Tiered
Vocabulary
Instruction
Three Tiers of Words
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Tier One words are the words of everyday speech usually
learned in the early grades. They are not considered a
challenge to the average native speaker, though English
language learners of any age will require support from
teachers.
Tier Two words (what the Standards refer to as general
academic words) are far more likely to appear in written texts
than in speech. They appear in all sorts of texts. Tier Two
words often represent subtle or precise ways to say relatively
simple things. Because Tier Two words are found across many
types of texts, they are highly generalizable.
Tier Three words (what the Standards refer to as domainspecific words) are specific to a domain or field of study and
key to understanding a new concept within a text. Because of
their specificity and close ties to content knowledge, Tier
Three words are far more common in informational texts than
in literature. Recognized as new and “hard” words for most
readers, they are often explicitly defined by the author of a
text, repeatedly used, and otherwise heavily scaffolded.
Adapted from Common Core State Standards Appendix A
Sorting Activity
Relative
Cloud
Accumulate
Arm
Misfortune
Impressionism
Lava
Carburetor
Legislature
Pizza
Circumference
House
School
Walk
Expectation
Falter
Eclipse
Aorta
Vary
friend
itemize
Tier One Words
Tier Two Words
Tier Three Words
Answers
Tier One Words
Cloud
Arm
Pizza
House
School
Walk
Friend
Tier Two Words
Relative
Accumulate
Misfortune
Exception
Falter
Vary
Itemize
Tier Three Words
Impressionism
Lava
Carburetor
Circumference
Legislature
Eclipse
Aorta
What do I do with the tiered
words?
 Teachers
have always been very good
about teaching Tiered 3 words.
 Focus also needs to be on Tier Two words.

These don’t always show up in vocabulary
lists, but are still very important for students
to know.
Vocabulary Charts with Sticky
Notes
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Divide a large piece of paper into four
sections: Noun, Verbs, Adjectives, Adverbs.
As students read and they come across a
word they don’t know, they should write it on
a sticky note.
Have students discuss the words, use context
clues to define the words, and then have
them put them into one of the four
categories.
Vocabulary Word Wheels
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Cut out some larger circles and draw a
wheel.
Inside the smaller circle put in a Greek or Latin
word or suffix.
Have students brainstorm words with the
same root or suffix and put them in the spokes
of the wheel.
Students then write in smaller print the
meanings of the word.
Hang the wheels in the classroom for students
to study and learn.
Indirect Instruction
 Teachers
substitute hard words for easy or
already learned words in classroom and
one-on-one discussion.
 By using multiple exposure ideas such as
repeating words and/or pointing out
previously learned words students can
gather broader connections to words.
Vocabulary Resources
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Vocabulary’s Code
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20 Vocabulary Lesson Ideas
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http://vocabularyscode.weebly.com/
http://ebi.missouri.edu/wpcontent/uploads/2012/10/Vocabulary-LessonClassroom-Ideas.pdf
Teachnology

http://www.teachnology.com/teachers/lesson_plans/language_a
rts/vocab/
Six Steps to
Teaching
Vocabulary
Step 1:Provide a Description,
Explanation, or Example of the
New Term
 Determine
what the
students already know
 Verify:
What do you
think you know about
this term?
Step 1: Provide a Description
 Definition
vs. Description
 Providing info. about a word’s meaning is
an integral part of direct vocabulary
instruction
 The use of dictionaries is ineffective
practice-it does not explains word
concepts
Step 1
Explaining Features of Different
Types of Words
 Types
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Questions about
Features
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What actions does this
kind of person perform?
What is required to
become this kind of
person?
What physical or
psychological
characteristics does this
kind of person have?
 People
 (for
example,
author, character,
villain, narrator,
guest speaker,
host, hostess, film
director,political
cartoonist)
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Step 1
Providing Examples
Description and explanation of a term must be
accompanied by examples, such as the
following:
 Experiences (field trips or guest speaker)
 Stories (personal experiences with the term)
 Images (videos, descriptions of mental
pictures, or drawings)
 Drama (skits or pantomimes)
 Current events related to the term (news
stories or magazine articles)
Step 2: Ask Students to
Restate the Description,
Explanation, or Example in
Their Own Words
 Students
record their own descriptions,
explanations, or examples in their
vocabulary notebooks.
 Do not copy teacher’s description, but
consider other situations, circumstances
and personal connections that exemplify
the term.
Step 2: Ask Students to
Restate the Description,
Explanation, or Example in
Their Own Words
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
Linguistic and Nonlinguistic Representations
Vocabulary Notebooks (a place to record and revise)
 The Term
 The Academic Subject Associated with the Term
 The Category or Measurement Topic
 The Student’s Current Level of Understanding of the
Term
 The Student’s Linguistic Description
 The Student’s NonLinguistic Representation of the
Term
 Words Related to the Term, Such as Synonyms or
Antonyms
Step 3: Ask Students to
Construct a Picture, Symbol, or
Graphic Representing the
Term or Phrase
 Term
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Sketch the actual Object (concrete)
Sketch a symbol (abstract)
Sketch an example (abstract)
Sketch a cartoon or vignette with a
character using the term. (abstract)
Sketch a graphic for the term (abstract)
Step 4: Engage Students
Periodically in Activities That Help
Them Add to Their Knowledge of
the Terms in Their Vocabulary
Notebooks
 Identifying
Similarities
and Differences
 Comparing and
Contrasting
 Classifying
 Creating Metaphors
 Creating Analogies
 Say
or write words they
think of when they hear
a Target Word
 Brainstorm lists of words
related to the target
word
 Examining affixes and
root words.
Step 5: Periodically Ask
Students to Discuss the Terms
With One Another
Corrects Misconceptions and Provides
Multiple Perspectives
 Role Cards: Etymology Expert, Root
Researcher, Synonym/Antonym
Explorer/Discusser Leader
 Paired Thinking
 Inside/Outside Circle (like speed dating)
Step 6: Involve Students
Periodically in Games That
Allow Them to Play With Terms
 Games
should present challenges that
are appropriate and manageable for
students.
 Games should arouse students’ curiosity.
 Games should prompt students to
imagine different circumstances and
situations.
 For AIG students, let them make the
game and then teach it to their fellow
students.
Step 6: Games
 Alphabet
Antonyms-vocabulary that begins with
the same letter
 Classroom Feud-questions about vocabulary
 Create a Category- categorize in a limited amount
of time
 Definition Shmefinition- student created definition
match
 Digital Vocabulary Field Trip-explore websites to
answer teacher designed questions
 Draw Me- Pictionary
 Name It!- use vocabulary terms to express what
they see in various photographs