Vocabulary Fast Facts:

1. Vocabulary is a strong indicator of student academic success (Baker, Simmons, & Kame'enui, 1997).

2. You must go beyond the definitions of the words. Developing vocabulary as part of knowledge structure, when students get to a point where they are able to include those words in their reading, speaking, and writing, requires much more energy and focus than simply memorizing terms. 

3. There is a strong correlation between vocabulary and reading comprehension. Because struggling readers do not read well, they have limited exposure to new words and to words in different contexts, making comprehension of grade-level texts more and more difficult.  Studies by Nelson-Herber (1986), Nagy (1988) and by Baker, Simmons and Kameenui ( 1995) have shown this relationship.

4. Vocabulary knowledge helps beginning/struggling readers decode a new word more quickly. If a student has the word in his oral vocabulary, he can more easily and quickly sound it out, read it, and understand it when he encounters it in text. (National Reading Panel, 2000).

5. Direct vocabulary instruction is one critical component of reading instruction. Although most students in the elementary grades need to continue building their vocabulary knowledge, students with reading difficulties are at the greatest risk of falling further behind each year in vocabulary and concept knowledge without effective instruction.

The "How" of Teaching Vocabulary

Marzano and Pickering (2005), recommend the following steps for the direct teaching of vocabulary:

1. Begin with a story or explanation of the term. Modeling how you use the word in your life or in conversation may be helpful to students.

2. Have students put information into their own words. This process, which I call "recoding," is necessary to make sure students understand the word. This is a vital step in the memory process. Skipping this step can be disastrous as students may have a misconception that will be placed in long-term memory through incorrect rehearsals (Sprenger, 2005).

3. Ask students to draw a picture or a graphic representation of the word. According to Ruby Payne (2009), if students cannot draw it, they really don't know it.

4. Provide several engagements with the term and have students write them in a notebook.Research suggests that writing is good for the brain and memory, so using those notebooks or some other platform for writing is important (Snowdon, 2001).

5. Proper vocabulary instruction doesn’t just teach the definitions of words, but how to critically understand the context while drawing connections outside the lesson plan. Informal rehearsals are just as important as formal ones. Engage students casually in conversation using the term. Putting them in pairs and letting them discuss their definitions is a good way to see if all students are storing the same information.

6. Play games with the words. Games are a brain-compatible strategy for reinforcing learning. Actively processing vocabulary words in multiple ways allows the brain to store information in multiple memory systems, thus making access to that information easier with multiple triggers or cues (Sprenger, 2010).

One of my favourites:

One of my favourite, fun vocabulary activities is using lessons from the site Flocabulary. You will find material for all grade levels that crosses all subject areas. Music - Rap in particular - is the platform that Flocabulary uses for teaching the important vocabulary of each lesson. Think of the pathways in the brain that will be connecting with each lesson!! Since becoming a follower of this site, they continue to make improvements and updates. They have added a section with interactive vocabulary cards that I think is great! Here is a link to a blog that explains it! Check it out here!