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The vocabulary strategy of word cards is great for other content areas. If students need to learn certain vocabulary words in science class, they can write the word and the part of speech on one side of the card. On the other side the word's definition and some examples that can be connected to the word. This strategy is beneficial as a way to practice important vocabulary words that students will need to know.

Djoub, Z. (2021). 6 effective strategies for teaching vocabulary. Retrieved from: https://edulearn2change.com/article-strategies-for-teaching-vocabulary/

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To help your students get more engaged in vocabulary development, you need to nurture word consciousness. This means raising students' awareness of, and interest in all sorts of words and their meanings.

A Word Wall can help you achieve this. This is a collection of words that are displayed in large visible letters on a wall, bulletin board, or other display surfaces in a classroom.

Source: ELL STRATEGIES & MISCONCEPTIONS

So, set this wall and encourage your students 'to walk the wall' and hang their favourite words, new or unknown, on it.

Then, invite their classmates to add sticky notes with pictures or graphics, synonyms, antonyms, or related words. Then, student partners walk along the wall to quiz each other on the words (Graves & Watts-Taffe,2008).

Use the Word Wall one or more times a week. You'll help your students make connections between new and known words.

Since this is an ongoing activity during the whole year, you can keep observational notes of those students who are posting, responding to their words and those who are not adding words to the wall.

This will help you better understand what your students need to expand their vocabulary.

Word Box is one of the strategies for teaching vocabulary. This is a weekly strategy that can help students retain and use words more effectively.

Students select words to submit to the word box on Friday. These are words they find interesting or ones they want to understand better. They either use the word in their own sentence or take the same sentence where this word was found.

Then, select five words to teach the following week.

Monday: Introduce the five words in context, explain them, then tack them to the Word Wall.
Tuesday: Ask students to create a non-linguistic representation of the words.
Wednesday: Discuss the meaning of the words allowing think-pair-shares.
Thursday: Ask students to write sentences using those words.
Friday: This is the day to assess students' learning of the five words using this activity.

Ask one student to answer fill-ins for five words. Give students three cards that can hold up: green cards show they agree with the student's answer, yellow they are unsure and red ones they disagree.

For assessing, use a checklist with the vocabulary running horizontally across the top margin and the class list running vertically down the side. (Adapted from Grant et al., 2015, p.195)

3. Vocabulary Notebooks

Ask your students to maintain vocabulary notebooks throughout the year where they write the meaning of the new words.

You can introduce a new word each week and work together with students to explore its meaning. Then, ask them to sketch a picture to illustrate the word and present their drawings to the class at the end of the week.

Another way to use vocabulary notebooks :

Students create a chart. The first column indicates the word, where it was found, and the sample sentence in which it appeared.

The other columns depend on your students' needs.

You can include a column for meaning ( where students define the word or add a synonym), for word parts and related word forms (where they identify the parts and list any other words related to it), a picture, other occurrences (if they have seen or heard this word before, they describe where) and for practice or how they used this word. (Lubliner, 2005)

These are maps or webs of words that can help visually display the meaning-based connections between a word or phrase and a set of related words or concepts.

Teach your students how to use semantic mapping. Pick a word you intend to explain, draw a map or web on the board ( or on Zoom whiteboard or any digital tool in case you're teaching online) and put this word in the centre of the map. Then, ask students to add related words or phrases similar in meaning to the new word. (see the example below)

Source:weebly.com

5. Word Cards

Word cards can help students review frequently learned words and so improve retention.

On one side of the card, students write the target word and its part of speech (whether it's a verb, noun, adjective, etc.).

On the top half of the other side, they write the word's definition (in English and/ or a translation). They also write an example and a description of its pronunciation. The bottom half of the card can be used for additional notes once they start using the word.

Ask students to add more information about the word each time they practise or observe it (sentences, collocations, etc.).

Yet, advise them not to add too much information in order to facilitate more reviewing the cards.

Devote regularly class time for students to bring their word cards to class. Involve them in activities such as describing the new words, quizzing one another, categorizing them according to subject or part of speech.

