The five pillars of literacy are: phonemic awareness, phonics and word study, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Of these five, vocabulary and comprehension seem to not get as much attention. However, without a strong vocabulary, students will not be able to comprehend what they read. Therefore, vocabulary instruction must take place at all grade levels, no matter the content area.
On average, students should add 2,000 to 3,000 new words each year to their reading vocabularies. This is obviously too many to teach in a single year, so teachers should focus on explicitly teaching about 400 words a year. Even that number can seem overwhelming, but when you break it down to 10-12 words a week it sounds more manageable. So, how should a teacher go about teaching vocabulary words to students? The National Reading Panel (2000) found that vocabulary should be taught both directly and indirectly.
The following are research-based components for effective vocabulary instruction:
- Encourage wide reading
- Expose students to high-quality oral language
- Promote word consciousness
- Teach word meaning directly
- Teach independent word-learning strategies such as the use of context clues, word parts, and use of a dictionary.
A word of caution about using context clues to determine the meaning of a word: only about 25% of the time will context provide the correct and specific meaning of a word. The other context clues are either mis-directive, nondirective, or general, which all lead to a high probability of the reader deducing an incorrect meaning. However, it’s still important for students to learn about this as a potential strategy.
Learning the meaning of new words from reading is a lot harder than it is through oral language. Providing them with high-quality vocabulary instruction is critical in order to create students who love to read. When students avoid reading, it is typically because they have a deficiency in decoding, or they don’t have the vocabulary they need to comprehend. As educators, it is our job to ensure that every student leaves our classroom with strong literacy skills.
In my next post, I will be sharing different instructional routines that can be easily incorporated into your literacy block, enhancing your teaching toolkit. They are fun and engaging, while also building that crucial vocabulary knowledge students need to thrive in their academic endeavors. By weaving in interactive activities and collaborative exercises, students will be encouraged to explore language in a dynamic way. This will enhance their overall learning experience and helping them to develop a deeper understanding of the text.
The Blissful Teacher 