Vocabulary Part 2

Last week we started to share the basics of vocabulary instruction in the classroom and expressed that we must be strategic. Teachers must provide students with multiple exposures, use tiered vocabulary, create a print rich environment, and gather effective strategies. Today’s post will focus on some simple activities you can use in your classroom starting tomorrow!

Making Meaning: This is a before and after reading strategy. Teachers use a chart with 3 columns (new words, before reading, and after reading) for filling in the new words. Before the students read, brainstorm what kids already know about each word and fill in the information. After reading, the chart is completed with information they learned about each word from the text.

Click here for the word document.

Vocabulary Anchors: Try this strategy using an interactive board during whole group instruction. Introduce new vocabulary using similar vocabulary. For instance, to introduce the word “colony”, you could identify the word “state” as a similar term. “State” should activate the students' prior knowledge. They will be able to identify characteristics of a “state” and list them on the board (+ part of the paper). Next, they will think aloud while reading about a colony to brainstorm ways that a colony is unique (-).

Click here for the word document.

Vocabulary Frames: Make vocabulary cards into a higher order thinking strategy. Students place the vocabulary term in the center of the card. In the right corner they develop a definition based on their understanding. In the left corner, they write an opposite of the center word. In the lower left corner they use the word in a sentence. Finally, they draw a picture about the word in the right corner.

Why Vocabulary Is So Important!!

Systematic vocabulary instruction is a key component to improving student achievement and reading comprehension. Word learning is directly connected to teaching content at any level and should be taught with a strategic plan in mind.

There remains a gap between implementing effective vocabulary instruction and what often takes place in the classroom, so vocabulary instruction is important. 

These 5 simple steps will make selecting and teaching vocabulary easier than you might think.



Understanding the key characteristics of effective vocabulary instruction is important for K-12 educators. Why? Because they serve as the foundation for selecting instructional strategies and digital tools to support word learning.

“Top 10” Characteristics of Effective Vocabulary Instruction include:


Multiple Exposures: Word learning is shaped through multiple exposures in varied contexts. (Probably THE MOST important idea when it comes to learning new words.


Frontload Key Vocabulary: Before reading text or learning new content, introduce key vocabulary that is critical to understanding. Elicit background knowledge, create conversation and connections, and display or point out the words so that students will recognize them.
Nonlinguistic Representations: When learning new vocabulary, have students create pictographs, mental images, and pantomime word meanings in order to increase the likelihood of remembering new words.

Check out 7 more key characteristics of effective vocabulary instruction here.



Tiered vocabulary is an organizational framework for categorizing words. Understanding tiered vocabulary has practical applications for implementing the standards and classroom instruction.

The Three Vocabulary Tiers

     Tier 1: Common, Known Words     Examples: big, small, house, table, family

In other words, Tier I words are basic, everyday words found frequently in conversation and are part of most children’s vocabulary.

Tier 2: High-Frequency Words or Cross-Curricular Vocabulary     Examples: justify, explain, expand, predict, summarize, maintain

Tier 2 words are made up of are general academic words and have utility across a wide range of topics. Another way to think of Tier 2 vocabulary is as cross-curricular terms. For example, the term “justify” and “predict” frequently appear in Science, Social Studies, and English texts. It is important to keep in mind that Tier 2 words are learned primarily through reading and explicit instruction and are key to building a strong academic vocabulary

Tier 3: Low-Frequency, Domain-Specific words     Examples: isotope, tectonic plates, carcinogens, mitosis, lithosphere

Tier 3 words are domain specific vocabulary. Words in this category are low-frequency, specialized words that appear in specific fields or content areas. We anticipate that students will be unfamiliar with Tier 3 words. Beck suggests teaching these words as the need arises for comprehension in specific content areas.

The more you understand and sort vocabulary into the Tier 2 and Tier 3 words, the more instructional implications you’ll find. For example, the tiers will help you create content vocabulary lists. In addition, they’ll provide a focus for instruction and specific words to focus on during instruction.



A print-rich environment is not only important for early literacy development but supports word learning as well. Students learn words through direct instruction, but also develop their knowledge and exposure to new words indirectly through independent reading, word walls, and exposure to print across the school day.