Also, show your students how to store and organize those cards. This is, for instance, by putting them into a box with the categories they select or ordering them in terms of difficulty. (Schmitt & Schmitt, 2005)

6. Word Learning Strategies

Our students often have only partial knowledge of the words they learn in the classroom. This is so since a word can have different meanings which they may not be familiar with.

Therefore, teaching students word learning strategies is important to help them become independent word learners. This is by teaching, modelling and providing a variety of strategies that serve different purposes.

Here are some examples of word-learning strategies.

a) Using word parts

Breaking words into meaningful parts facilitates decoding. So, studying words' parts can help students guess the meaning of new words from context.

There are three basic ways that word parts are combined in English: prefixing, suffixing, and compounding.

Teach those parts. But, focus on the most occurrent ones.

Providing explanations about their use and meanings with illustration is necessary. Yet, it is still not enough.

You need to provide opportunities for students to experiment with word-building skills.

For instance, you can hand out a list of productive prefixes and have students compile a list of words using them. Then, ask them to compare the function of the prefixes in the various examples.

However, consider your students' level since word parts are more useful to students with larger vocabularies. For instance, a student who doesn't know the meaning of the adjective content cannot guess the word discontent.

Remember also that learning word parts is an ongoing process. So, encourage your students to continue experimenting with them. (Zimmerman, 2009a)

b) Asking questions about word

Knowing a word means knowing about its many aspects: its meaning(s), collocations, grammatical function, derivations, and register.

So, you can encourage your students to explore a new word's meaning(s) by asking them to address detailed questions about those features and answer them.

Students will ask questions like these :
* Are there certain words that often occur before or after the word ? (collocation)
* Are there any grammatical patterns that occur with the word ? (grammar).
* Are there any familiar roots or affixes for this word ? (word parts)
* Is the word used by both men and women? (register /appropriateness)
* Is the word used in both speaking and writing?
(register/appropriateness)
* Could it be used to refer to people? Animals?Things? (meaning)
* Does it have any positive or negative connotations? (meaning) (Zimmerman,2009a)

c) Reflecting

When students learn new words it does not necessarily mean they'll use them. Students may avoid using words in writing because they are unsure of the spelling. When they speak, they may not be willing to use certain words as they roughly understand them in context.

Encouraging students to self-assess their knowledge of each new word they learn can help them focus on areas needing practices. Here is an example of a self-assessment scale students can use.

Besides these 6 engaging strategies for teaching vocabulary, here are some essential tips to follow while using them :

1) Identify the potential list of words to be taught. Keep the number of words to a minimum (three to five words in one lesson) to ensure there is ample time for in-depth vocabulary instruction, yet enough time for students to practise them.

2) Expose students to multiple contexts in which the new words can be used. This will support them to develop a deeper understanding of these words and how they're used flexibly.

You can do so by giving students frequent opportunities to hear the meaning of the words, read content where these words are included, and also use them in speaking and writing.

3) Encourage extensive reading because this gives students repeated or multiple exposures to words and is also one of the means by which students see vocabulary in rich contexts.

So, for rich vocabulary development, use a variety of strategies for teaching vocabulary and provide the necessary support and guided practice. Besides, assess vocabulary learning and encourage students to learn more words outside the classroom.

What other Strategies For Teaching Vocabulary would you suggest? I would love to hear from you.
References
Grant, K..B., Golden, S.E., & Wilson, N.S.(2015). Literacy Assessment and Instructional Strategies: Connecting to the Common Core. USA: Sage Publications, Inc.

Graves, M.F., & Watts-Taffe, S.M. (2002). The place of word consciousness in a research-based vocabulary program. In A.E. Farstrup 1 S.J.Samuels (Eds.), what research has to say about reading instruction (3rd ed., pp.140-165). Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

Graves, M.F., & Watts-Taffe, S.M. (2008). For the love of words: Fostering word consciousness in young readers. The Reading Teacher, 62 (3), 185-193.

Hulstijn, J. & Laufer, B.(2001). Some empirical evidence for the involvement load hypothesis in vocabulary acquisition. Language Learning 51/3:539-58.

