7 Tips For How To Teach Vocabulary To Struggling Readers---"Bringing Words To Life"

This week, we will be sharing some strategies about teaching vocabulary to struggling readers and writers from our favorite book on the topic - “Bringing Words to Life.” If you haven’t read this book, we highly recommend it!

Building vocabulary takes a lot of intentionality and is vital to boosting reading comprehension. Research shows that the best way to introduce new vocabulary to students is by introducing words in context of current books students are reading or topics they are studying, as opposed to a random lists of new words in isolation. Vocabulary sticks in our brains much more effectively when we have context around it. This means that no matter what content area you are teaching you can built in time for explicitly teaching new vocabulary words!

Have you heard of the Three Tiers Framework? It can feel overwhelming to know which new vocabulary words you should focus on and this framework helps guide that:

1️⃣Tier 1 words consist of the most basic words that typically appear in oral language, giving children the opportunity to frequently encounter them early on. The high exposure of these words mean that kids usually know the meanings and don't require direct instruction around them. Examples of Tier One words include: warm, dog, tired, run, and talk.

2️⃣Tier 2 words are the words that are of "high utility for mature language users and are found across a variety of domains" (“Bringing Words to Life,” page 9). These are the BIG WINS when it comes to direct vocabulary instruction. Examples of Tier Two words include: contradict, circumstances, precede, auspicious, fervent, and retrospect.

3️⃣Tier 3 words consist of words that are rarely used and usually only used within specific topics and domains. These words are best picked up during specific encounters with those topics and domains and aren't the best bang for our buck when we use time for direct vocabulary instructions. Examples of Tier Three words include: filibuster, pantheon, and epidermis.

For more information about the Three Tiers Framework read Chapter 2 of “Bringing Words to Life,” beginning on page 19.

Tip #1: Define Immediately

When you teach a new vocabulary word to a student, immediately provide a student-friendly definition. Don’t ask students to tell you what it means, but dive right in with explicit instruction around the meaning of the word in a way that will connect with them.

For example, if you are teaching the word “admiration”, start with banging it out into syllables. The word admiration has 4 syllables: ad-mir-a-tion. Clap it out with the kids and have them pronounce it with you. Then explain: “If you have admiration for people, you respect them and think about them with approval and sometimes wonder or surprise.” (Bringing Words to Life, page 88)

Tip #2: Multiple Exposures

When teaching vocabulary, give multiple exposures to the same word over the course of a week or even month. Circle back to the same student friendly definition and use the word in various contexts, both in texts and in conversation.

One activity to help provide those multiple exposures is called Example//Non-Example. It goes like this: “If I say something that might make you feel forlorn, say ‘Oh no” in a forlorn voice. If not, don’t say anything...
.
1) Finding out that your best friend is moving away to another state.
2) Reading that your favorite pop star has a new record.
3) Discovering that you left your backpack out in the rain.” (Bringing Words to Life, page 90)

Tip #3: Word Associations

Another way to support students in providing multiple exposures to the meaning of new vocabulary words is called Word Associations.

For example, “Which comment goes with a target word (concede, implore, incredulous, abscond)

1) I told my mom how much I really wanted to go to the concert even though it was on a school night.

2) We knew the game was over when the other team scored a touchdown with 10 seconds left.

3) The news story told how the thief had concealed the shoes he had stolen.

4) No one could believe what the mayor said because it was so unlike her.”

(Bringing Words to Life, page 90)

Tip #4: Generate Context

Another way to give kids multiple exposures to vocabulary words is to generate situations, contexts and examples and have students provide examples.

For example: “The following questions hold the situation constant and challenge students to find ways to apply different target words to it.

What would make somebody say:

1)I am totally exasperated!

2) I am filled with admiration!

3) I am incredulous!

4) I am ready to concede.

5) I am really forlorn today.”

(Bringing Words to Life, page 91)

Tip #5: Word Relationships

Yet another way to give kids multiple exposures to new vocabulary meanings is called word relationships. Remember, it's important these activities are done in context of texts or topics the students are reading or learning about.

"Ask students to describe how two vocabulary words might be connected or related.

1) incredulous/admire (A person might do something so heroic and admirable that people would be incredulous when they read about it)

2) implore/concede (After much imploring, a person might concede or give in)

3) exasperated/forlorn (A person might be exasperated and then become forlorn because a situation is not improving)."

(Bringing Words to Life, page 91)

Tip #6: Write About It

Whenever you can combine meaningful vocabulary instruction with meaningful writing practice, it's a double win!

"Provide students with sentence stems such as the following. The value of this format is that if prevents students from producing minimally informative sentences like 'I felt admiration'.

1) The citizens were incredulous when...

2) The doc absconded with...

3) The candidate refused to concede that she had lost the election because...

4) You could see how forlorn people were when they found out that..."

(Bringing Words to Life, page 91)

Tip #7: Return to the Original Context

Returning to the story or topic context in which the students met the new vocabulary word is a wonderful way to reinforce that connection between understanding the new words and understanding the bigger story or concept ideas.

"1) Find three examples of times when characters in the story were exasperated.

2) Select two situations in the story when you were incredulous.

3) After reading the obituaries in the story, which of the women did you most admire and why?"

(Bringing Words to Life, page 92)

Meaningful Assessment:

Here are three ways Bringing Words to Life recommends assessing the deep understanding of new vocabulary words in your students. Check out these ideas and more on page 93!

1) Select the word that best completes each sentence from the given word bank.

-Because of her great knowledge of the town's history, people in Norvelt came to _______ Miss Volker.

-After listening to the presentations for and against school uniforms, the principal had to __________ that the students had some valid objections that needed to be taken into consideration.

2) Respond to each question below.

-Would you admire someone who absconded with your new baseball cap? Why or Why Not?

-How might you express your exasperation with someone who kept imploring you to go to a movie that you didn't want to see?

-When might your teacher or coach be incredulous about something that you did?

3) Choose the word that best completes each item.

-People condemn villains, but they _______ heroes.

-Soothing or pleasing people is the opposite of _________ them.

-If you are convinced that something is true, then you are not _________.

Again, if you haven’t read “Bringing Words To Life”, we highly recommend. Direct instruction of Tier 2 words is vital to boosting student’s reading comprehension.