Vocabulary instruction has long been a tried and true
instructional practice for ESOL, Title, and Special Ed.Why?How do you feel it impacts learning? Respond to 1 other
I think that vocabulary instruction is a critical component needed to help with comprehension and other areas. As the book states, vocabulary knowledge is a strong predictor of reading comprehension. In my upper grades, and with my LD kids, we focus a lot of vocabulary development and usage. We use context clues to try to figure out meaning as well as teaching the words. I have found that "drops in the bucket" are fantastic and catching a glimpse of different skill sets needed to teach reading. Vocabulary instruction is a key component to the sheets and I feel helps student develop understanding and reading for deeper meaning. I
I’d never heard of ‘Drops in the Bucket,’ but Googled it after reading your post. I can definitely think of some students in my districts that this would be beneficial for in both reading and math. Do you use any of the kits they offer, or just the worksheets??? (In looking through their website, it seems like the sheets would be fine on their own.) Thanks for sharing your resource!
I agree that vocabulary instruction is a very critical component. Most students hate the weekly vocabulary tests and lessons but I do believe it helps them in many ways.
If students don’t understand the words that are used, they struggle to understand the passage. Frontloading the vocabulary helps students to go in with some advance learning. The book talks about students getting their list of vocabulary words to work on for the week. I remember doing that in high school. A list of 20 words each Monday. We were expected to write every definition for each word, write a sentence, and take a test each Friday. Repeat week after week. I don’t remember really learning any words doing this. I have some students who tell me they want to take the SAT. I’ve heard enough times that this is a vocabulary test that I give the student a list of words and definitions. This is the only time that I give a list of vocab words for the sake of learning them. Most times, as we read, we talk about the words they don’t know. We look them up and make up sentences for them. I feel like this helps students learn the words they need to know to understand the passage. I also feel like they are learning how to figure out the meaning of unknown words by using word structure, context, or a dictionary.
I love having students make up sentences! Sometimes they make the funniest sentences and they make perfect sense! Then they are able to better remember the words.
If students don't understand what they are reading then what's the point of reading? Vocabulary is an important surface literacy learning element of comprehension that is the building block for the higher levels of learning. Students will not be able to work through the deep literacy learning elements if they do not poccess basic understanding of the text. This goes back to the beginning of the chapter that talks about students acquiring surface level learning before going on the deeper levels of learning and how the second cannot occur without the first. Vocabulary increases comprehension allowing the students to be able to work through those deeper levels.
I have had students who read words beautifully but do not understand what they are reading. Then there are students who spend so much time on decoding that the meaning of the words are lost. Vocabulary is a delicate balance when reading that effects comprehension. Fortunately some words can be defined via context clues. This is where not only teaching vocabulary is important but also teaching vocabulary strategies.
I agree that vocabulary is a delicate balance. Sometimes students see large words and give up before they even try to figure them out with context clues or decoding. Students should also realize that learning new vocabulary is an on-going process. Even as an adult I still learn new words!
I have one of those students that reads beautifully out loud, but has no idea as to the content of the passage. It amazes me the phonetic skills are so well developed and comprehension is so lacking. I believe I have an easier time teaching vocabulary than comprehension.
As mentioned in the book, vocabulary knowledge is a strong predictor of reading comprehension. And I feel like this is kind of the ultimate end goal for reading instruction; that our students are able to effectively read and comprehend for the purpose of further learning and understanding. Because even if our students’ reading accuracy and fluency are perfect, it won’t be of any benefit to them unless they’re then able to draw meaning out of the words they’ve read.
Wonderfully said! I feel like too often we stress strong fluency (while this can be important for comprehension, it is not always necessary) understanding the words that you are reading are just as (if not) more important.
Absolutely!! I agree completely with you that reading comprehension is the ultimate goal for reading instruction. Accuracy and fluency are important; however, we have to be able to understand and make sense of what we are reading.
Words on the page are just words on the page if you have no idea what they mean. Or sometimes the students will get so hung up on a particular word that they miss an important concept in what they are reading. In high school I see this more and more with science words. I watch my students try their best to understand what the lecture is on but lets face it if they don’t have the vocabulary or the strategies to figure out that hard word, they are totally lost.
Since my students don’t like asking the teacher for help, we have to work extra hard to make sure that we know what is expected for the test. By the time we do have a good understanding of the new science words, the teacher usually has moved on (even with pre-teaching). Not to mention that since heterozygous does not come in regular adult conversation the students have no re-enforcement of the word outside of the science class. Making the vocabulary instruction more critical than ever.
It is difficult to effectively teach, reteach, and reenforce vocabulary at your level. In the middle school, I work hard to use grade level vocabulary that the students use in class and reteach for any confusion. I'm always amazed at the lack of vocabulary knowledge and the confidence of students in this area. Unless you are conscious of this and formally working to help the students in this area, it can seem to be a daunting task.
