Enhancing Vocabulary Instruction for Students with Learning Disabilities: Strategies and Best Practices
In a world driven by digital communication and social media, the importance of effective vocabulary and communication skills may seem diminished. However, as human beings, our core nature craves relationships and relies on the power of words to manifest our successes and failures in life. Now, imagine the weight of responsibility on your shoulders as an educator entrusted with shaping the future of our universe. It all begins with equipping our students with the vital tool of vocabulary, as it forms the foundation for communication and unlocks their true potential.
Did you know that children's vocabulary size approximately doubles between grades 3 and 7?
Did you know that children's vocabulary size approximately doubles between grades 3 and 7?
This growth is a testament to their increased interactions, communication, and knowledge acquisition (University of Oregon Center on Teaching and Learning, 2015). However, an alarming achievement gap emerges between economically disadvantaged students and their middle-class counterparts.
Between grades 1 and 3, economically disadvantaged students' vocabularies increase by about 3,000 words per year, while middle-class students' vocabularies increase by about 5,000 words per year. These discrepancies, coupled with the digital age we live in, where vocabularies may be declining among all students, emphasize the urgency and significance of vocabulary instruction like never before. |
The Importance of Vocabulary Instruction:
To bridge this gap and empower our students with the necessary communication skills, it is crucial to understand the essence of vocabulary instruction. Research suggests that through direct instruction, we can reasonably teach 300-500 words per year, equivalent to 8-10 words per week for 50 weeks (Chall, 1996). Vocabulary instruction entails explicit teaching, including constructing definitions, analyzing word structures, and exploring word relationships. It also requires multiple exposures to words and increased time spent reading. By infusing vocabulary instruction into all lessons, we create a vocabulary-rich environment that enhances comprehension and empowers students to unlock the meaning behind what they read.
Teaching Approaches: Specific Words and Word Learning Strategies:
Incorporating two essential approaches to vocabulary instruction, we can maximize our students' learning potential. Teaching specific words involves selecting vocabulary words from texts and engaging students in word attack skills, context analysis, and even dictionary skills.
By guiding them to discover word meanings through decoding, context clues, and defining their own kid-friendly definitions, students actively participate in expanding their vocabulary. |
Additionally, employing word learning strategies enables students to learn words indirectly through activities like listening to stories, independent reading, and exposure to language-rich environments.
Practical Application in Reading Groups:
Let's explore how these approaches come to life in reading groups. As an educator, you can pull vocabulary words from texts ahead of time, ensuring their relevance and alignment with the lesson objectives. By creating anchor charts, you provide visual cues and a reference point for students. Through a step-by-step process, students engage in decoding, context analysis, and self-generated definitions, promoting deeper understanding. Discussions, sentence writing, and word-of-the-week activities further reinforce vocabulary acquisition and application, facilitating long-term retention.
Here’s my process:
I pull vocabulary words out of the text ahead of time. I look for 3 things when choosing words. I look for words that my students will… -most likely struggle to decode -most likely not know the meaning AND -they should be words that are integral to understanding You can grab my lesson planner HERE for FREE! |
Click HERE to get Miss Rae’s Room’s Vocabulary Instruction Planner! |
I write these words on an anchor chart.
We begin by using our word attack skills. We scoop our new words into syllables, decode each syllable, and then, read the entire word. Next, we look at the word in context. We read a few sentences and see if we can figure out the meaning. If we can, we write a definition in our own words on the chart, next to the word. |
Using context clues to determine unknown meaning, is a reading skill applicable to all genres and content areas.
If we are unable to determine the meaning, we look the word up. We re-write the formal definition into our own kid-friendly one!
I have a confession, though! These days, we use the internet to look up the word. However, I do also introduce my students to dictionaries, but let’s face facts - those may become obsolete one day and we are teaching 21st century learners who we should be preparing for the future!
But knowledge is power! So I do teach dictionary skills using old school texts and new school internet!
Sometimes I put a visual next to the vocabulary word on our chart for a memory tool!
We get to revisit the word in the context of our reading for the day’s lesson.
During discussion, students answer open-ended questions using the vocabulary words.
If you have purchased any of my novel studies or short story comprehension tri-folds, I have done all of this for you! And if you haven’t purchased any of THESE, check them out HERE.
If we are unable to determine the meaning, we look the word up. We re-write the formal definition into our own kid-friendly one!
I have a confession, though! These days, we use the internet to look up the word. However, I do also introduce my students to dictionaries, but let’s face facts - those may become obsolete one day and we are teaching 21st century learners who we should be preparing for the future!
But knowledge is power! So I do teach dictionary skills using old school texts and new school internet!
Sometimes I put a visual next to the vocabulary word on our chart for a memory tool!
We get to revisit the word in the context of our reading for the day’s lesson.
During discussion, students answer open-ended questions using the vocabulary words.
If you have purchased any of my novel studies or short story comprehension tri-folds, I have done all of this for you! And if you haven’t purchased any of THESE, check them out HERE.
The vocabulary words are compiled into lists for the texts. These lists provide us with different activities that allow students to interact with the words. I might ask students to read the lists and use the words in sentences, write meaningful sentences for the words, OR…
Choose one of the words to be your WORD OF THE WEEK!