Lubliner, SH.(2005). Getting into Words: Vocabulary Instruction That Strengthens Comprehension. Baltimore: Paul H. Brooks Publishing.

Schmitt, D., & Schmitt, N.(2005). Focus on Vocabulary. New York: Longman.

Zimmerman, Cheryl. B.(2009a). Word Knowledge: A vocabulary teacher's handbook. New York: Oxford University Press.

Zimmerman, Cheryl. B.(2009b).(ed.). Inside Reading: The Academic Word List in Context. Four Levels. New York: Oxford University Press.

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6 Effective Strategies For Teaching Vocabulary - EduLearn2Change

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freepik.com LITERACY 6 Effective Strategies For Teaching Vocabulary 23 January 2021/ By Zineb DJOUB A student's vocabulary knowledge and skills determine his or her proficiency in comprehension and language use. Therefore, whether we are teaching writing, reading or supporting our students to communicate more effectively their ideas, vocabulary should be part of our daily instruction.

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The strategy of mind mapping is a visual representation for learning vocabulary words. Students have the ability to connect vocabulary words through branches, or by using colors or pictures that connect the words. The benefit of connecting words with a semantic map helps students understand that words can be connected and the relationship between certain words. Students can group words into certain categories to make those connections.

Hamm, E. (2018). 4 strategies for teaching vocabulary. Retrieved from:https://www.classcraft.com/blog/strategies-for-teaching-vocabulary/

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In a previous blog, we explored ways to teach vocabulary and why explicit instruction is necessary. This time we are going to look into strategies to give students a deeper understanding of vocabulary.

You likely understand that merely repeating definitions from a dictionary is not an effective way to teach vocabulary to your students, yet this practice is often the first method that comes to mind in the context of our classrooms.

In 2003, researcher E.D. Hirsch noted the importance of teaching literacy in schools: "It is now well accepted that the chief cause of the achievement gap between socioeconomic groups is a language gap." Consider vocabulary instruction as one way to level the playing field for all of your students.

Teaching vocabulary: strategies

1. Put yourself in your students' shoes

To teach your students vocabulary (or anything) effectively, you'll need to see things from their perspective. Because while you may have known the meanings of words like fortuitous or incremental, your students might not - consider your level of education and the number of years you've had to gain exposure to literature. If you're an avid reader, it's even more likely that you've developed a robust vocabulary.

According to Steven Stahl's publication on vocabulary learning, a person's understanding of various vocabulary words likely fits into four categories:

1. I have never seen that word before.

2. I don't know what it means, but I have heard of it.

3. The context helps me know if it has something to do with X.

4. I understand and use it.

Stahl uses an example cited from Atlantic Monthly so adult learners can remember what it feels like to be in that vocabulary acquisition process. Consider the word vicissitude in the following context:

"America's permanent election campaign, together with other aspects of American electoral politics, has one crucial consequence, little noticed but vitally important for the functioning of American democracy. Quite simply, the American electoral system places politicians in a highly vulnerable position. Individually and collectively they are more vulnerable, more of the time, to the vicissitudes of electoral politics than are the politicians of any other democratic country. Because they are more vulnerable, they devote more of their time to electioneering, and their conduct in office is more continuously governed by electoral considerations."

Which category from the list above do you fit in for the word vicissitude? Why? Can you gain any meaning from the context? What measures would need to be taken for you to fully understand and include the word in your writing and speech?

Vicissitude is described in the dictionary as "a change of circumstances or fortune, typically one that is unwelcome or unpleasant." In a traditional classroom setting, you'd be expected to write the definition repeatedly, find it in a word puzzle, and then be tested, likely matching words to definitions. But that's ineffective - let's look at a better way.

