Vocabulary Instruction
The National Reading Panel (2000) wrote that the implications for vocabulary instruction
are:
1. Vocabulary should be taught both directly and indirectly.
2. Repetitions and multiple exposures to vocabulary items are important.
3. Learning in rich contexts is valuable for vocabulary learning.
4. Vocabulary tasks should be restructured when necessary.
5. Vocabulary learning should entail active engagement in learning tasks.
6. Computer technology can be used to help teach vocabulary.
7. Vocabulary can be acquired through incidental learning.
8. How vocabulary is assessed and evaluated can have differential effects on
instruction?
9. Dependence on a single vocabulary instruction method will not result in optimal
learning (NRP, 2000, p. 4-27).
Support for the NRP (2000) vocabulary instruction
“Four-Part Vocabulary Program” (In Graves 2006, p. 20)
1.
“Providing rich and varied language experiences” Some vocabulary instruction
is better than no instruction (Graves 2006, p. 20)
2.
“Teaching individual words”
a.
Direct instruction (Biemiller, 2001, 2004 specific words; Nagy, 1988).
b.
“Teaching individual words” (McKeown & Omanson, 1987; Folse, 2004;
Graves, 2000; Nagy, 2005; Nations, 2001; Stahl, 1998).
c.
To improve reading comprehension; Blachowicz & Fisher, 1996 including in
all classes; Graves, 2000; Graves, Juel &Graves, 2004; Graves & Slater, in
press).
“Teaching word-learning strategies”
a.
Using context to determine meaning (Graves, 2000; Stahl, 1998;
Sternberg, 1987)
b.
Learning vocabulary in context can be taught (Graves, 2000; Stahl,
1998; Sternberg, 1987).
c.
Instruction that incorporates both definitional information and contextual
information is likely to be stronger than instruction incorporating only
one sort of information (Mezynsik, 1983; Stahl & Fairbanks, 1986).
d.
Instruction that involves activating prior knowledge and comparing and
contrasting word meanings is likely to be more powerful than simple
combination of contextual information and definitions” (Beck &
McKeown, 1991; Baumann, Kame’enui, & As, 2003).
3.
e.
Using dictionary
f.
Word parts.
“Fostering word consciousness” (Anderson & Nagy, 1992; Scott & Nagy, 2004)
a.
“Providing rich and varied language experiences’.
“Three Principles of Teaching Words” (Stahl & Nagy, 2005)
1.
Include both definitional information and contextual information about each word’s
meaning.
2.
Involve children more actively in word learning.
3.
Provide multiple exposures to meaningful information about the word” (Stahl &
Nagy, 2005, p. 62).
“Three crucial facts about vocabulary” (In Graves 2006, p. 4)
1.
“The vocabulary learning task is enormous” (Anderson & Nagy, 1992; Anglin, 1993;
Miller & Wakefield et al., 1990; Nagy & Anderson, 1984; Nagy & Herman, 1984; White
et al., 1990). 50,000 words end of high school with 180,000 words in school books.
2.
“That there are far more words to be learned that we can possibly teach is not an
argument that we should not teach any of them (Beck, McKeown, & Omanson, 1987)
Both instruction on individual words and instruction” on how to learn words from
context increase readers general knowledge and ability to lean new words.
3.
“There is increasing evidence that many children of poverty enter school with
vocabularies much smaller than those of their middle-class counter-parts” (Chall,
Jacobs & Baldwin, 1990’ Cunningham, & Stanovich, 1997; Hirsch, 2003;
Scarborough, 1998, In Graves 2006, p.4).