SOCIAL STUDIES
STRATEGIES
RIVET VOCABULARY
RIVET is a pre-reading vocabulary strategy used to help activate prior knowledge,
introduce vocabulary, make predictions, and model spelling of specific vocabulary
words.
This strategy has 8 basic steps:
1. Choose five to eight interesting and important words from the selection to be
read.
2. Create a visual representation of the words in a numbered list, leaving lines for
each letter in the words. You may want to provide students with a copy of
this.
3. Fill in the letters of the first word, one by one. Have students fill in their sheets
or copy the words along with you. Ask students to predict what the word
might be.
4. Continue this process for each word on the list.
5. Make sure students understand word meanings. Encourage them to share.
6. Using the list of words, have students make predictions about the text. Record
them.
7. Encourage students to ask questions prompted from the list of words. Record
them.
8. Read the text. Revisit predictions to confirm or modify. Answer questions on
the list.
Example:
1. ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
(community)
2. ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
(geography)
3. ___ ___ ___
(map scale)
___ ___ ___ ___ ___
4. ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ (population)
Source: Cunningham, P. Phonics They Use. Harper Collins, 1995.