2. Make direct vocabulary instruction fun and engaging

When introducing a new term, teachers should:

Supply illustrations, descriptions, examples, AND anecdotes - the keyword here is AND. Students need to interact with words in both an auditory and visual way. If possible, have students physically interact with the vocabulary, such as performing physical actions to represent the word. Kinesthetic learners would remember a word's meaning easier if there was a specific action tied to it. For example, for the word jocular, meaning characterized by joking, humorous, or playful, students could pantomime laughing uncontrollably. In the earlier example, finding other texts where vicissitude is used and comparing it to synonyms and antonyms could be helpful. A myriad of websites can help with this process. Here is one particular website that has vicissitude used in quotes, poetry, text, and in the news.

Consider ways to transition between grammatical forms, explicitly teaching roots and affixes of words. Think of connections to easily confused words related to the one at hand, and try to clear up any confusion your students might have. In our example, you'd review the root "vic" and find that it means change, substitute, and deputy; this would be a good start when looking for connections. Discussing the adjective form, vicissitudinary, can also help students connect affixes and possible uses of the word.

Have students develop their OWN connections, illustrations, and examples. In the final step of direct instruction, students need to personalize the information and capture experiences to develop a growing understanding of the contexts in which words can be used. For example, if a student heard the word wrangle used in one of their favorite movies, have them sketch the scene and describe why wrangle was chosen by the scriptwriters. For our term, I wondered if vicissitude had anything to do with victim. The prefix vic certainly helped me make this connection, but I can also see a loose connection based on the definitions of the two words. This simple inquiry could help me to both better understand and use the term vicissitude.

One graphic organizer that can help with direct vocabulary instruction is the Frayer model. This model asks students to define the word, give characteristics of the word, list examples and non-examples of the word, and, in some cases, create an illustration to accompany the word. As helpful as the Frayer Model is, this, too, can turn into a rote, ineffective practice if a teacher overuses it or neglects the best practices for direct vocabulary instruction.

3. Indirect vocabulary instruction is key

Students can learn vocabulary from hearing and seeing words repeatedly in different contexts. This includes exposure to vocabulary that is encountered in an independent reading book or heard in conversation, whether that be in person, in a movie, or online. Reading aloud to students, especially those with disabilities, can indirectly instruct vocabulary as well.

4. Create quality vocabulary practices

What are some ways students can practice vocabulary without just copying definitions from the dictionary? Let's take a look at a few.

Sorting - Guided word sorts consist of telling students the categories in which to sort a list of words. This could be "adjectives," "nouns," etc.. For example, students might sort words related to ancient Egypt into people, places, the process of mummification, religion, and agriculture based on the context of the word. The teacher can even give clues, such as "There should be four words in column one and three in column two."Free word sorts allow students to make categories themselves based on their own observations and methods of grouping. Some students may come up with a completely unique method of classifying the words, which helps them create their own understanding of the words. This works better with certain word lists and when students have experience with the sorting process.

On-purpose errors - The teacher or a member of a small group uses a vocabulary word incorrectly in a sentence (either aloud or in print). Students are then tasked with determining which word fixes the mistake and should replace the erroneous word in the sentence.
For example: "The vexed businessman was shocked at how quickly the value of his stocks rose." To fix the error, students would need to replacevexed with incredulous (or one of its synonyms).

Word races - Even older students like a good game. Have students line up in teams and set up the parameters of the game. Then, you could say the definition and have the students race to the whiteboard to write the word. You could make this more complex, too.
For example: "Write the adjective form of the word that means having a quality deserving of praise, honor or distinction." Students write: glorious (changing from the base word glory).

Mind mapping - Mind maps allow visual representations of connections through the use of branches (like a tree) or colors or pictures. Students can use pencil and paper or digital tools to create a semantic map of how they connect to the vocabulary words. Some might choose images. Some might choose song lyrics, colors, or a tree. This is where with instruction, individuals can develop their own creative methods of building a vocabulary.

Inquiries - Like my example above in step three of direct vocabulary instruction, sometimes allowing students to research their own questions about a word can help them build stronger connections. Find out what they're wondering about. See what they assume about or connect to the word (possibly erroneously!), and spend time researching any questions they have (if you don't already know the answers).

