The most effective vocabulary instruction teaches word meanings as concepts; it connects the words being taught with their context and with the students’ prior knowledge. Six techniques have proven especially effective: Concept Definition Maps, Semantic Mapping, Semantic Feature Mapping, Possible Sentences, Comparing and Contrasting, and Teaching Word Parts.
The more a new vocabulary word is associated with ideas from students’ own experience, the more likely the word will become well ‘networked’ and a permanent part of memory. Making these links involves elaborating definitions of new terms. This article offers teachers several ways to facilitate elaboration.
Effective vocabulary instruction begins with diverse opportunities for word learning: wide reading, high-quality oral language, word consciousness, explicit instruction of specific words, and independent word-learning strategies. This article explains how these opportunities can be created in the classroom.
Copying definitions from the dictionary and memorizing words for tests is not sufficient work for students to master and retain new vocabulary. This article helps teachers choose which words are most important to teach and suggests strategies to bring those words to life for students.
When a student’s reading comprehension is more impaired than their listening comprehension, inaccurate and slow word recognition is the most likely cause.