Key elements of a literacy-rich environment include classroom libraries that include: 

*a variety of genres and text types, 
*content posters,
*anchor charts that are teacher-made and co-created with students, 
*word walls, 
*labels, 
*literacy workstations, 
*writing centers, 
*computers, 
*display of student work, 
*displays of books & information, 
*bulletin boards, and 
*plenty of opportunity to read, write, listen, and speak. 



Building a toolbox of effective instructional strategies is essential for creating a language-rich environment that fosters and supports word learning for every student. The best vocabulary strategies engage students in learning words through a variety of strategies that include personalization, visualizing and creating other nonlinguistic representations, identifying synonyms and antonyms, verbalizing, writing in notebooks and journals, and playing with words through game-like activities.



Digital tools have proven quite promising to support word learning. Compared to their more traditional counterparts, online tools provide a broader array of information about words and word meanings. In addition, some tools allow teachers to easily customize words so that students can practice, review, and play games with content or unit-specific words.

Digital tools allows students to:
*hear pronunciations
*read words in a variety of authentic examples
*view photos and images related to words
*reinforce word learning through interactive games
*play with and manipulate language
*discover rhyming words, and
*collaborate with classmates to create virtual words walls.

Final Thoughts
Using these steps teachers become intentional in their vocabulary instruction and become excited about word learning and regularly identify, instruct, and have conversations around words with their students.

The best part is that teachers soon begin to observe measurable growth in their students.

Tyson, Kimberly. "{5 Steps Series} 5 Simple Steps for Effective Vocabulary Instruction L Dr. Kimberly's Literacy Blog." Dr Kimberlys Literacy Blog. N.p., 04 July 2013. Web. 08 Mar. 2016.

Comprehension Strategies 3

In order to make students active participants in comprehension we must provide many opportunities for them to work with strategies. This week we will continue the discussion about the importance of explicitly teaching students how to achieve mastery in the seven areas of comprehension. 

This is the third blog post of a series on strategies to help students comprehend within all the areas of comprehension. This post will cover; “determining theme,” “Synthesize Information,” and “Fix-Up Strategies” (See previous blog posts to review the seven areas of comprehension and the first two strategies.)

Area of Comprehension: Determine the most important ideas or themes- Proficient readers understand the most significant events in fiction, and the main ideas in nonfiction.

Strategy: Chart

          To determine importance, you consciously prioritize information to make decisions about what’s essential and what is less essential. In order to make this process more visible for students, model for the students using a gradual release. 
          Start by reading an article or short story to the class. While reading highlight the details you feel may be important and make notes in the margin about why you think it is important. Use a chart with three columns (main idea, details, and response: lingering thoughts questions, and connections) to sort the important information.                   Read through the highlighted section and the notes to sort the first half of the article. Have the students work together to complete the chart. Help students to understand they are not searching for a right answer, but trying to understand their reading deeper. Once the chart is done, model summarizing the information. Then release students to try the rest of the article on their own.

Area of Comprehension: Synthesize information- Proficient readers can figure out how parts of a text fit together, and understand cause/effect.

Strategy: Somebody Wanted But So

            Somebody wanted but so is intended to help students think about the text and pull out the most critical pieces of information. This strategy can be used with both fiction and nonfiction. It is different than a retell, because a retell recounts the text in the correct order while a summary provides the essence of the text.

           

Area of Comprehension: Use "fix-up" strategies (monitor for meaning)- Proficient readers monitor their own understanding, fix confusion as it arises, and understand new vocabulary.

Strategy: Syntax Surgery

            The strategy syntax surgery is a good fit to help students clarify confusions that might occur while reading. To use this strategy students must be able to write and draw on the text. Students will be looking for how one word, phrase, sentence, or figure connects to other parts by drawing lines and arrows connecting the parts.

To see some strategies in action, watch this video. (You will see a combination of a signpost, sketch to stretch, and syntax surgery. The video is about 12 minutes.)

Strategies from: Reading Nonfiction: Notice&Note Stances, Signposts, and Strategies  and Notice and Note: Strategies for Close Reading by Kylene Beers and Robert E. Probst