5. Vocabulary instruction can be engaging!

Vocabulary instruction is often overlooked as necessary or important in our classrooms. However, it can serve as an equalizer and an important asset for our learners. Moving away from the dictionary-copying model of instruction and toward explicit, direct instruction of vocabulary is a necessary change to empower our students for long-term academic success.
Photo credit: Ben Mullins; pulkit jain / Unsplash.com

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4 Strategies for Teaching Vocabulary to your Students - Classcraft Blog

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Direct, engaging lessons can give your students a deeper understanding of vocabulary which is a great equalizer and an important asset for all learners.

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The use of the Frayer Model is a graphic organizer that aides in students learning all about a targeted vocabulary word. The Frayer Model has students define the vocabulary word, give characteristics of the word, and list examples and non-examples of the targeted vocabulary word. This is a great strategy for students to really get to know the word, and not just see it on print.

Hamm, E. (2018). 4 strategies for teaching vocabulary. Retrieved from:https://www.classcraft.com/blog/strategies-for-teaching-vocabulary/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In a previous blog, we explored ways to teach vocabulary and why explicit instruction is necessary. This time we are going to look into strategies to give students a deeper understanding of vocabulary.

You likely understand that merely repeating definitions from a dictionary is not an effective way to teach vocabulary to your students, yet this practice is often the first method that comes to mind in the context of our classrooms.

In 2003, researcher E.D. Hirsch noted the importance of teaching literacy in schools: "It is now well accepted that the chief cause of the achievement gap between socioeconomic groups is a language gap." Consider vocabulary instruction as one way to level the playing field for all of your students.

Teaching vocabulary: strategies

1. Put yourself in your students' shoes

To teach your students vocabulary (or anything) effectively, you'll need to see things from their perspective. Because while you may have known the meanings of words like fortuitous or incremental, your students might not - consider your level of education and the number of years you've had to gain exposure to literature. If you're an avid reader, it's even more likely that you've developed a robust vocabulary.

According to Steven Stahl's publication on vocabulary learning, a person's understanding of various vocabulary words likely fits into four categories:

1. I have never seen that word before.

2. I don't know what it means, but I have heard of it.

3. The context helps me know if it has something to do with X.

4. I understand and use it.

Stahl uses an example cited from Atlantic Monthly so adult learners can remember what it feels like to be in that vocabulary acquisition process. Consider the word vicissitude in the following context:

"America's permanent election campaign, together with other aspects of American electoral politics, has one crucial consequence, little noticed but vitally important for the functioning of American democracy. Quite simply, the American electoral system places politicians in a highly vulnerable position. Individually and collectively they are more vulnerable, more of the time, to the vicissitudes of electoral politics than are the politicians of any other democratic country. Because they are more vulnerable, they devote more of their time to electioneering, and their conduct in office is more continuously governed by electoral considerations."

Which category from the list above do you fit in for the word vicissitude? Why? Can you gain any meaning from the context? What measures would need to be taken for you to fully understand and include the word in your writing and speech?

Vicissitude is described in the dictionary as "a change of circumstances or fortune, typically one that is unwelcome or unpleasant." In a traditional classroom setting, you'd be expected to write the definition repeatedly, find it in a word puzzle, and then be tested, likely matching words to definitions. But that's ineffective - let's look at a better way.

2. Make direct vocabulary instruction fun and engaging

When introducing a new term, teachers should:

Supply illustrations, descriptions, examples, AND anecdotes - the keyword here is AND. Students need to interact with words in both an auditory and visual way. If possible, have students physically interact with the vocabulary, such as performing physical actions to represent the word. Kinesthetic learners would remember a word's meaning easier if there was a specific action tied to it. For example, for the word jocular, meaning characterized by joking, humorous, or playful, students could pantomime laughing uncontrollably. In the earlier example, finding other texts where vicissitude is used and comparing it to synonyms and antonyms could be helpful. A myriad of websites can help with this process. Here is one particular website that has vicissitude used in quotes, poetry, text, and in the news.

Consider ways to transition between grammatical forms, explicitly teaching roots and affixes of words. Think of connections to easily confused words related to the one at hand, and try to clear up any confusion your students might have. In our example, you'd review the root "vic" and find that it means change, substitute, and deputy; this would be a good start when looking for connections. Discussing the adjective form, vicissitudinary, can also help students connect affixes and possible uses of the word.

