Vocabulary is an important focus of literacy teaching and refers to the knowledge or words, including their structure (morphology), use (grammar), meanings (semantics), and links to other words (word/semantic relationships). Oral vocabulary refers to words that children can understand or use while speaking and listening. Oral vocabulary is closely related to
their reading vocabulary, which is the words that children can recognise and use in their reading or writing. Words all have: Children need to have a
rich vocabulary that continually grows through language and literacy experiences, in order to comprehend and construct increasingly complex texts, and engage in oral language for a variety of social purposes. Focussing on vocabulary is useful for developing knowledge and skills in multiple aspects of language and literacy. This includes helping with decoding (phonemic awareness and phonics), comprehension, and also fluency. Learning vocabulary is
a continual process of language and literacy development, which begins in the early years of life, and continues through schooling and beyond. Sinatra, Zygouris-Coe, and Dasinger (2011) note that: Knowledge of vocabulary meanings affects children’s abilities to understand and use words appropriately during the language acts of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Such knowledge influences the complexities and nuances of children’s thinking, how they communicate in the oral
and written languages, and how well they will understand printed texts. (p. 333) It is crucial that children have explicit and robust instruction in vocabulary, to support their verbal and written communication. The explicit teaching of vocabulary allows students to access academic language and discourse, and facilitates their comprehension of increasingly complex texts. Vocabulary plays an important role in oral language development and early
literacy (Hill, 2012). Paris (2005) identifies vocabulary as one of the unconstrained skills, meaning that it is a skill that we continue to develop over our life span. Konza (2016) notes the importance of explicit teaching of vocabulary to support students to become confident in a word’s meaning and use in context so that it will become part of their own repertoire. Effective ways teaching of vocabulary involve the following main components (Sinatra, Zygouris-Coe, & Dasinger 2011): Increasing EAL/D learners’ vocabulary is crucial in developing school literacies and participating in learning activities across the curriculum. EAL/D learners may already have the words to describe a known concept from their prior learning or past experiences. This knowledge can be transferred to English by using translation as a learning process. Some strategies for translating
vocabulary in the classroom include: Translation alone
is not a sufficient strategy to help students learn how to use new vocabulary. Students require ongoing support to infer the meaning of words using contextual clues, and to break words into morphemes and understand how each part relates to the meaning of the word. Developing translation and vocabulary learning skills and strategies also helps EAL/D students continue to develop their home language and literacy, which in turn supports learning in English. During the translation process,
students may notice gaps in their vocabulary, and become aware of the differences of meaning between words and grammatical structures in different languages. Additional ways of supporting EAL/D students’ vocabulary development include: Multilingual graphic organisers, word walls or cognate charts scaffold EAL/D students’ understanding of English words and make other languages visible in school spaces. Students who speak English as a first language may be able to use these strategies with the vocabulary that they are learning in school. The ‘form, meaning, and
use’ (Larsen-Freeman & Celce-Murcia, 2016) model can also be used to help EAL/D learners understand: If EAL/D students are literate in their home language, they may include the 'form, meaning and use' model alongside drawings, images or known phonetic symbols to develop their academic vocabulary in
both English and their home languages. If a teacher or a support staff shares some of the home languages of the students, they will be able to check students’ translations for accuracy. Otherwise, the teacher can ask students to identify and explain any differences between their languages and English. Links to curriculumFoundationReading
Speaking and listening
Reading
Speaking and listening
Writing
Reading
Speaking and listening
Writing
Reading
Speaking and Listening
Writing
Reading
Writing
Reading
Writing
Reading
Writing
Links to Victorian Curriculum - English as an Additional Language (EAL)Pathway A Speaking and listening
Level A2
Reading and viewing
Level A2
Writing
Level A2
Speaking and listening
Level B1
Level B2
Level B3
Reading and viewing
Level B1
Level B2
Level B3
Writing
Level B1
Level B2
Level B3
Key conceptsWord Classes and Grammatical form and functionWords are categorised into grammatical forms or word classes including the commonly known nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, as well as determiners, prepositions, conjunctions. Different word classes have different functions in terms of their grammar (including morphology, and syntax). Students need to develop understandings of different types of words, as part of their metalinguistic awareness (knowing how language and literacy works, and the words that describe these phenomena). When introducing vocabulary it is crucial for students to know the type (or class) of word it is. If ever students are unsure, they can be encouraged to check a paper or online dictionary, which will always provide the word class in the listing. Below is a table which summarises each word class (or form), including their function, examples, and any inflectional or derivational morphemes that attach to these.
