Vocabulary Instruction
Volume of Words
The number of words presented every week should vary depending on the needs for the class topic. Often, vocabulary words are related to what the students are learning in class. If the current topic has a lot of unknown words that the students need to grasp, then the vocabulary list for the week might be longer. However, vocabulary list should be kept short, of possible. According to Bromley (2007), teaching a few, meaningful words is more effective than teaching several words that have little to do with students current subject topics (p 8).
Start by posting the words in the classroom along with the syllabic pronunciation. This will help students who struggle with pronunciation (McEwan, 2007). Once they learn how to pronounce the word, present the students with a “plain English” definition of the term. This definition might not be exactly what’s in the dictionary, but it will utilize terms with which the students are definitely familiar. Finally, engage the students in a variety of activities designed to enhance comprehension and aid in memorization. Engage in testing after about a week of working with a set of vocabulary words.
The frequency in which words are presented, and the amount of time spent on each word depends on the complexity of the word and how it relates to the current class topics. Flanigan & Greenwood (2007) divide vocabulary words into three categories: Level One words that must be understood before teaching a topic, Level Two words that give a basic understanding of a topic, and Level Three words that are related to the topic, but may be learned after the topic has been synthesized (p 4).
Level One words need to be discussed frequently, and the instructor should be prepared to devote a considerable amount of instruction time to each word, up to 15 to 20 minutes. Level two words often describe new topic concepts, but are not as vital as Level One words. These words should also be used frequently, but the instructor does not need to devote as much class time to defining the word. Level Three words are hardly used in class, and the instructor does not need to focus very much time on the definition, only giving the students a cursory understanding (Flanigan & Greenwood 2007).
In A Descriptive Study on the Use of Materials in Vocabulary Lessons, Holmes et al. (2012) discussed several different kinds of vocabulary materials. These materials included written descriptions of words, pictures depicting the words, representations of the words (models, videos, acting out the word), artifacts containing the words (a book with the word, a crossword puzzle), and the word from real world (if the word was “dog” an actual dog) (p 8).
These vocabulary materials can be used to help define the words and they can also be used as part of classroom activities designed to aid the students in understanding the words and practicing comprehension.
Since, “Language proficiency grows from oral competence to written competence,” (Bromley 2007), activities using vocabulary words should move from verbal activities to written activities. Initial activities might revolve around inviting the students to come up with synonyms and antonyms for their vocabulary words (McEwan, 2007). Reading passages out loud, and then stopping when a vocabulary word is read, is a great way to highlight vocabulary words in context. Finally, writing sentences or even stories with their vocabulary words demonstrates complete understanding of the words (Bromley 2007). Offering students extra credit for hearing or seeing, and then reporting back, vocabulary words in context will help the students connect their new vocabulary to everyday life (McEwan, 2007).
Small group activities allow students to interact while using vocabulary words. In the book 40 Ways to Support Struggling Readers in Content Classrooms Grades 6-12, McEwan (2007) suggests that instructors, “Expect pairs of students to construct semantic word maps for new vocabulary” (p 78). Other small group discussions on topics that include vocabulary words encourage the students to use their words in context as they work towards using the words in their own writing (Bromley 2007).
Ensuring Comprehension
It will be vital that the students understand the vocabulary words because the words are linked with the current subject topics. Checking for comprehension can be completed in a number of ways. Standard tests at the end of the week will help, but that may only mean that the students have achieved route memorization. Activities such as matching the words with their meanings and crossword puzzles with the words are a fun way to check on comprehension. Students may also write sentences or passages using the words.
Vocabulary is not only a part of language arts. Vocabulary is a vital part of a student’s learning as it links to terms in almost all subjects. When students learn a word, they move from comprehension to synthesis. When they’re able to use the word in their own speech and writing, they’ve effectively incorporated it into their own vocabulary.
References
Bromley, K. (2007). Nine things every teacher should know about words and vocabulary instruction: teaching vocabulary well is a key aspect of developing engaged and successful readers. Journal Of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, (7), 528.
Flanigan, K., & Greenwood, S. C. (2007). Effective content vocabulary instruction in the middle: matching students, purposes, words, and strategies. Journal Of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, (3), 226.
Holmes, K., Holmes, S. V., & Watts, K. (2012). A Descriptive Study on the Use of Materials in Vocabulary Lessons. Journal Of Research In Childhood Education, 26(2), 237-248.
McEwan-Adkins, E. K. (2007). Use and Teach Content Vocabulary Daily. In 40 Ways to Support Struggling Readers in Content Classrooms Grades 6-12. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Corwin
