Why should I spend time on Vocabulary?

There is no question that vocabulary instruction is an important component in a quality balanced literacy block. Word knowledge is important and the backbone of reading comprehension.  Beck, McKeown, & Kucan estimate that better readers may learn as many as seven new words a day, while struggling readers and low achievers learn one or two new words per day. Conversely, students who do not know the meanings of a sufficient proportion of the words in a text struggle with comprehension. Multiple studies over the years have linked student comprehension with word knowledge. Students depend on a base of vocabulary to comprehend increasingly difficult materials. As students climb through the grades, content-area vocabulary becomes important for acquiring new knowledge and understanding difficult concepts (Taylor, 2013). 

Teaching vocabulary will not guarantee success in reading, just as learning to read words will not guarantee success in reading. However, lacking either adequate word identification skills or adequate vocabulary will ensure failure (Marzano, 2005). If students don't know the meaning of many of the words that they'll come across in a text, their comprehension of that selection is likely to be compromised. When the purpose of vocabulary instruction is to facilitate the comprehension of a selection, it is obvious that this instruction must take place as an introduction before the reading of the selection. As a rule, new words in narrative selections are not as critical to the overall understanding of the selection as are new words in informational selections. Before guiding students’ reading of a particular narrative, teachers should determine if there are any new words that represent concepts that are critical to understanding the selection and which are not adequately defined in context (Marzano, 2005). 

Vocabulary is learned through multiple exposures. We read a word and understand its context and meaning only through repeated exposures in different settings. There are many processes and stages developed by researchers and educators such as Robert Marzano and Deborah Pickerering. The common denominator in many of these processes is to give students the opportunity to deepen their understanding of these terms and to rely on other students to help them in this process. Whether you choose a 3, 5, or 6-step process for vocabulary, consider the terms you choose to ensure they have mileage and depth. Terms you choose for your readers should be words that are characteristic of mature language users and appear frequently across a variety of contexts; words that lend themselves to instruction and that can be worked with in a variety of ways so that students can build in-depth knowledge of them and their connections to other words and concepts; and words that provide precision and specificity in describing a concept for which the students already have a general understanding (Beck 2002). 

Strive to make vocabulary experiences engaging and fun. Allow students to experience these words with their peers and engage in conversations where they can grow in their understanding of these terms. Play games and help students create visuals that you display throughout your classroom. Whatever it is you do, make time for vocabulary!

Beck, I. L., McKeown, M. G., & Kucan, L. (2002). Bringing words to life: robust vocabulary instruction. New York: Guilford Press.

Beck, I. L., McKeown, M. G., & Kucan, L. (2008). Creating robust vocabulary: frequently asked questions and extended examples. New York: Guilford Press.

Marzano, R. J. (2005). Building academic vocabulary: teacher's manual. Alexandria, Va.: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Taylor, B. (2012). Vocabulary: Making it Meaningful. California; Kagan Publishing.