Vocabulary.
Adapted from http://reading.uoregon.edu/voc/index.php,
Institute for the Development of Educational Achievement
Primary focus of instruction in grades K-3 should be on developing critical
reading skills.
Read storybooks to younger children to develop vocabulary
Teach older students strategies for contextual analysis and morphemic analysis.
300-400 new word meanings can be taught per year through direct instruction.
This is a significant proportion of the words that students who are at risk will
learn.
Selecting words to teach...
 Words that are important for understanding text.
 Words that students will encounter often, functionally important words.
 Use both context and definitions
 Encourage "deep" processing
 Find a synonym or antonym
 Make up a novel sentence with a word
 Classify the word with other words
 Relate the definition to one's own experiences
 Give multiple exposures
"Because children with weaker vocabularies are less likely to learn new words
from listening to stories than children with larger vocabularies, teachers need
to provide more direct instruction for children with smaller vocabularies"
(Robbins & Ehri, 1994; see References).
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Recommendations: for younger children
 Choose 2-5 words to teach directly from storybooks
 Choose words that are important for the story or important for students to
know
 Give simple definitions (i.e., examples, synonyms, or definitions) & discuss
them in the context of the story
 Provide students with the opportunity to process the words "deeply"
 Discuss the words multiple times
Recommendations: for older children
 Choose words that will enhance the meaning of what students are reading
or important for students to know
 Use both context and definitions
 Teach word meanings by using examples, synonyms, and definitions
 Provide students with the opportunity to process the words "deeply"
 Discuss the words multiple times.
Teaching Vocabulary: Types of Vocabulary Instruction
Direct instruction that teaches specific vocabulary to be read.
Pre-instruction of vocabulary in reading lesson.
There are a limited number of ways to teach vocabulary directly!
The way you teach depends on learner knowledge and what you want students
to be able to do.
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Three Prominent Oral Vocabulary Teaching Strategies: Modeling, Synonyms,
Definitions
Teaching Vocabulary by Modeling (Examples):
When it is impossible to use language to explain the meaning of a word (e.g.,
between, in).
 Model positive and negative examples of the new concept. (e.g., "This is a
mitten." or "This is not a mitten.").
 Test student on their mastery of the examples (e.g., "Is this a mitten or not
a mitten?").
 Present different examples of the new word along with examples of other
previously taught words. Ask for names (e.g., "What is this?", "What color is
this?" or "Tell me how I'm writing.").
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Teaching Vocabulary by Synonyms:
When a student knows a word(s) that can explain the meaning of a new,
unknown word (e.g., damp means a little wet).
 Teacher equates a new word (huge) with a known word(s) (very big). (e.g.,
"Here is a new word. Sturdy. Sturdy means strong.").
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 Teacher tests a set of positive and negative examples for the new word.
(e.g., "Tell me sturdy or not sturdy.").
 Teacher provides practice in applying several recently taught synonyms.
(e.g., "Is that sturdy? Is it tidy? Is it mild?").
When Teaching Synonyms
 Use words students know
 Test on a range of positive and negative examples
“Huge means very big.”
“What does huge mean?”
“Tom put his pet in his pocket. Was his pet huge?”
“The animal wouldn't fit through the door. Was the animal huge?”
Teaching Vocabulary by Definitions:
When students have adequate language to understand a longer explanation and
when the concept is too complicated to be explained through a synonym (e.g.,
service station is a place where gasoline is sold and cars are repaired).
 Teacher tells the students the definition and has them repeat it. (e.g., "An
exit is a door that leads out of a building. What is an exit?").
 Teacher tests the students on positive and negative examples to ensure that
the students understand the definition and that they are not just
memorizing a series of words. ("Is this an exit or not an exit? How do you
know?").
 Teacher provides a review of previous words. ("What is this? How do you
know?").
The Way You Teach Vocabulary Depends on Your Goal
 Kindergarten Standard: Identify Common Words and Sort in Basic Categories
(colors, shapes, foods)
 Other examples of categories: animals, position words, clothing
 Use concept teaching (modeling) when children have limited language and
explanations contain words children do not understand.
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Features of Concept Teaching (Modeling):
 Set up (use the same material and vary only the dimension that changes it
from the concept to not the concept).
“This is red.”
‘This is NOT red.”
