Vocabulary Cheat Sheet

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Why is this skill important?

Vocabulary is a child’s knowledge of words, both their meanings and how to use and understand them in various contexts. To be skilled readers, children must know many different words and know the various ways that individual words are used and understood in different contexts.
Vocabulary connects directly to comprehension. A child who knows many words will have an easier time decoding or sounding out words and comprehending the words he or she reads.
As children progress through school, in order to maintain reading growth, they will have to learn 3,000 words per year. This means that they have to effectively and efficiently learn a lot of words!
There are a variety of ways to teach vocabulary:

1) explicit instruction

2) implicit instruction (exposure to words through reading and experiences)

3) multimedia (the use of video or computer)

4) capacity building (building a child’s awareness of words and ability to learn new words),

5) association (connecting prior knowledge to new word knowledge).

While students should have the opportunity to learn words in multiple ways (e.g., reading widely and deeply, connecting new words to prior knowledge), this sheet focuses on explicit vocabulary instruction (National Reading Panel, 2000).

How long and how often?

How long? Explicit instruction, as outlined below, takes 3-5 minutes per word. Teach 1-3 words per lesson or 5-7 words per week.

How often? Students should be working on vocabulary daily. Some explicit vocabulary instruction should be incorporated into daily lessons. In addition, vocabulary should be a focus that is embedded throughout the child’s engagement with a program.

Teach using a model/visual, synonym, or child friendly definition

If a word is best described using a physical model (e.g., between) or visual pictures (e.g., zigzag), use either a model or visual to teach the word. If a word has a synonym, use the synonym to teach the new word. If the word does not have a synonym, use a child friendly definition. Visuals and pictures can be added to enhance teaching using synonyms and child friendly definitions.

Using Models or Visuals

For modeling, model the word and have students practice modeling the word (e.g., buzz, jumping jacks, under). Check for understanding.

For visuals, use multiple pictures (examples) that describe the word (e.g., tinted - picture of tinted windows, hair with highlights) and include nonexample pictures (e.g, solid color paint on a wall). Check for understanding.

How to Explicitly Teach this Skill using a Synonym

Rich Vocabulary Instruction:

Step 1: Choose words to teach. Teach Tier 2 words, those that are general but not used as often. These words are often synonyms of common words (e.g., ecstatic instead of happy) or may have a slightly different meaning to a synonym (e.g., plotting is planning but with ill intent) and can be found across contexts (e.g., dignity, relieved, absurd).

Choose 3-10 words per story or text.

Step 2: THIS IS A VITAL STEP:

Introduce the word to students.
Say the word; have students repeat the word.
The word we are learning is frightened.
What word? frightened

Step 3: Present the synonym for the word. Have students repeat the word and synonym. Frightened means scared. What does frightened mean? Scared What is another word for scared? Frightened

Step 4: Give examples of the word that are concrete, visual, and verbal. The little boy lost his mom at the busy store and felt frightened. Sheena was walking alone in a dark forest and felt frightened.

Step 5: Give examples and nonexamples of the word in different contexts. Three friends walked through the park at night and felt frightened. Three friends walked through the park after school and did not feel frightened.

Step 6: Check for understanding by having students identify whether or not a situation or scenario using the word is correct. If I went to a scary movie, would I feel frightened? If I went to the library, would I feel frightened?

Praise students who use the vocabulary words in their discussions. Celebrate when you hear them use the word outside of the Read Aloud time!

You may also check for understanding using sentence starters; provide sentences that are incomplete and that require use of the word.

Have students complete the sentences. I was frightened because…

Repeat the sequence with each word. Return to the sequence until students have mastered the words.

How to Explicitly Teach this Skill using Child Friendly Definitions

Rich Vocabulary Instruction:

Choose 3-10 words per story or text.

Step 2: THIS IS A VITAL STEP:

Introduce the word to students.
Say the word; have students repeat the word.
The word we are learning is absurd.
What word? Absurd

Step 3: Present a child-friendly definition of the word. Have students repeat the definition. Absurd means weird and hard to believe. What does absurd mean?

Step 4: Give examples of the word that are concrete, visual, and verbal. An elephant walking around Uptown would be absurd. This picture of a man wearing a watermelon is absurd.

Step 5: Give examples of the word in different contexts. At a birthday party, not bringing a present would be absurd. To someone from another country, a hamburger and french fries may be absurd.

Step 6: Check for understanding by having students identify whether or not a situation or scenario using the word is correct. If I were to sing a song, would that be absurd? If I were to skateboard into class, would that be absurd?

Praise students who use the vocabulary words in their discussions. Celebrate when you hear them use the word outside of the Read Aloud time!

You may also check for understanding using sentence starters; provide sentences that are incomplete and that require use of the word.

Have students complete the sentences. When I went to the party, I saw…

Repeat the sequence with each word. Return to the sequence until students have mastered the words.

Suggested Connections

Make connections with:

Content area instruction: If your program provides instruction in other content areas, look for opportunities to use vocabulary across content areas. For example, how could you incorporate the words “altitude” and “enormous” into physical activity?
Classroom read-aloud: If your program incorporates a read-aloud, pre-teach key vocabulary words (3-5 per book) before you read. Then, reread the book multiple times during a week or month of programming. Each time you read the book, review the words and talk about how the words are used in the book.
Classroom conversation: Encourage and expect students to use the words you have taught in classroom conversation. Make the words a part of the day by posting them or having them available to remind you (e.g., on notecards on a ring). Ask students what the words mean or ask questions about how the word applies to a context when waiting in line, passing out snacks, or engaging in other discussion. When you hear a student use a vocabulary word correctly, praise and encourage them.

Prep & Materials

Choose vocabulary words that are Tier 2 words, words that you will see in multiple contexts and that students do not know.
Plan lessons with visuals by bringing in images from magazines or print-outs that you can use to support your explanation of the words.
Plan to expose students to the words multiple times across multiple lessons and program days.

Considerations/ Differentiation

Students must work with words multiple times (often more than 12 times per word) to fully learn the word. So, repetition and exposure to words across subject areas is important.

References and Resources

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