Building an Effective Vocabulary Program

Subject Area and Grade Span: Schoolwide, Grades K – 12 

What it is:

Building an effective vocabulary program requires collaboration among teachers in order to develop an effective implementation plan. To succeed in narrowing the language divide, a schoolwide comprehensive academic vocabulary program must include the following four components:

• Fluent, Wide Reading – Vocabulary for academic purposes grows as a consequence of independent reading of a variety of texts (in particular informational texts) and increasing reading volume.

• Direct Scaffolded Teaching of Vocabulary  – Students learn new words via various explicit, teacher directed instructional strategies.

• Teaching Word Learning Strategies – Students independently learn new word meanings while reading independently when taught the tools necessary to utilize context clues, analyze affixes, and various other word learning strategies.

• Daily Structured, Accountable Contexts for Use in Speaking and Writing – Academic language develops when students are engaged in rigorous and meaningful application of newly acquired vocabulary and syntax in structured speaking and writing tasks.

What it looks like: 

In order for students at various proficiency levels to efficiently and effectively acquire vocabulary for academic purposes:

• Regularly assign a variety of materials across the subject areas and hold students accountable for actually reading, so they reap the lexical benefits.
• Have students read increasingly more informational texts than narrative texts.
• Teach words that matter most for academic purposes, including standards-based lesson terms and high-utility academic vocabulary.
• Provide systematic planned, dynamic, and recognizable vocabulary instruction across the subject areas.
• Teach words in a manner that helps students connect the new to the known, making powerful semantic connections.
• Guide students to develop productive word attack skills and study strategies.
• Place students in planned and highly structured daily contexts that hold them accountable for using target vocabulary in speaking and writing.
• Assess students routinely on words that matter for academic purposes, including standards-based terms and high-utility academic vocabulary.

How you know it’s working:

• Increased use of academic language in the classroom is noted.
• Students demonstrate increased content knowledge.
• Students are choosing to read more informational texts.
• Students demonstrate improved word attack skills and study strategies.

Things to consider:

• Select a variety of reading materials across the subject areas.
• Choose informational texts that relate to content units.
• Choose to teach vocabulary that matters most for academic purposes.
• Plan dynamic and recognizable vocabulary instruction across the subject areas.
• Connect vocabulary instruction to prior knowledge.
• Identify high impact word attack skills and study strategies.
• Hold students accountable for using target vocabulary in speaking and writing.
• Assess students routinely on words that matter for academic purposes.

Reference:

Feldman, K., & Kinsella, K. (2005). Narrowing the language gap institute: Academic language and vocabulary development for all students PreK-12. San Diego, California.