 Show a range of positive and negative examples.
 Include negative examples that are minimally different.
 Keep language consistent
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Sequencing Vocabulary skills
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Teaching Vocabulary Using Storybooks
Critical Design Features of Storybook Instruction
 Repeated readings of stories (alternated)
 Classic stories or on lists of recommended readings
 Performance reading style (Extended intro; few interruptions during
reading, dialogue after reading)
 3 target words per story
 Scaffolded story grammar intro and retell
 How to Select Words to Preteach
 Identify words that are critical to story understanding that are not
explained in the text.
 Select words students will "encounter" again (moderate frequency words)
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 Preteach meanings of words using examples, synonyms, definitions
 Provide children opportunities to use the words.
Book
Harry the dirty dog
Vocabulary Taught
buried
Synonym/Definition
Put in the ground and
covered with dirt
strange
Someone (or something)
that you don’t know
furiously
Fast and wildly
Storybook Reading Lesson 1
Story Introduction (3 - 4 minutes)
 Title, author, illustrator
 Rationale for reading
 Cover presentation, prediction
 Focus on story elements (character, setting, etc.)
 Introduce 3 target vocabulary words
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Reading (4 - 6 minutes)
 Few interruptions; pause for target vocabulary words
 Post-Reading Discussion Questions (3 - 5 minutes)
 Relate to student experiences
Storybook Reading Lesson 2
Story Introduction (3 - 4 minutes)
 Title, author, illustrator
 Recall questions emphasizing story elements
 Review 3 target vocabulary words by showing words in context
Reading (4 - 6 minutes)
 Pauses for target vocabulary words
 Definitions and students responses to extend content
Discussion (3 - 5 minutes)
 Reconstruct story with elements and target words
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak (1963), see References
Lesson 2 Vocabulary Activity
“Remember we had 3 magic words that you listened for in the story. Point to
the words on the tagboard as you repeat them quickly: mischief, terrible,
rumpus.”
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a. “The first word was mischief. Show the picture where Max is chasing the
dog. In the picture Max is making____________.” (mischief)
b. “The next word was terrible. Show the picture with Max landing at the place
where the wild things are. The wild things had eyes that
were___________.” (terrible)
c. “The third word was rumpus. Show the picture where the wild things are
howling at the moon. Max led the wild things in a _________________”
(rumpus)
Lesson 2 Vocabulary Activity: Target Words in Context
A. Page with Max chasing the dog.
“Mischief is naughty things.”
“What is mischief?” (naughty things)
“One night Max wore his wolf suit and made mischief on one kind and
another, he did many naughty things.”
B. Page with Max landing at the place where the wild things are.
“Terrible is very bad.”
“What is terrible?” (very bad)
“They roared their terrible roars, their very bad roars.”
C. First of three picture pages without text.
“Rumpus is wild play.”
“What is rumpus?” (wild play)
“Let the rumpus, the wild play, start!”
Storybook Reading Lesson 3
Vocabulary Review (2 - 3 minutes)
 Reintroduce Words
Vocabulary Activity (4 - 6 minutes)
 Word games
Story Retell (4 - 6 minutes)
 Students narrate
 Questions about story elements
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Guess the Word Game
“You are going to tell me which word goes with another word. If you get it
right, I will give the group a star. “
Which words go with terrible? Very bad or very nice?
Which words go with rumpus? Playing dolls or wild play?
Which words go with mischief? Naughty things or helpful things?
What is the Magic Word Game?
“See if you can tell me what I am talking about. I will give you a star each time
you are right.”
“The dog barked a very bad bark. What is our magic word for very bad?”
(terrible)
[If incorrect or no response ask, “Was it terrible?”] “Yes, terrible. The
dog barked a terrible bark. Say that.” (The dog barked a terrible bark.)
“Max was sent to his room for doing naughty things. Which magic word
am I talking about?” (mischief) [If incorrect or no response ask, “Was it
mischief?”] “Yes, mischief. Max got sent to his room for doing mischief.
Say that.” (Max got sent to his room for doing mischief.)
Prompted Retell
“Now try your best to remember what happens in the story. I will help you by
asking questions and showing pictures. Be sure to tell me the names of the
characters, where the story takes place, and the problems the characters have.
Tell me the story as if you were telling it to a friend who has never heard it.”
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