Vocabulary Development & Usage

Vocabulary

The set of words we use in writing, reading, and in speech comprise our vocabulary. Researchers have discovered that there are four types of vocabulary:

• listening vocabulary
• speaking vocabulary
• reading vocabulary
• writing vocabulary

Research also shows that while most vocabulary is learned indirectly, some must be taught directly. Students learn vocabulary directly when they are taught individual words and word-learning strategies. Direct teaching of vocabulary will help students do the following:

• correctly use frequently seen words
• learn key words that help students understand surrounding text
• understand that idiomatic words may have more than one meaning

Teachers can help students learn new vocabulary by keeping the following objectives in mind. You want to help your students:

• define words in various contexts
• find clues within context
• understand word structure through the use of affixes and roots
• use a dictionary
• integrate new words into their vocabularies
• understand new words through prior knowledge

Here are a few suggestions for reaching these objectives.

Use Graphic Organizers

Graphic organizers can help illustrate the connections between key concepts and terms in a text. Teachers can use graphic organizers to provide a structured overview of readings. Their primary purpose is to pre-teach the main concepts and terms within a text. This provides students with a framework with which to gain new knowledge.

Here are suggestions for creating graphic organizers.

• Choose a text, either fiction or expository.
• Create the organizer, using the following strategies:
• What should students be focusing on in their reading?
• How much detail should be used?
• What kind of information should be included (time lines, diagrams, flow charts, pictures, outlines)?
• Review and explain the graphic organizer with your students, explaining how elements in the organizer are related and how it will help them understand their reading.

Teach Specific Words

Another strategy is to teach specific words. For example, the teacher can decide which words in a text are likely to be unfamiliar to students. In addition, the teacher should consider which words are important to the understanding of the text’s plot. The teacher can then teach the meaning of these words by drawing the students into a discussion about them, or by reading sentences that include them. This is a great opportunity to encourage students to use prior knowledge and the context to figure out the meaning of these words.

Of course, it isn’t realistic to think that as a teacher you can explain every word that a student is unfamiliar with. This is why it is important to teach students strategies that they can use independently to understand words. These strategies include:

• using context clues to figure out word meanings
• using information about word parts to understand new words
• using dictionaries and other references to learn and understand words

Students should learn how to use dictionaries, glossaries, thesauri, encyclopedias, and other reference books to help broaden and deepen their knowledge of words. While students might find these reference tools difficult to learn how to use, it’s essential that they become familiar with these tools.

Dictionaries

Dictionaries are the best guide to the spelling, pronunciation, definition, and history of a word.

Have students follow these steps when learning new words with a dictionary.

• Have the students say the word aloud using the pronunciation guide.
• Determine the word’s part of speech (noun, verb, etc.). Also understand that many words can be more than one part of speech. Show students how to tell what part of speech the word is based on the information given in the dictionary.
• Read the definitions and determine which one relates to the context in which it is used in the text.
• Pay attention to usage information. Some dictionaries include usage notes with words, which provide information about how to use a word. If a word is labeled “archaic” or “obscene,” for example, you probably will not want to use it.
• Study the word’s etymology to understand the history of the word. This information can help students to remember the word’s meaning and possibly learn new words.
• Drawing on what your students have learned from the dictionary entry, have them use the word in a sentence of their own. Using a word is the best way to commit its meaning to memory.
• Have students record this information in a glossary in their notes. This will help them to remember the word and to use it in other contexts in the future.

Repetition

Students will have a better chance of remembering a word if it is repeated to them. Make lists of words that your students should pay attention to in a text, then challenge them to learn the words by using the following strategies:

• Find the words in print mediums, such as newspapers, magazines, or online using the Internet. Have students bring examples of these words to class.
• Assign creative writing projects that make use of these words.
• Have students work in pairs, using these words orally in conversation.

Prefixes, Suffixes, and Base and Root Words

Help students learn common prefixes and suffixes, base words, and root words, which can help them learn the meanings of many new words. Teaching students the four most common prefixes in English (un-, re-, in-, dis-) will arm them with powerful clues about the meaning of new words. After all, approximately two thirds of all the words in the English language begin with prefixes.

Independent Reading

By encouraging students to read on their own, they will be much more successful at learning and absorbing new vocabulary words. Reading in class is certainly a good idea, but encouraging students to read outside of class has been shown to increase vocabulary and build background and fluency. In fact, research revealed that students who read widely are able to learn the meanings of thousands of new words each year.

Classification Charts

By having your students create a classification chart that shows how words can be divided into groups, they will gain a greater understanding of how words are related. Classification charts can be created based on a number of factors, including words with similar roots or affixes, words that are synonyms or antonyms, or words that relate to a specific assignment.

Here are some specific activities you might want to try with your students.

• Distribute worksheets of words currently being studied to students so that they might practice word pronunciation, ask questions about the words, and participate in brainstorming activities centered on the words.
• When students have completed their regular work, encourage them to engage in fun vocabulary activities, such as pantomiming words from flash cards or playing variations of twenty questions.
• Use available software programs to create crossword puzzles that use vocabulary words.
• Try word association games. Take a word from the vocabulary list and brainstorm other related vocabulary words.