Teaching Vocabulary: Small Shifts, Big Impact

Vocabulary is one of the core foundations of not only reading comprehension, but also strong, clear writing.  So important, the National Reading Panel listed teaching vocabulary as one of the five pillars of reading instruction.  Curriculum writers know this, too, and all include a vocabulary component in their materials.  But is it enough?  

Nope. 

It’s a nice start, but vocabulary is one place most curricula fall short.  This can also happen when we DIY our lessons.  So whether you’re using a boxed curriculum or not, there are plenty of simple tweaks that can elevate your vocabulary instruction for deeper learning.  And they take little to no extra time.

First, it’s important to understand where scripted vocabulary lessons fall short. 

In comparing four very widely used curricula across the US right now, here are the shortcomings that stand out:

• Too many words to truly teach well
• The list of weekly words often includes words kids already know
• Some include only or too many tier 3 words
• Definitions included are often not phrased in kid-friendly terms
• They include too few practice opportunities
• Little to no connection to writing 

Here are some very small shifts we can make, whether using a curriculum or not, to improve our lessons when teaching vocabulary:

Tip #1: Choose words wisely.  

The typical reccomendation is that teachers choose about 10 new vocabulary words to explicitly teach per week (LETRS volume 2). Most curricula include about this number.  But not all of the words the curriculum writers list are worth the time.  In Explicit Instruction:  Effective and Efficient Teaching, Anita Archer and Charles Hughes remind us that “you must carefully distinguish those words that will receive expanded, robust, explicit vocabulary instruction and ongoing review from those that will only receive a brief introduction,” and recommends we choose 3-10.  

You’ll notice that your curriculum will often suggest words students already know.  There is absolutely no need to explicitly teach things students already know, something Archer and Hughes also say.  It’s one of the many times sticking to a curriculum with fidelity is a problem.  No one has time for wasted time in the classroom!

Instead, choose words that are going to give the most bang for students’ buck.  These are what Beck, McKeown, and Kucan call tier two words:  “Wide-ranging, high utility words that are characteristic of written language but not very common in conversation.”  These words will be encountered again and again across contexts and likely mean something different depending on context.  Words that are content- specific, technical terms that are only seen in a single content area, like photosynthesis, are not tier two words.  

Tip #2:  Think concepts

Many curricula miss including words that are more conceptual, like words that describe character traits or feelings. While these words are not likely to be encountered in the text itself, they are key to talking about it.   If we’re ever going to move students away from low-level explanations like “he felt happy,” then we need to introduce more nuanced words that describe this, like pleased or elated.  Theme-related words are perfect as well.  Think words like adversity or overcome.

Teaching conceptual words doesn’t just benefit older students, either.  Beck, McKeown, and Kucan tell us that “Bringing in words whose concepts fit with a story is especially salient when young children are learning to read and there are only the simplest of words in their text.”  No matter the age or grade level, it’s important to seize the opportunity to expand students’ conceptual vocabulary.  

Tip #3:  Use kid-friendly definitions

Just as dictionary definitions are usually rife with more obscure and confusing words, sometimes the definitions provided are not exactly kid-friendly.  The goal here is efficiency, clarity, and conciseness.  If you have to define words within the definitions as well as the actual target word, none of these goals are met.  When this is the case, come up with your own definition to share with students instead.  Archer and Hughes advise teachers to “use definitions that are easy to understand contain only known words, and indicate how the words are used.”  

Tip #4:  Bring in phonics and phonemic awareness

Even with older students, it’s helpful to talk about more than just definitions.   Carefully pronounce the word and ask students to repeat that pronunciation.  It’s not often that a curriculum includes asking students to pronounce the words, but it’s important.  Then make sure to actually display the words in print.  If students only hear the words aloud, it’s likely they won’t recognize them in print. 

Then count the syllables, look at morpheme units and what they mean in relation to the word, and show students how to decode the word.  Explain what part of speech it is and how that part of speech might change depending on context.  This will only further students’ understanding of the words, and it takes almost no time to do.  Dr. Andrea Truckenmiller says much more about this on The Science of Reading Podcast. I highly recommend listening.

Tip #5  Deepen the meaning

It’s important to provide a variety of examples of the words you’re teaching.  Otherwise, Beck, McKeown, and Kucan say, kids are likely to only know that word in the specific context of the text you’re working with.  Archer and Hughes advise teachers to give multiple examples as well as non-examples.  This, along with learning how the word is put together, helps to create a mental model of the word.  It’s an easy, sneaky way to further expand students’ vocabularies. 

Tip #6  Use different forms of the word

Often, the vocabulary words that our curriculum gives us actually have multiple forms.  As you talk about different contexts of the word’s use, use the word in different forms.  For example, if the word is excite, also include exciting, excitement, excited, and excitedly.  These morpheme units are often what changes the part of speech.  

Tip #7: Go beyond the limited exposures of vocabulary words that your curriculum does

Too often, these words are discussed once and never again.  Some of the tips I’ve given already can be spread across multiple days, but also plan to review the words throughout the week, too.  This is an easy way to use the word in multiple contexts and in multiple forms.  

If the week’s target words are only on a slide, take a minute to print them or just write each one on an index card.  Post these words where both you and students can easily see them.  This is mostly a reminder for you to use them in your own vocabulary throughout the week, but they’re also right there for students to refer to as they discuss the text.  

Consider retrieval practice, too.  Regularly bring back previously taught words, especially as they apply to different texts across the year.  As so well explained in Make It Stick:  The Science of Successful Learning, the act of having to pull something from memory over and over is what makes all the difference.  Words taught in October shouldn’t be encountered only in October.  Bring them back in different ways throughout the year.  

Tip #8:  Remember the importance of connecting to writing

In LETRS, Moats and Tolman share that getting kids to own new words is the goal. Asking students to write the words will reinforce the phonetic and morphemic breakdown of the word (keeping your students’ developmental level in mind). 

But go beyond this, and ask students to write sentences that use the word.  This is especially important for multi-meaning words.  And, it’s a super easy way to sneak in handwriting and practice with conventions and capitalization.

I hope these quick tips were helpful in designing your vocabulary lessons.  Even adding in just one or two at a time will make that much more of a difference.  Teaching vocabulary in stronger ways will not only increase your students’ word knowledge, but it will absolutely impact their reading comprehension and quality of writing, too.  They are small shifts that will go a long way!

If you could use support with boosting your vocabulary lessons, I’m here to help.  Just reach out for a coaching call!   

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Who is Coach from the Couch?  I’m Michelle Ruhe, a 25-year veteran educator, currently a K-5 literacy coach.  I continue to learn alongside teachers in classrooms each and every day, and it’s my mission to support as many teachers as I can.  Because no one can do this work alone. I’m available to you, too, through virtual coaching calls! 

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• Safe, nonjudgmental support 
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