Word Power Starts Here: How to Choose and Introduce Vocabulary Effectively

Many of us have a scripted curriculum that seems to randomly choose words from the passage to teach as that week’s vocabulary words. However, it becomes clear pretty quickly that the words are either too simple or aren’t actually important for helping comprehension. That’s when we have to use our expertise as teachers to read the passage ahead of the lesson and choose 6-10 words to teach over the week. What’s important, though, is to only introduce 3-5 words in the first lesson with the rest being taught during the next lesson.

Choosing Vocabulary Words

I find choosing words to be the hardest because I feel like I need to teach them every word. Thankfully, Isabel Beck has classified words into three different tiers to help make the decision easier.
Tier 1
-Everyday, basic words (dog, happy, run).
-These are usually learned without explicit instruction.
Tier 2
-High-utility academic words that appear across subjects (analyze, predict, contrast).
-These are ideal for instruction because they deepen understanding and boost comprehension.
Tier 3
-Domain-specific, content area terms (photosynthesis, parliament).
-These are best taught when students need them in context.

Beck, Isabel L, Margaret G. McKeown, and Linda Kucan. Bringing Words
to Life: Robust Vocabulary Instruction. New York: Guilford Press, 2002.

We have to use our expertise as teachers.

The best words to introduce are Tier Two words because they can be used in a variety of contexts, and they are the most useful in helping students understand the passage. There isn’t a specific formula for choosing vocabulary words, rather the teacher is able to use their knowledge about their students to determine which words are necessary to teach.

Tier Three words are important, but students typically don’t need a deep understanding of the word to comprehend a text. These words don’t come up often either, so teaching them in-depth isn’t the best use of instructional time.

Introducing the Words

I have found that Marzano’s Six-Step Approach is easy to follow, and really helps students gain a deep understanding of what a word means.

1. Provide a description, explanation, or example of the new word. Do not just provide the dictionary definition. Instead, capture the essence of the word and how it is typically used; explain what is being communicated when we use that word.
2. Students restate the definition in their own words.
3. Students draw a picture or a symbol to represent the word.
4. Engage students in activities to deepen knowledge of the word.
5. Discuss the word with peers.
6. Play games to reinforce understanding.

The words should be displayed on a poster for students to refer to throughout the week, and should be written down in their vocabulary notebook for long-term reference.

Another routine you could use is Beck’s routine discussed in her book, Bringing Words to Life. What I have found is that the routine doesn’t matter so much as the repeated practice does. All a routine does is provide the teacher with a consistent outline to introduce words to students so that they know what to expect.

1. Read the story.
2. Contextualize the word within the story. This gives all students a foundation upon which to build their knowledge.
3. Have students say the word.
4. Provide a student friendly definition of the word. Again, this is not a dictionary defintion.
5. Present examples of the word used in contexts that are different from the story context.
6. Engage students in activities that get them to interact with the words.
7. Have students say the word.

Pick one as your base routine, and add in elements from the other that you think are important to include.

Now that you’ve chosen the right words and introduced them with intention, the next step is helping students internalize and apply them. In Part 2, I’ll share practical, engaging activities to make vocabulary stick.