Dissect this word! Define the word, discuss synonyms and antonyms, find it in text, hear it in media, etc. Make it the word that students know inside and out! Get your students saying the word (the more often, we say it, it embeds in our vocabulary)! And use it for transitions! Keep your students on their toes. When they hear your say the word of the week, this is their signal to transition!
Have students CREATE Google Slides or posters where images and visuals represent meaning! Ask students to write a meaningful sentence for a vocabulary word AND find an image or visual that represents the word’s definition! For example, if the word is generous, a student might write… “Oprah is generous because she gave away gifts on her show” and this student might pair this sentence with a picture of Oprah giving away gifts.
Choose one of the words to be your WORD OF THE WEEK!
Dissect this word! Define the word, discuss synonyms and antonyms, find it in text, hear it in media, etc. Make it the word that students know inside and out! Get your students saying the word (the more often, we say it, it embeds in our vocabulary)! And use it for transitions! Keep your students on their toes. When they hear your say the word of the week, this is their signal to transition!
Have students CREATE Google Slides or posters where images and visuals represent meaning! Ask students to write a meaningful sentence for a vocabulary word AND find an image or visual that represents the word’s definition! For example, if the word is generous, a student might write… “Oprah is generous because she gave away gifts on her show” and this student might pair this sentence with a picture of Oprah giving away gifts.
Some students may find it easier to find an image of the word first, and then, generate a meaningful sentence based on the image.
Research shows that students need an average of 7 to 20 exposures to a word to know the word/concept. The number of exposures differs depending on the student’s language skills. Therefore, we need to keep teaching these words to move them into a student’s longterm memory. |
To do this, we use implement my second approach to teaching vocabulary which also combines the two types of vocabulary instruction. These 7 step processes for teaching vocabulary have been adapted from the work of Margarita Calderón (2011) and Isabel Beck, Margaret Mckeown, and Linda Kucan (2002).
1. Teacher says the word. Students repeat 3 times.
2. Teacher states the word in context from the text.
3. Teacher provides the dictionary definition(s).
4. Teacher explains the meaning using student-friendly definitions.
5. Teacher highlights features of the word: polysemous, cognate, tense, prefixes, etc.
6. Teacher engages students in oral interaction to develop word/concept knowledge. Students paired for maximum participation. (Timed 1 min student interaction.)
7. Teacher reminds and explains to students of how new words will be used. There is NO writing by students at this time.
Here is a variation:
1. Directly Teach It and Show It
2. Students Restate It and Act It
3. Students Picture It/ Draw It
4. Students and Teacher Use It
5. Students Discuss It
6. Students Review It
7. Teacher Monitors It and Utilizes Word Walls
Incorporating effective vocabulary instruction into daily lessons is a fundamental step toward improving students' communication skills and comprehension. By harnessing the power of direct instruction and word learning strategies, we can empower our students to become proficient communicators and avid readers.
Remember, in the journey to expand students' vocabulary, your guidance and dedication play a vital role. Together, let's equip our students with the transformative tool of words, opening doors to a future where their voices resonate with clarity and confidence.
Exposure is key so keep teaching and using those words!
Happy & Healthy Teaching!
Miss Rae
References:
Beck, Isabel & Mckeown, Margaret & Kucan, Linda. (2002). Bringing Words to Life: Robust Vocabulary Instruction. Get it HERE!
Calderón, Margarita. (2011). Teaching Reading & Comprehension to English Learners K‐5. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press. Grab it HERE!
*This site contains product affiliate links. We may receive a commission if you make a purchase after clicking on one of these links.
1. Teacher says the word. Students repeat 3 times.
2. Teacher states the word in context from the text.
3. Teacher provides the dictionary definition(s).
4. Teacher explains the meaning using student-friendly definitions.
5. Teacher highlights features of the word: polysemous, cognate, tense, prefixes, etc.
6. Teacher engages students in oral interaction to develop word/concept knowledge. Students paired for maximum participation. (Timed 1 min student interaction.)
7. Teacher reminds and explains to students of how new words will be used. There is NO writing by students at this time.
Here is a variation:
1. Directly Teach It and Show It
2. Students Restate It and Act It
3. Students Picture It/ Draw It
4. Students and Teacher Use It
5. Students Discuss It
6. Students Review It
7. Teacher Monitors It and Utilizes Word Walls
Incorporating effective vocabulary instruction into daily lessons is a fundamental step toward improving students' communication skills and comprehension. By harnessing the power of direct instruction and word learning strategies, we can empower our students to become proficient communicators and avid readers.
Remember, in the journey to expand students' vocabulary, your guidance and dedication play a vital role. Together, let's equip our students with the transformative tool of words, opening doors to a future where their voices resonate with clarity and confidence.
Exposure is key so keep teaching and using those words!
Happy & Healthy Teaching!
Miss Rae
References:
Beck, Isabel & Mckeown, Margaret & Kucan, Linda. (2002). Bringing Words to Life: Robust Vocabulary Instruction. Get it HERE!
Calderón, Margarita. (2011). Teaching Reading & Comprehension to English Learners K‐5. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press. Grab it HERE!
*This site contains product affiliate links. We may receive a commission if you make a purchase after clicking on one of these links.
Click HERE to get Miss Rae’s Room’s Vocabulary Instruction Planner! |