LibGuides: Foundations of Literacy Digital Reference Tool: Vocabulary

Overview of Vocabulary

Vocabulary is word knowledge.

We must be able to produce and understand language, and that language can be spoken or written.

This relies on 3 main bodies of knowledge:

Five From Five provides an excellent overview of vocabulary, including its relationship to oral language, how to teach it, how to assess it, and how to support students who struggle with vocabulary knowledge.

Selecting Tier 2 Vocabulary
This guide supports the selection of Tier 2 words based on the criteria of importance/utility, instructional potential, and conceptual understanding. Tier 2 vocabulary words should be the focus of your explicit vocabulary instruction!

Effective Vocabulary Instruction (Decodable Readers Australia)

This video helps viewers understand the difference between implicit and explicit vocabulary instruction. It also gives tips on selecting words for instruction and other key considerations for vocabulary programs.

Big Ideas About Vocabulary from Research and Theory

According to NRP findings:

Vocabulary instruction leads to gains in comprehension.
Instructional methods must be appropriate to the age and ability of the reader.
Computer use was sometimes more effective than traditional methods.
Vocabulary can be learned incidentally through listening and reading activities.
Reading is supported when students learn new vocabulary prior to beginning a text.
Repeated exposure to vocabulary in various contexts supports reading development.
Struggling readers can be supported by substituting easy words for more difficult ones.

Best Practices for Vocabulary

When thinking about planning for vocabulary instruction, keep the following in mind:

Vocabulary should be taught both directly and indirectly.
Vocabulary should be reinforced through repetition and multiple exposure.
Vocabulary learning is enhanced by rich contexts, incidental learning, and use of computer technology.
Teaching should include instruction that actively engages students.
Teachers should not depend on a single vocabulary instruction method.

Calderon's 7-Step Vocabulary Lesson
This lesson plan provides a model for explicit pre-teaching of a small number of words that are critical for understanding a passage. Prior to reading, students engage in activities to see the word in the passage, hear an age-appropriate definition, and generate sentences that use the new word. Students are then made accountable for using the new words when reading, writing, or talking about the passage.

Text-Talk Lessons (by Utah Teachers)
Text Talk is an approach to read alouds that is designed to enhance young children’s ability to construct meaning from decontextualized language. (Beck & McKeown, 2001; Beck, McKeown, & Kucan, 2002). The ultimate goal of a Text Talk lesson is twofold: 1.) Getting children to talk about the text, considering ideas using decontextualized language to improve comprehension, and 2.) the acquisition of vocabulary. In order to increase comprehension, teachers are reading while adding interspersed discussion to focus, monitor, and scaffold learning; helping the children to respond to the text rather than the illustrations. Discussions are based on the actual text instead of permitting students’ responses to rely strictly on their background knowledge.

Vocabulary Lessons - Word Learning Strategies
Reading Rockets provides lesson models for three different types of vocabulary lessons, including Word Consciousness, Word-Meaning Recall, and Contextual Analysis.

Vocabulary can be challenging to assess. However, there are ways to determine if students are learning to correctly define and use words that are being explicitly taught. Below are some examples from Five FromFive.

Use the Vocabulary Knowledge Scale to help students self-assess their word knowledge.

Ideas for Working with Diverse Student Needs

Direct Vocabulary Instruction for ELLs: The Five Day Vocabulary Protocol
This instructional video goes over a lesson on how to teach vocabulary to ELLs over a week-long period.