3. Introduction
“Learning, as a language based activity, is
fundamentally and profoundly dependent on
vocabulary knowledge. Learners must have
access to the meanings of words that
teachers, or their surrogates (e.g., other
adults, books, films, etc.), use to guide them
into contemplating known concepts in novel
ways (i.e. to learn something new).”
(Baker, Simmons, & Kame'enui, 1998)
6. Vocabulary Knowledge is Key
Children in lower socioeconomic groups hear fewer
words per hour than children in higher
socioeconomic groups. (Hart & Risley)
Vocabulary is increased by reading. Students that
read less learn fewer words. (Anderson & Nagy,
1992)
Vocabulary must be taught both in isolation and in
context. Inferring contexts in which words fit,
instead of teacher-presented contexts may work
better for some learners. (Curtis & Longo, 2001)
7. Why Is Our School In Need?
Students in schools with higher poverty rates
have a more limited vocabulary.
Our school is a Title I School (85%
free/reduced lunch - families making less
than the federal poverty income for their
family size per year)
8. What problems do learners usually
exhibit in this area?
The student may express frustration with
reading.
Students with a weak vocabulary may
also have trouble expressing their
thoughts orally and written.
A lack of connections among words in
various texts may also be noted.
(Reading Rockets, 2011)
9. What should teachers know about
this area of reading?
Vocabulary is crucial to reading.
Four types of vocabulary:
•Listening Vocabulary
•Speaking Vocabulary
•Reading Vocabulary
•Writing Vocabulary
10. What should teachers know about
this area of reading?
“Children learn word meanings indirectly in three
ways:” (National Institute for Literacy: The
Partnership for Reading)
•engaging daily in oral language
•listening to adults read to them
•reading on their own
“Direct instruction of vocabulary relevant to a given
text leads to better reading comprehension.”
(National Institute for Literacy: The Partnership for
Reading)
• specific word instruction
• word learning strategies
11. Why is this an area of concern?
Based on research mentioned, a
strong vocabulary leads to better
reading comprehension.
This is particularly important,
considering the demographics of
our school.
14. Strategies and Activities for
Vocabulary Acquisition
ELACCKL5c: Identify real-life connections between words
and their use (e.g., note places at school that are
colorful).
ELACCKL6: Use words and phrases acquired through
conversations, reading and being read to, and responding
to texts.
Explore: Word Girl Power Words Game with
students. With each new word word, teacher will lead
students in discussion of the word and have students
determine how the words can be used in a sentence.
Adaptations: Higher grades can write the words.
15. Strategies and Activities for
Vocabulary Acquisition
ELACC2L4d: Use knowledge of the meaning of individual
words to predict the meaning of compound words (e.g.,
birdhouse, lighthouse, housefly; bookshelf, notebook,
bookmark).
Students will complete a frayer model to further work on
newly taught vocabulary. The teacher will give each
student a word, and the students will work through the
model by providing a definition, characteristics, an
example, and a non-example.
http://interactive-
notebooks.wikispaces.com/Frayer+model+vocabulary
Adaptations: Students can draw instead of writing.
16. Strategies and Activities for
Vocabulary Acquisition
ELACCKL5c: Identify real-life connections between words
and their use (e.g., note places at school that are
colorful).
ELACCKL6: Use words and phrases acquired through
conversations, reading and being read to, and responding
to texts.
The teacher will photocopy the cover of the book the
vocabulary is from and display it along with the 3-4
complex vocabulary words. Students will help to develop
movements to remember the 3-4 complex vocabulary
words as they are read. Students will practice movements
and use movements as they hear the words.
Adaptations: Students may be reading independently and
determine words from reading that they would like to have
as vocabulary words. The students will use dictionaries to
determine meanings, create movements, and teach the
words to their classmates.
17. Strategies and Activities for
Vocabulary Acquisition
ELACC1L4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown
and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade
1 reading and content, choosing flexibly from an array of
strategies.
a. Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of
a word or phrase.
Truth or bolognio: students are provided with dual-sided
signs, with “Truth” on one side, and “Bolognio” on the
other. Teacher will read a sentence, with a corresponding
picture, from the SmartBoard. If the vocabulary word is
misused, the students will hold up “Bolognio;” if the word
is used correctly, the students will hold up “Truth.”
Adaptations: Students may write the correctly used
sentences.
18. Strategies and Activities for
Vocabulary Acquisition
ELA5R3c. Determines the meaning of unfamiliar
words using knowledge of common roots, suffixes,
and prefixes.
Teacher will teach how to use common roots, suffixes, and
prefixes to determine the meaning of unfamiliar
words. Teacher will have students practice breaking
words into parts to determine the meaning.
Adaptations: For lower grades, teachers may choose to
focus on one part such as a prefix (un-). Students may
also build words by being given a root word, a prefix, and
a suffix.
20. References
Anderson, R. C. (1992). Research foundations for wide reading. Paper commissioned by the World
Bank. Urbana, IL: Center for the Study of Reading.
Baker, Simmons, & Kame'enui. (1997). Vocabulary acquisition: Research bases. In Simmons, D. C. &
Kame'enui, E. J. (Eds.), What reading research tells us about children with diverse learning needs:
Bases and basics. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
Curtis, M.E., & Longo, A.M. (2001, November). Teaching vocabulary to adolescents to improve
comprehension. Reading Online, 5(4). Available:
http://www.readingonline.org/articles/art_index.asp?HREF=curtis/index.html
Georgia Department of Education. (2012). CCSSI ELA Standards. Available:
http://www.corestandards.org/assets/CCSSI_ELA%20Standards.pdf
Hart, B., & Risley, R. T. (1995). Meaningful differences in the everyday experience of young American
children. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes.
National Institute for Literacy The Partnership for Reading.The research building blocks for teaching
children to read put reading first kindergarten through grade 3. (3rd ed.).
Reading Rockets. (2011). Reading rockets. Retrieved from
http://www.readingrockets.org/helping/target/vocabulary/
University of Oregon: Center on teaching and learning. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://reading.uoregon.edu/big_ideas/voc/voc_what.php
