Adolescent Literacy Series: Vocabulary

By Peg Grafwallner, Instructional Coach and Reading Specialist

Vocabulary is the key to understanding what we want our students to know and be able to do; without it, our students are unlikely to comprehend the complex content in front of them. We know academic vocabulary is the mainstay of the classroom experience and what it has to offer.

However, in this digital world of symbols, pictures, and characters is vocabulary and vocabulary instruction as vital? According to Dr. Timothy Rasinski (December 3, 2019), professor of literacy education at Kent State University, “Vocabulary is important because readers can’t fully understand texts without knowing the meaning of the words within the text. Textual meaning is constructed on the building blocks of vocabulary.” Without a firm grasp of vocabulary, our students will be mere spectators to the engaging discussions, and lively learning going on around them. Therefore, it is vital that vocabulary is taught in as many inviting and invigorating ways as possible. Teaching vocabulary supports our students in being fully immersed in the academics, but also in the collaboration that makes an engaging and powerful classroom community.

Vocabulary instruction cannot be an afterthought, taught when there is “time” for it. Instead, specific vocabulary time must be set aside so students can immerse themselves in the process of making meaning. According to Robert J. Marzano (2004), “Direct instruction in vocabulary is a critical aspect of literacy development,” therefore, creating time for vocabulary instruction and making it a priority helps our students synthesize their background knowledge,  process newly formed ideas, make global connections, practice inferences and summaries to ultimately combine these concepts into a complete and original understanding of the text.

Let’s look at five creative and entertaining suggestions to teach vocabulary.

How to Teach Vocabulary

Suggestion #1 - Marzano’s Six-Step Process

Consider applying Marzano’s six-step process. I recommend using five words at a time so students don’t become overwhelmed. In addition, make sure you have dedicated time to teach this process. As an example, Marzano’s final step is to apply the words in learning games. When students have garnered 15 or 20 words, put students in groups of three or four and ask them to create a vocabulary game based on one from their childhood (Chutes and Ladders, Clue, Candyland, Connect 4, and so on). Make sure you set aside time to play the games!

Suggestion #2 - Flashcards

Looking up words in a dictionary and defining them elicits groans and rightfully so. Flashcards, while considered pedestrian, are still one of the best ways to teach vocabulary. According to the University of Southern Maine, “Using flashcards can be a very effective self-testing approach. Even the act of making flashcards is a way to ‘work’ the information, challenging you to think about which information to have on one side and the related description on the other.” In this example, you have the word on one side and the denotation on the other. You could also include silly pictures or graphics to accompany the words to help students make meaning.

Suggestion #3 - The Frayer Model

The iconic Frayer Model was developed by Dorothy Frayer and her colleagues at the University of Wisconsin in 1969. What makes the Frayer Model so attractive is that it graphically organizes prior knowledge into concepts. The Frayer Model can be revised or modified for your particular content area, lesson, or the abilities of your students. As you can see, in this particular example, I created a resource entitled Six Square Vocabulary based on the Frayer Model. I revised the concepts within the boxes and added two more headings. Consider adding other concepts, such as: Prefixes, Suffixes, Synonyms and Antonyms if you choose to recreate this resource for your students.

Suggestion #4 - Vocabulary Sketch

We want vocabulary to be engaging and we want it to stick. Drawing the definition of a word helps to retain that word to memory. Sketching a vocabulary word, for many students, helps students to visualize the word and make it personally meaningful. I wouldn’t recommend a detailed drawing; rather a quick sketch to jog the memory is sufficient. Another way to visualize vocabulary might be sketchnoting. While sketchnoting is often used for note-taking, the suggested symbols might help students when creating their own visuals. Bring out the markers and colored pencils and give your students the chance to be creative and have fun with vocabulary. 

Suggestion #5: Vocabulary Challenge

After your students have finished writing their rough draft, ask them to highlight 10 words that they could make more explicit. As an example, did a student write the word “large”? After all, it’s a rough draft, so perhaps that was the first word the student could think of to describe something “big.” Now, ask the student to look up “large” in a thesaurus and note the possibilities - mammoth, considerable, hefty; or consider giving your students a vocabulary list from the reading. Ask students to use a thesaurus to find a more explicit word to describe the original word on the list. Challenging our students to stretch their vocabulary is paramount in helping them apply a sophisticated vocabulary of their own.

In closing vocabulary does not have to be the dreaded eye-roll we remember when the teacher told us to “look it up in the dictionary.” On the contrary, vocabulary strategies can be creative, entertaining and purposeful. Take time to make explicit vocabulary instruction a mainstay in your classroom today and every day.

Resources

Frayer Model. (2012). Research project disciplinary literacy strategies-Frayer model and student HO. Accessed at www.s2temsc.org on September 27, 2022.

Marzano, R. J. (2006, April 12). A six-step process for teaching vocabulary. Accessed at https://www.swsc.org/cms/lib/MN01000693/Centricity/Domain/91/Marzano_6_Step_Vocabulary.pdf  on August 25, 2022.

Neill, D. (n.d.). What is sketchnoting? Accessed at https://www.verbaltovisual.com/what-is-sketchnoting/ on September 27, 2022.

Rasinski. T. (2019, December 3). Why vocabulary instruction still matters. SmartBrief. Accessed at https://corp.smartbrief.com/original/2019/12/why-vocabulary-instruction-still-matters onAugust 25, 2022.

Read Naturally. (n.d.). Sketching vocabulary words: valuable word-learning strategy. Reading Naturally. Accessed at https://www.readnaturally.com/article/sketching-vocabulary-words-valuable-word-learning-strategy on September 27, 2022.