What Works and Doesn’t Work in Vocabulary Instruction
Topic
Numbers of words to
learn at a time
What Doesn’t Work

Expecting students to
learn a list of 20-25
words each week in a
content area
What Works
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Use of dictionaries

Looking up words in the
dictionary
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Types of dictionaries
to use

Using standard
dictionaries

Expanding word
meaning by . . .

Relying only on the
meanings of words

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Using context clues

Using context to
determine meaning
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Expecting students to learn
only the most important
words that will improve
academic success
Guiding students in a
process to self-select
words to learn
Connecting words to prior
knowledge
Presenting definitions in
terms of everyday
knowledge
Continuing to add to word
meanings after each
encounter in discussions,
presentations,
conversations
Confirming definitions by
using the dictionary
Using dictionaries, such as
the CoBUILD English
Language Dictionary
(Collins, 1987)
Giving examples and
nonexamples of the word
Creating metaphors
Creating analogies
Classifying words
Introducing words as
general or specific terms
Antonyms
Synonyms
Multiple meanings
Using context to add to
meaning
Direct instruction
Providing frames for verbs
Writing sentences

Number of exposures
to a word

Writing words in
sentences without
context
Expecting students to
learn words after one
reading or one exercise
or memorizing
definitions

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Roots, prefixes,
suffixes

Treating the word as a
whole
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Visual representations

Only using words to
learn other words

Games
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Widest impact
strategies

Using only serious
instructional methods
Individual classroom
efforts


or exemplifying nouns
Writing sentences that
show you know
Repetition: encountering
the word many times (7-80)
Providing multiple
opportunities to use the
new words in reading,
writing, and discussion
(Read, hear, use, talk)
Before, during, and after
reading
Learning common prefixes,
roots, suffixes/teaching
word parts
Using nonlinguistic
representations: drawings,
pictographs, graphic
organizers, models, photos,
computer representations
Playing games with
important vocabulary terms
School-wide, integrated
efforts that embrace the
idea of vocabulary as a core
consideration in all grades
across the school and in all
subjects across the school
day
Vocabulary as a curriculum
material