6 Steps to Building
Academic Vocabulary
Robert J. Marzano and Debra J. Pikening
Laredo Independent School
District
Four Levels of Word
Recognition
 FULL Word Knowledge – students
understand the meaning and how the
word changes in context
 PARTIAL Word Knowledge – students
know the word in context and can use it
in their writing
 INITIAL Word Knowledge – students
recognize the word and can pronounce
it, but do not know its meaning
 UNKNOWN Word – student cannot read
or recognize the word
Why teach vocabulary?
“Teaching specific terms in a
specific way is probably the
strongest action a teacher can
take to ensure that students
have the academic background
knowledge they need to
understand the content they
will encounter in school.”
Why teach vocabulary?
“While sight word instruction
provides a background of
words seen most frequently,
vocabulary instruction is
needed for those terms that
are not necessarily frequent in
typical reading, but inherent to
certain genres, purposes and
topics.”
Why teach vocabulary?
“As students engage in more and
more content-area reading, their
knowledge of specific vocabulary
terms becomes more important.
Explicit vocabulary instruction is
necessary to improve
comprehension and fluency when
engaging with nonfiction text or
content related materials.”
Six-Step
Process for
Teaching New
Terms
Explain
Initial Information:
Introduce New Term
Provide a student friendly
description, explanation, or example
of the new term.
Find out what they know or think they
know (prior knowledge) about the
term.
Clarify misconceptions, build on
accurate information.
Help build an understanding of the
term.
Notes:
 Looking up words in dictionaries is not
useful for teaching vocabulary
 Provide a context for the term
 Introduce direct experiences that provide
examples of the term
 Tell a story that integrates the term
 Use video as the stimulus for understanding
information
 Ask students to investigate the term and
present the information to the class (skit,
pantomime, poster, etc…)
 Describe your own mental picture of the
term
 Find or create pictures that explain the term
Working with ESL
Students: Step 1
If possible, explain, or have someone
else explain the term in the student’s
native language.
Pair students or triads of students
with the same language together.
Solicit help from a para-professional.
Provide some sort of non-linguistic
representation.
Restate
Students Restate Term
“Informal Information”
Ask students to restate description,
explanation or example in their own
words.
Provide a more natural starting pointconnect prior experiences and
knowledge.
Notes:
 Must be student’s original ideas, not
parroting the teacher
 Monitor and correct
misunderstandings
 Provide more explanations or
examples as necessary
 Have students record these ideas in
an academic notebook
Working with ESL
Students: Step 2
Permit students to write their own
definition in their native language.
Encourage students to record any
related English terms with which they
are familiar.
Show
Non-linguistic
Representation
Ask students to construct a picture,
symbol or graphic representing the
term.
Notes:
 Model, model, model
 Provide examples of students’
drawings (and your own) that are
rough but represent the ideas
 Play “Pictionary”
 Draw examples of the term
 Dramatize the term using speech
bubbles
 Let them find a picture on the
internet, if necessary
 Have students record these ideas in
an academic notebook
What if…
Students have trouble
depicting the term?
Draw actual object
Blue Prints
Draw an example
Single Parent Family
Represent with Graphics
Problem Solving Process
Dramatize with cartoons
an speech balloons
Problem Solving Process
I have a new and
different
idea!
Working with ESL
Students: Step 3
Non-linquistic representation is
EXTREMELY important when
working with ESL students.
Discuss
Student/Term
Interaction
Engage students periodically in
activities that help them add to their
knowledge of the terms.
Allow them to work in their
vocabulary notebooks.
Notes:
 Highlight prefixes, suffixes, root words that will
help them remember the meaning of the term
 Identify synonyms and antonyms of the term
 List related words
 Write brief cautions or reminders of common
confusions
 Translate the term into another language for
second language learners
 Point out cognates to word in Spanish
 Write incomplete analogies for students to
complete
 Allow students to write or draw their own
analogies
 Sort or classify words
 Compare similarities and differences
 Have students record these ideas in an academic
notebook
Working with ESL
Students: Step 4
As much as possible, allow students to
work in their native language.
Refine and Reflect
Discuss Terms with
Others
Periodically ask students to discuss
terms with one another.
Notes:
 Think-Pair-Share
 Compare their descriptions of the
term
 Describe their picture to one another
 Explain to each other any new
information they have learned
(“aha’s”)
 Identify areas of disagreement or
confusion and seek clarification
 Students can make revisions to their
work (notebook)
Working with ESL
Students: Step 5
Use triads or pairs of students with
the same native language.
Use para-professionals or parents to
assist.
Review and Apply in
Learning Games
Review and Games
Involve students periodically in games
that allow them to play with the
terms.
The goal is to keep new terms in the
forefront of the students’ thinking and
allow them to reexamine their
understanding of the terms.
Notes:
(As students play, walk around the room monitor and
listen for misconceptions – clarify as needed and
check notebooks to evaluate accuracy.)
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Pictionary
Memory
Jeopardy
Charades
Name that Category ($100,000 Pyramid)
Password
Bingo
Create Skits
etc…
http://jc-schools.net/tutorials/vocab/strategies.html
Working with ESL
Students: Step 6
Use triads or pairs of students with
the same native language.
Use para-professionals or parents to
assist.
PLAN TO IMPLEMENT:
Schedule Time
 direct instruction (steps 1-3)
 Students interaction time
(steps 4-6)
Monitor accuracy of
student work
Keep track of student
progress