Have students develop their OWN connections, illustrations, and examples. In the final step of direct instruction, students need to personalize the information and capture experiences to develop a growing understanding of the contexts in which words can be used. For example, if a student heard the word wrangle used in one of their favorite movies, have them sketch the scene and describe why wrangle was chosen by the scriptwriters. For our term, I wondered if vicissitude had anything to do with victim. The prefix vic certainly helped me make this connection, but I can also see a loose connection based on the definitions of the two words. This simple inquiry could help me to both better understand and use the term vicissitude.

One graphic organizer that can help with direct vocabulary instruction is the Frayer model. This model asks students to define the word, give characteristics of the word, list examples and non-examples of the word, and, in some cases, create an illustration to accompany the word. As helpful as the Frayer Model is, this, too, can turn into a rote, ineffective practice if a teacher overuses it or neglects the best practices for direct vocabulary instruction.

3. Indirect vocabulary instruction is key

Students can learn vocabulary from hearing and seeing words repeatedly in different contexts. This includes exposure to vocabulary that is encountered in an independent reading book or heard in conversation, whether that be in person, in a movie, or online. Reading aloud to students, especially those with disabilities, can indirectly instruct vocabulary as well.

4. Create quality vocabulary practices

What are some ways students can practice vocabulary without just copying definitions from the dictionary? Let's take a look at a few.

Sorting - Guided word sorts consist of telling students the categories in which to sort a list of words. This could be "adjectives," "nouns," etc.. For example, students might sort words related to ancient Egypt into people, places, the process of mummification, religion, and agriculture based on the context of the word. The teacher can even give clues, such as "There should be four words in column one and three in column two."Free word sorts allow students to make categories themselves based on their own observations and methods of grouping. Some students may come up with a completely unique method of classifying the words, which helps them create their own understanding of the words. This works better with certain word lists and when students have experience with the sorting process.

On-purpose errors - The teacher or a member of a small group uses a vocabulary word incorrectly in a sentence (either aloud or in print). Students are then tasked with determining which word fixes the mistake and should replace the erroneous word in the sentence.
For example: "The vexed businessman was shocked at how quickly the value of his stocks rose." To fix the error, students would need to replacevexed with incredulous (or one of its synonyms).

Word races - Even older students like a good game. Have students line up in teams and set up the parameters of the game. Then, you could say the definition and have the students race to the whiteboard to write the word. You could make this more complex, too.
For example: "Write the adjective form of the word that means having a quality deserving of praise, honor or distinction." Students write: glorious (changing from the base word glory).

Mind mapping - Mind maps allow visual representations of connections through the use of branches (like a tree) or colors or pictures. Students can use pencil and paper or digital tools to create a semantic map of how they connect to the vocabulary words. Some might choose images. Some might choose song lyrics, colors, or a tree. This is where with instruction, individuals can develop their own creative methods of building a vocabulary.

Inquiries - Like my example above in step three of direct vocabulary instruction, sometimes allowing students to research their own questions about a word can help them build stronger connections. Find out what they're wondering about. See what they assume about or connect to the word (possibly erroneously!), and spend time researching any questions they have (if you don't already know the answers).

5. Vocabulary instruction can be engaging!

Vocabulary instruction is often overlooked as necessary or important in our classrooms. However, it can serve as an equalizer and an important asset for our learners. Moving away from the dictionary-copying model of instruction and toward explicit, direct instruction of vocabulary is a necessary change to empower our students for long-term academic success.
Photo credit: Ben Mullins; pulkit jain / Unsplash.com

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4 Strategies for Teaching Vocabulary to your Students - Classcraft Blog

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Direct, engaging lessons can give your students a deeper understanding of vocabulary which is a great equalizer and an important asset for all learners.

