Chapter 7
Proposed Interventions
1. Sustained Silent Reading
2. Direct Vocabulary
Establishing Reasonable Targets – Vocabulary Instruction
Assumption: 10 -12 words per week x 32 weeks = 384 words
Not taken into account the vocabulary words taught in all content area = more vocabulary than estimated
4,096 terms across the K-10 Spectrum
Author recommends direct vocabulary instruction be addressed through 10th grade and that students record vocabulary in a
notebook. Teachers and students can then make interdisciplinary connections with their vocabulary lists.
Direct vocabulary instruction provides students with surface level, not in-depth, understanding of vocabulary.
In summary, the target of 4,096 words taught through direct vocabulary instruction in grades kindergarten through 10 is quite
reasonable.
Figure 7.1 Estimated Number of Terms That Can Be Taught at Various Grade Levels
Grade Level
Number of Words Per Week
Total Words in 32 Weeks
Cumulative Total
Kindergarten
0
0
0
1
1
32
32
2
3
96
128
3
4
128
256
4
5
160
416
5
10
320
736
6
15
480
1216
7
20
640
1856
8
20
640
2496
9
25
800
3296
10
25
800
4096
How do you select what words to use?
Identifying Essential Terms – 7923 words on list



Choose grade level (Some words on the list are for grades 11-12 – advanced)
School limits subject area for which vocabulary will be taught as part of school wide or district approach
Words - essential vs. supplemental
The table below represents the responses of 10 mathematics educators regarding 741 mathematics terms. They were asked
which of these terms are essential for students to know regardless of whether they intend to go to college. The survey results
are worth considering because they indicate that the number of terms that educators agree are essential is smaller than one
might expect.
Figure 7.2 Mathematics Terms Deemed Essential for All High School Graduates
Number of
Number of Terms on Which
Percentage
Cumulative
Educators Who
They Agreed
(Percentages do not add
Agreement
Agreed That a
up to 100 because
Given Term Is
numbers have been
Essential
rounded.)
10
299
40.4
9
17
2.3
9 or more
316
8
39
5.3
8 or more
355
7
26
3.5
7 or more
381
6
23
3.1
6 or more
404
5
69
9.3
5 or more
473
4
53
7.2
4 or more
526
3
8
1.4
3 or more
534
2
23
3.1
2 or more
598
1
41
5.5
0
143
19.3
Subject Matter Specialists selected terms from four subject areas: Language Arts, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies for
grades 2-6. They organized the words into categories important to each subject area.
Grade 6 Example
Language Arts
Science
Mathematics
Genres: myths
Earth Science: plates
Computation and concept of numbers: exponent
Text elements: tone
Physical Science: energy source
Functions and algebra: linear equation
Word study: etymology
Space Science: solstice
Geometry and measurement: congruence
Writing: figurative language
Statistics and data analysis: frequency
Grammar: prepositional phrase
Social Studies
Research: primary source
Culture: social pyramid
Speaking/listening: debate
Economics: surplus
Geography: migration
Government: tyranny
History: civilization
Use systematic assessment to identify progress and ensure adequate exposure to vocabulary. By using these approaches make
major strides in closing achievement gap between educationally advantaged and disadvantaged students.