Skill Area: Vocabulary

Definition:

Vocabulary describes all of the words we know and use

to meaningfully communicate concepts and ideas.

Receptive vocabulary is recognized and acquired through listening and reading.

Expressive vocabulary is produced through speaking and writing.

Our receptive vocabulary is typically larger than our expressive vocabulary.

Stephen Krashen’s (2003) research shows that our exposure to new words is far more critical in acquiring new vocabulary than our expression of those words.

“My child seems to have a low score on Word Use Fluency (WUF). I understand there isn’t a benchmark score yet, but what does this mean and what do I do?”

What to look for:

The Word Use Fluency Test has the child giving a sentence using the word stated. The words are usually part of their everyday receptive and expressive vocabulary like “happy” or “difference”. Below are activities to continue to build vocabulary. The more someone is aware of the words they use, or are asked to use, the more they will be able to respond with rich vocabulary.

Parent Tips:

Complete Sentences: Expect your child to answer questions and talk in complete sentences.

Talking: Dinner around the table where everyone can talk does a lot to build vocabulary

READ READ READ - # 1 way to build vocabulary!

Personal Word Bank – keep a journal or poster of new vocabulary throughout the year.

Buy a "word a day" calendar for the house. Put it on the dining table or by the telephone where it can be seen each day. Have family members try to use the word several times in conversation. Add new words to the word bank when new vocabulary comes up during homework time or in conversation.

Use rich vocabulary when speaking with your child; avoid baby talk or catch all words like "stuff" and "junk." Include your child in adult conversations with different experts who use specific language. Watch science or history programs on television and discuss the topics using new words from the show.

Vocabulary Transfer in Multiple Contexts - Do crosswords together. Note the multiple meanings of words connected to crossword clues. For younger students, there are some great children's books that focus on multiple meanings of words.

Read the newspaper or magazines as a family: Ask your child to read you an article from the newspaper when you are preparing dinner. Discuss the vocabulary that is unfamiliar.

Drawing attention to prefixes and suffixes. Example: prepaid, preview, prepare.

Vocabulary Thinking Map - When discussing new ideas and concepts, you and your child can construct a map together. Mary Margaret Sullivan would love to show you examples of this strategy as well as any of the other teachers in the building.

Context Clues - Successful readers monitor their own comprehension for gaps in word meaning and use surrounding text and concepts to derive meaning for unfamiliar and novel words.

Explain your thought process aloud as you with your child. For example: cook a new recipe together and talk through the process, (new vocabulary such as sauté, crisp, rinse, broil, divide).

Linking Words to Prior Knowledge - skim titles, text format, pictures, charts, word banks, subheadings, and make reasonable predictions, associations, or visualizations before reading. Discuss words that are unusual or new with your child. Ask them to think of other words they already know that sound like the new word. Guess at meanings that make sense in the situation.

Consistent Depth of Meaning Check - Check what your child thinks a word might mean. If you are in a conversation – every once in a while, ask what something you have been talking about means. This helps students become aware of the vocabulary they hear, but don’t understand.

Vocabulary Preview - This is an easy strategy to include in your everyday activities with your child. For example, when going on an errand, talk with your child about what you are going to do ahead of time. Use words that are unique to that activity when describing it. If you are going to the bank, you might use words such as commerce, deposit, withdrawal, change, credit. By describing the words ahead of time, the child will better understand what they observe during the activity. Of course, you also can discuss new vocabulary before the child reads a book, magazine, or newspaper at home.

Graphic map or picture - When your child has a list of words or concepts to memorize or study as homework, consider having her represent the words graphically. They can be represented in a picture, map, or table. For example, group words or concepts that are similar. Talk together about why she organized the words as she did.

Depth of Meaning, and Multiple Meanings of Words - The goal with this strategy is to help the student understand multiple meanings of words. For example, the word “bear” –- meaning bear (the animal), bear arms (carry), bear a child (give birth), bear responsibility (be accountable), bear in mind (hold a thought), could not bear (could endure or suffer), and so on. Puns are an example of how important context is to meaning. Jokes that include puns allow your child to have fun with words that have multiple meanings.

Practice with Text that has Clear Structure - When your child does not have much background knowledge on a topic (such as in social studies or science), it can help when the text they read is very well organized. If your child expresses interest in learning more about a particular topic or if they need to work on a project in an area about which the student does not know a lot, look for books and other sources that include clear headings and are written in clear language. The student is more likely to be able to make sense of unfamiliar words when the rest of the text is well-organized and clear.

Rich Print Environment - Children need many opportunities to see print materials and to talk about what they have read. Cereal boxes, toy packages, newspapers, phone books, catalogues are all good reading. Have books around the house. A rich print environment is only useful if you make a point to talk about words and ideas they represent.

Dictionary, Glossary, Word Banks, and other Resources - Build and maintain a home resource library that includes dictionaries (adult and student-friendly), Wordbooks or encyclopedias, special interest resources such as overviews of artists, foreign languages, and classics of literature.

Frequent Discussion with More Competent Peers and Adults - Read aloud a book to a child and discuss challenging vocabulary as the book progresses. With older children, read the same books as they are reading. Ask them their impressions of the book.

Word Play and Improvisation - Playful activities that are open-ended and positive, use art, music, physical activity, and/or games are good at lowering the affective filter to language acquisition. The surprise and delight of spontaneous playful activities cue memory with the strong connection of emotion, as well as the lowered affect filter.Hold family game nights: invite your children to play scrabble, work crosswords, play Pictionary.

Memory Devices - Play memory games with cards. Play games that encourage associations and connections like Charades or Pictionary.

Synonyms, Antonyms, and Analogies - Provide and practice using the dictionary and thesaurus. When working on writing assignments at home, you can use these tools to help make the writing more interesting and descriptive by replacing general words with more specific ones.

Multi-Sensory Learning - Student will practice new words through manipulating, acting out, singing, drawing, listening, speaking, chanting, rhyming and other means to engage the senses. This includes the sound of the word, the visual shape of the word, and the actions of contextualized meaning. Word learning first forms through associations and as students learn symbolic usage, abstract word meanings become easier to understand and use. Encourage your child to read along with you from a familiar story. Allow time to stop and act or draw parts of the story.

Word Play through Songs, Raps, Ditties, Skits, or Movement - Brain research highlights the multiple pathways and additional regions of the brain that are involved with music, song, drama, dance, physical action, etc.

Emotional Hooks - Emotions trigger responses before cognitive thought. Play charades at a gathering of family or friends that includes adults and children. Include words that are associated with emotions (e.g., anticipation, elation)

READ READ READ - # 1 way to build vocabulary!