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Vocabulary Strategy-Label Everything In Your Classroom

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Vocabulary Strategy-Label Everything In Your Classroom

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When teachers label everything in their classroom they are expanding the vocabulary of beginner readers. This strategy is great for English Language Learners as these will be new words for these students all together. This will ignite previous knowledge when they read the words around the classroom in books.

McClymont, G. (2022). 10 Easy Ways to teach vocabulary to English language learners. Retrieved from:https://owlcation.com/academia/How-to-Create-a-Vocabulary-Rich-Classroom-for-English-Language-Learners-6-Effective-Strategies#:~:text=1%201.%20Label%20Everything%20in%20Your%20Classroom%20Posters,...%208%208.%20Use%20Cognates%20...%20More%20items

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Learning Vocabulary Helps English Learners Succeed

As teachers, we have the opportunity every day to use effective strategies to support English language learners in our classroom. One significant way to help our ELLs succeed is to be intentional about teaching vocabulary.

Limited academic vocabulary hinders many ELLs from reading and learning classroom content. But with effective strategies, students can leave our classroom with an enriched vocabulary bank every day!

While English learners generally have the greatest need to expand their vocabulary, many non-English language learners also have a limited vocabulary bank, so they can also benefit from these strategies.

10 Ways to Teach Vocabulary to ELLs

1. Label everything in your classroom.

2. Speak to your students with rich vocabulary.

3. Pre-teach key vocabulary.

4. Use text with rich vocabulary and images.

5. Play vocabulary games.

6. Sing songs.

7. Teach prefixes and suffixes.

8. Use cognates.

9. Introduce words in pairs.

10. Seize teachable moments.

1. Label Everything in Your Classroom

Posters

Choose posters with colorful and clearly labeled images. Or add labels for the pictures yourself. They don't have to be perfect-you don't need to type, print, and laminate the words before you tape them onto the posters.

Handwriting them in bold on sticky notes and taping the sticky notes onto the poster works equally well.

The main thing is for your students to associate each word with its corresponding image to help them learn vocabulary.

Maps

Write the title above each map to depict what the land represents. If it's a country, write the name of the country. If it's a world map, specify that.

Label cardinal directions on a map: north, south, east, west, as well as northeast, northwest, southeast, and southwest.

Add labels for large bodies of water such as oceans and bays-their names often appear in tiny print and are therefore almost unnoticeable on the original map.

For a world map, highlight the names of the seven continents to make them stand out.

Be sure to leave ample space between posters and maps on your walls so that your students aren't over-saturated with visual input. Walls that are too cluttered with information may overwhelm your students rather than draw them in.

Supplies

Label containers for all supplies and materials in your classroom: pencils, colored pencils, erasers, scissors, rulers, glue, lined paper, white paper, and any other materials you use regularly.

Label the shelves where binders, folders, writing journals, books, and workbooks are kept with their designated names.

Labeling all materials will not only help your students learn vocabulary, but it will also help you and your students locate supplies easily-thereby maximizing classroom time.

Technology and Furniture

Label computers, computer screen, keyboard, mouse, speakers, classroom screen, cabinet, file cabinet, teacher desk, teacher chair, and tables.

Miscellaneous

Label a wall, a visible outlet, a visible chord, light switch, air vent, the ceiling, windows, shades, curtains, and the classroom door and clock.

Ways to Communicate the Same Message Using Rich Vocabulary

2. Speak to Your Students with Rich Vocabulary

Take full advantage of classroom time by using rich vocabulary in your everyday instruction and interactions with your students. Believe me, they are listening to every word you say.

Pair up Rich Vocabulary with Synonymous but Simpler Words

When you use rich vocabulary in the classroom, use synonymous but simpler words immediately after the rich vocabulary so that your English language learners gain a natural understanding of the rich vocabulary.

For example, when you say to your students, "Can you elaborate on that?", some of your students may look at you as if they are clueless as to what you mean.

But if you say, "Can you elaborate on that?" followed up with, "Can you tell me more?", then they will grasp what you mean. They have now learned that to elaborate means to tell more about something.

Use a Variety of Rich Phrases to Communicate the Same Message

Another way to naturally incorporate rich vocabulary into your daily dialogue is to use different rich phrases interchangeably to communicate the same message to your students.

