suffix
E-Examine the stem or root word
T-Try the dictionary
I-Isolate the prefix
S-Say the stem or root word
C-Check with someone
Word Attack Paradigms
students are given a series of steps to aid them in
a new word
Vocabulary Lists
students keep a list of new terms they have
mastered
Organizational Charts
students compare and contrast words using
organizational charts
Using the Dictionary
good for exposure to new words but not useful in
building and encouraging vocabulary
R (Reflection)
Teaching vocabulary after reading
holds much promise in helping
students thoroughly grasp the
meaning of difficult terms.
Interactive Cloze
encourages students to pay close attention to
words in print and to actively seek the meaning
of passages by studying vocabulary terms
Semantic Feature Analysis
provides a deeper understanding of language
*some researchers feel this is the best activity for
teaching vocabulary
Word Puzzles
reinforces learned vocabulary
Post-Graphic Organizers
return to already created graphic organizers to
enhance concept development
DR-TA Vocabulary Search
directed reading-thinking activity
Vocabulary Study System
T- Test
O- Organize
A- Anchor
S- Say
T-Test
Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy
students and teachers share words they want to
learn and remember after they read an
assignment
Language Enrichment
*Keyword and Imagining
* Word Analogies
* Magic Squares
* Vocabulary Illustrations
* Vocabulary Bingo
* Word Bubbles
* Odd Word Out
* Word Inquiry
SummaryTaking into account all of the many strategies used to teach
vocabulary, teachers must consider the cultural and
developmental differences of the students. Teachers
must plan for a wide variety of approaches, practices,
and methods to teach vocabulary.