When using personal dictionaries (where new vocabulary is added progressively as students learn new words), students should be encouraged to record the word type in their entries. Adding an example sentence can also be useful. These strategies help develop students' independence in their understanding and use of new vocabulary. Word MorphologyMorphology is the study of words and their parts. Morphemes (like prefixes, suffixes, and base words) are defined as the smallest meaningful units of meaning. All words can be broken down into their morphemes:
Other examples of words with multiple morphemes are: roll+er driv+ing under+stand+able class+ic+al Morphemes are important for vocabulary, as well as phonics (reading and spelling) and comprehension. Teaching morphemes is useful because they help to analyse the parts of words, often have a consistent purpose and/or meaning, and are often spelt the same across different words (even when the sound changes). For more information, see: Word morphology Word/Semantic RelationshipsTeaching vocabulary is also about how words relate to other words. Semantics is the study of word meanings, and includes semantic relationships (how words are related to other words). Here are some examples of types of word/semantic relationships:
The most effective way to teach vocabulary is to show how new words relate to other words, especially ones that students already know. It is important to explicitly teach the relationships between words. For more information about word/semantic relationships, including Categories, Antonyms, Synonyms, Connotations, Homophones & Homographs, see: Word/Semantic Relationships (docx - 233.6kb)Choosing Words to Teach - Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3Vocabulary Words that we explicitly teach should also be as functional as possible, so that students have multiple opportunities to comprehend and use these words. Beck and McKeown (1985) have categorised words according to three Vocabulary Tiers: For more information, see: Choosing Words to Teach - Tier 1, 2, 3 Vocabulary (docx - 209.43kb)Word EtymologyThe origins of words and morphemes, and their meanings, is a crucial part of exploring the richness of vocabulary, and how words connect with one another. Ideas for explicit introductions to concepts
Example ActivitiesAs well as embedding Vocabulary teaching within the various teaching practices, there are numerous activities that introduce students to concepts of Vocabulary. ReferencesBeck, I. L. & McKeown, M. G (1985). Teaching vocabulary: Making the instruction fit the goal. Educational Perspectives, 23(1). 11-15. Beck, I. L., McKeown, M. G., & Kucan, L. (2002). Bringing words to life: Robust vocabulary instruction. New York: Guilford. Hill, S. (2012). Developing early literacy: assessment and teaching (2nd ed.). South Yarra, Vic. Eleanor Curtain Publishing. Konza, D. (2016). Understanding the process of reading: The big six. In J. Scull & B. Raban (Eds), Growing up literate:Australian literacy research for practice (pp. 149-175). South Yarra, Vic. : Eleanor Curtain Publishing. Larsen-Freeman, D., & Celce-Murcia, M. (2016). The grammar book: Form, meaning, and use for English language teachers (3rd Ed.). Boston: National Geographic Learning. Nation, P. (2001). Learning vocabulary in another language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Nation, P. (2005). Teaching vocabulary. The Asian EFL Journal, 7(3), 47-54. Paris, S. (2005). Reinterpreting the development of reading skills. Reading Research Quarterly, 40 (2), 184-202. Sinatra, R, Zygouris-Coe, V & Dasinger, S 2011, Preventing a vocabulary lag: What lessons are learned from research, Reading & Writing Quarterly, 28(4), pp. 333-334 What is the best way for students to learn vocabulary?Vocabulary instruction must include multiple practice opportunities for using words within and across subjects. That is, instruction must be extended over time with opportunities for students to hear, speak, read, and write words in various contexts. This builds students' breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge.
Why is it important for students to learn vocabulary?Vocabulary is key to reading comprehension. Readers cannot understand what they are reading without knowing what most of the words mean. As children learn to read more advanced texts, they must learn the meaning of new words that are not part of their oral vocabulary.
What is an important part of learning vocabulary?The importance of vocabulary
Focussing on vocabulary is useful for developing knowledge and skills in multiple aspects of language and literacy. This includes helping with decoding (phonemic awareness and phonics), comprehension, and also fluency.
What are the 5 vocabulary strategies?Here are five vocabulary instruction strategies to use with elementary students.. Word Detective. The most valuable thing that you can do to increase your students' vocabulary is to encourage them to read. ... . Semantic Maps. ... . Word Wizard. ... . Concept Cube. ... . Word Connect.. |