For example, one day you might say, "I'm perplexed by what the author is communicating" and another day you might say, "I'm baffled by what the author is communicating." Use gestures to communicate that you are confused, such as bringing your finger up to your head and putting on a very pensive look.

If you think your students still need the rich phrase explained, continue to follow the rich phrase up with a synonymous but simpler phrase. Eventually, you will no longer need to use the simpler phrase because your students will have learned to associate it with the richer phrases.

3. Pre-Teach Key Vocabulary

Don't assume students will know essential words from the text. Teach them the words they don't know ahead of time. This is called pre-teaching vocabulary and it helps equip them for a successful reading experience. Here's how:

Select Key Words

Pre-select key words from the text you're about to read.

Pretest

Give your students a quick pretest to assess their current knowledge of key vocabulary.

Direct Instruction

Once you've targeted the words your students don't know, focus on teaching them!

Graphic Organizers

Word Study, word maps, word journals, and word walls are excellent tools for helping students learn and apply new vocabulary.

Tangible Items

Aside from images, use tangible objects to teach the meanings of words. For example, if introducing the word bark (from a tree), show students a piece of actual bark you found outside. Or, better yet, take them outside and show them!

4. Select Text with Rich Vocabulary and Images

Read to Your Students

Have a designated, regular time to read aloud to your students in class. Reading to your students is an excellent way to not only teach new words but to model their correct pronunciation as well.

Choose high-interest reading material with rich vocabulary and images. Attractive images in text are powerful in communicating the meanings of words.

Display the Text on a Large Screen

If you can, display the text on a large screen using a document camera, so that the text is highly visible to your entire class as you read it.

Enlarging the font (use the zoom lens on the doc cam) and displaying one section at a time helps students focus.

I use a blank half sheet of white paper to uncover the lines of text one by one, as we read them. I simply slide the white sheet of paper down as we read one line at a time.

Use Many Visuals

To teach the meanings of words for which there are no visuals on the page, it's critical to pre-teach key vocabulary from the text, accompanied by pictures you've gathered to represent the words' meanings.

Keep the visuals handy after pre-teaching vocabulary-such as by posting them on a word wall-so when you come across the words in the text, you can quickly point to the visuals without distracting students from the reading.

Try to minimize interruptions as you read. Fewer pauses when reading increases reading fluency and aids comprehension.

5. Play Vocabulary Games

Allow students many opportunities to practice new vocabulary through games and classroom activities. Some examples:

Word Bingo: Each student has a card with grids, with one word written in each grid. Students listen for the meaning of each word and place markers on each word depicting the meaning they hear. The first player to mark a complete row, column or diagonal pattern of words is the winner. For more advanced students, give them each two cards-they now need a marked pattern of words on each card to win!

Charades: Students have to act out a word or phrase without speaking, while the rest of the class tries to guess what the word or phrase is. The goal is for students to guess each word or phrase as quickly as possible. For more advanced or competitive students, divide the class into teams. Time how long it takes each team to guess the opponent's word/phrase. Keep track of time to determine the winning team!

Word Jeopardy: Students are given clues in the form of answers, and must phrase their responses in the form of questions. Jeopardy games can be created on smartboards by following youtube tutorials.

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10 Easy Ways to Teach Vocabulary to English Language Learners

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As teachers, we have the opportunity every day to use effective strategies to support English language learners in our classroom. One significant way to help our ELLs succeed is to be intentional about teaching vocabulary. Limited academic vocabulary hinders many ELLs from reading and learning classroom content.

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Oral Language: The set of words for which students know the meanings when others speak or read aloud to them, or when they speak to others.
Print Vocabulary: is the set of words for which students know the meanings when they read or write silently.
Vocabulary: The knowledge of word meanings.
Word Family: A group of words related in meaning.
Root Word: A single word that cannot be broken into smaller words or parts.

Honig, B., Diamond, L., & Gutlohn, L. (2018). Teaching Reading Sourcebook (3rd ed.). Arena Press. Novato, California