Vocabulary Development in the Primary Grades

Vocabulary Development in the Primary Grades

The findings of the National Reading Panel indicate that vocabulary instruction does lead to gains in comprehension, but that methods must be appropriate to the age and ability of the reader. Using both indirect and direct teaching methods to build students’ oral and reading vocabularies should be a part of a balanced reading program. Indirect methods would include read-alouds, shared reading and writing experiences, and independent reading. Direct teaching of vocabulary should respond to the needs of the students and should actively engage them in the process (National Reading Panel, 2000).

When making instructional decisions as to which words to teach, it is helpful to have a framework for decision-making in this area. The first question you want to ask yourself as a teacher is: “Is this word important to understanding the reading selection?” Secondly, “Is it presented in rich context, and do my students need help in unlocking that context?” Finally, “Is this a word my students will encounter often in other texts and thus need to understand the meaning?” The answers to these questions will be helpful in deciding which words to teach and when to teach them.

All word learning tasks are not equal in difficulty. A child may understand the concept behind a word, but not know the word itself. For example, the word cease represents a known concept to most children, however, a young child has probably not heard this word used for stop. Learning a new word that represents a known concept is not as difficult as learning a new word that represents a new concept. Teachers in the primary grades introduce many new concepts, and direct instruction is necessary to build understanding of these concepts and the vocabulary words that represent them.

When teaching vocabulary words that represent known concepts, the emphasis should always be on the context in which the word appears. Discussing the meaning of the word from the context of the reading selection together with supplying a definition of the word will help to build meaning for students. If students are to acquire this word as part of their vocabularies, then they must be given repeated exposure of the word in a variety of contexts. They must also have opportunities to practice using the word in conversation and/or writing. Having a Word of the Day or Week bulletin board is a fun way to begin emphasizing word meanings in the classroom.

Word of the Week

cease - to stop

We hope the rain

will finally cease

today!

Teaching new words that represent new concepts will, of course, take time to build knowledge of the concept. One method that has been proven to be effective in helping students gain knowledge of new words that represent new concepts is the Frayer method, developed by Dorothy Frayer. The following is an outline of the Frayer method adapted from Teaching Reading in the 21st Century:

1) Define the new concept, giving its specific attributes. Use a model or a picture to illustrate the concept.

2) Distinguish between the new concept and similar but different concepts.

3) Give examples of the concept, and explain what makes them good examples.

4) Give nonexamples of the concepts, and explain why they are not examples.

5) Present student with examples and nonexamples of the concept, and ask them to distinguish between them.

6) Have students give examples and nonexamples of the concept, and explain what makes each an example or a nonexample. Provide feedback.

This method takes considerable time and effort on the part of the teacher. It does, however, fit the recommendations of the National Reading Panel, in that it actively involves students in thinking about and processing their new vocabulary knowledge.

Other ways to develop strengthen and enrich vocabulary knowledge include semantic mapping or webbing and semantic feature analysis. These techniques are useful with central concepts that have many connections to other concepts. For example, if you were studying transportation in the primary grades, you might want to create a semantic map with your students, webbing the types of transportation (car, bus, train, plane, ship, etc.), the reasons people need transportation (work, school, vacation, visiting family and friends, etc.), and the modes of transportation (land, air, water). This exercise actively involves your students in thinking about transportation as it relates to other concepts.

Semantic feature analysis is also helpful for strengthening and enriching understanding of vocabulary terms. For example, if you were studying mammals in the primary grades, you could create a chart of the features of mammals and use it to identify an animal as a mammal by applying those features as criteria (see page 26).

Link and Think (see pages 27-28) is another vocabulary technique that can be used before and after reading to clarify word meanings. In this technique, students preview new vocabulary, attempt to use it in related sentences, and finally revisit the terms after reading to discuss and clarify their understanding of the words.

By the time children enter second grade, they are likely to have reading vocabularies between 2,000 and 5,000 words. This amazing growth continues throughout the elementary years, as most children gain 3,000 - 4,000 new vocabulary words each year that they can read and understand (Teaching Reading in the 21st Century, 2001). By encouraging wide independent reading and providing both indirect and direct instruction in vocabulary, we can help our students develop the vocabulary knowledge they will need for effective comprehension.