Conclusive research reported explicit vocabulary instruction in the early grades results in children learning more words (Graves & Silverman, 2011, citing Beck & McKeown, 2007). Explicit instruction about word meaning can be provided in many different ways: teachers can explain the meaning of a word, give students examples of a word in different contexts, assist students with word choice when writing, and ask children to give examples of how to use words.
Providing explicit instruction, focusing on important words from text, helping students learn strategies to independently decipher word meanings, and gradually increasing the complexity of student word learning enables students to read more complex and grade-appropriate text (Kamil et al., 2008; Loftus-Rattan & Coyne, 2013). In an extensive review of the research on vocabulary instruction, researchers verified the effectiveness of using explicit instruction to help children learn new words (Butler et al., 2010). Explicit vocabulary instruction has been found to be particularly effective in teaching struggling readers (Lehr, Osborn, & Hiebert, 2004).
RICH AND MULTIPLE CONTEXTS.
The NRP report indicated that learning new vocabulary words within rich and multiple contexts is effective in helping children increase their word learning. The authors concluded that though some time needs to be devoted to direct instruction about vocabulary, it is vital and more motivating for students to spend time learning vocabulary in rich and multiple contexts. The NRP stated: “Repetition, richness of context, and motivation may… add to the efficacy of incidental learning of vocabulary” (NICHHD, 2000, p. 4–4).
Using rich texts providing different types of content helps students learn new vocabulary, whereas solely relying on isolated word drills is insufficient. Research following the release of the NRP report confirms that ideally, explicit instruction should be combined with using rich contexts. The findings indicated that this held true for all students: those with learning disabilities and those without identified challenges (Biemiller, 2011).
TEACHING ROOTS, PREFIXES, AND SUFFIXES.
Researchers of vocabulary development found that an effective strategy in teaching students word meaning was to teach morphology, namely the use of clues found in the structure of a word itself, such as word roots, prefixes, and suffixes (Baumann et al., 2012). A review of recent research about vocabulary instruction found support connecting the learning of morphology to increases in reading comprehension (Graves & Silverman, 2011, citing multiple resources). Expanding the size and depth of a student’s vocabulary is linked to higher levels of reading comprehension (Adolf & Perfetti, 2014; Kamil et al., 2008; Rasinski et al., 2011, citing multiple sources). Successful Intervention Builds Student Success: Applying the Many Layers of Structured Literacy and Reading Research for Struggling K–5 Students, 10/2019 11 Teaching use of context clues.
Another strategy, teaching students to use context clues in addition to simply providing word definitions, helps children develop a greater depth of knowledge (Graves & Silverman, 2011). The effectiveness of teaching students to use context clues with vocabulary development has been confirmed by a large body of research (Baumann et al., 2012; Graves & Silverman, 2011, citing multiple sources). Vocabulary development for English language learners (ELLs). ELLs benefit from the same strategies for vocabulary development as those that are effective with English speakers (Graves & Silverman, 2011, citing August, Carlo, Dressler, & Snow, 2005). Additional strategies have also been found to be particularly helpful for English language students, e.g., showing children pictures and real objects that represent words, and practicing pronunciation of words on multiple occasions (Graves & Silverman, 2011, citing multiple sources).
Excerpt from Successful Intervention Builds Student Success: Applying the Many Layers of Structured Literacy and Reading Research for Struggling K–5 Students by Voyager Sopris Learning.