I have a little guy in kinder who scored way below grade level on the MAPS reading assessment at the beginning of the year. In January he tested again and I had him fake it with me so he could move around and talk. His score went up drastically mostly due to his vocabulary! If a child doesn't understand what the words mean they will never be able to figure out what a sentence is saying and will not be able to comprehend a story. It is SO important for our kids to learn new words and be able to use them. Often times kids will skip words they don't understand and that will cause them to either not comprehend at all or completely misunderstand. It is important that all students have a toolbox to figure out new words.
Vocabulary is a strong predicator of reading comprehension. I think it is important to understand the vocabulary in order to comprehend. For instance at my level it is what we think of as simple vocabulary such as positional words. If I tell a student the pencil is under the table and they have no idea what the word under or pencil is then how do we expect compliance. You have to teach the vocabulary in order for kids to understand what you want out of them and this moves over to reading comprehension. When they are reading they need to understand the vocabulary in order to comprehend the main point of the story. If the story is read to them and they don't understand the vocabulary then keeping their attention is hard and comprehension is very low. This is why pre teaching vocabulary and being able to understand what they mean so that when they come across the word they are able to understand what it means in their reading.
I agree, so many of our little ones with language concerns need to build that basic concept vocabulary so they will be able to follow the directions when they are in the classroom.
At the preschool level and early elementary levels, I believe it is more important to develop spoken vocabulary than reading vocabulary. Reading books to students and discussing the pictures is an excellent way to develop vocabulary and expose students to objects they don't see in their daily environments.
Often our kids lack experience and prior knowledge. We need strategies that allow them to be exposed to more. Talking to them and, as Jan pointed out, describing pictures in books to them are good ways to expose them to vocabulary they might not have heard at home. Having them use the new words and giving them opportunity to teach their new words to other children might be another. The more they use the words themselves, the better they will remember.
I would have to agree with several people on this post that vocabulary is essential to comprehension and without it comprehension is practically impossible. You can teach decoding and context clues, but even those are difficult. Taking the time to actually learn vocabulary is at the heart of education for ELL and SpEd students so that they may be on level (or as close to on level) as their peers. I personally feel it can be extremely effective with the right amount of buy in; if a student thinks it is a waste of time, however, they will not gain anything from the instruction.
A previous administrator told me students only needed to know how to look up information on the internet; we were discussing vocabulary at the time. I do not necessarily agree with her statement. Yes, it is important to be able to access information on the internet, but general understanding of a passage is greatly impacted by understanding and comprehending the words used. I know I don’t always look up unfamiliar words when reading, especially if I am in a hurry; I don’t expect that students are any different in this regard. Plus, being able to pronounce a word and know the meaning speeds up reading fluency.
I think that vocabulary instruction is important for students to help them with reading and writing. I know many students hate weekly vocabulary lessons and tests in their English classes but as an adult I can see that it helps them in many ways. I use it with the students that have English in my classroom. It assists them in reading and helps to expand and improve their writing vocabulary. I think this is the case for SPED and ESl classes, it helps them with expand their vocabulary for reading and writing purposes. It also helps kids with their everyday communication needs.
Dustin- I agree with you. I think it expands their reading and writing abilities. I also it helps to reading comprehension as well. Often times students do not read as they don't understand the vocabulary within the book. In my Early childhood experiences things that we assume kids should know, they truly don' know the vocabulary therefore asking a child to pick the pencil up under the chair they stand and look at you. I then realize they don't know what I mean by under or what a pencil is. I believe that vocabulary is built at the age I teach. In fact when we did PT conferences, one of the things that the teacher brought up was that this child does not know how to sort. To the parents they did not understand why because they do it at home. It then came to the vocabulary word sort. Even though the child heard this word in their math lesson, to do the task they did not understand what the word sort meant.
Vocabulary instruction is so important because it aides in comprehension of conversations and in our daily reading. With a little vocabulary it is difficult for students to understand what you are asking them to do or what they are reading about. At the kindergarten level we do level readers, but I also read books to them. Most of my students have not had a lot of exposures in their life on top of having a disability. Reading to them and talking about what is happening in the book increases their vocabulary and understanding of the world around them. Overall, it is vital to teach vocabulary to our students so that they have a better understanding of daily living tasks that they will face throughout life.
Vocabulary is the foundation for comprehension. Without knowledge of vocabulary, comprehension is impossible. On page 49 of the text, Biemiller (2005) describes this. "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." In other words, students with proper vocabulary skills may not necessarily succeed, but students without proper vocabulary skill will certainly fail. Teaching vocabulary is an essential piece to comprehension. Teachers must provide students with vocabulary instruction so that the student may have access to texts and comprehend materials presented in class. With proper vocabulary skills, students can be more independent in reading, writing and thinking. They will be able to comprehend texts and focus on learning concepts rather than deciphering the meaning of individual words. When a student is able to do this, they can be more responsible and independent in their learning.
I agree with many above that vocabulary is a strong predictor of reading comprehension, which is the end goal of reading. One of the things that caught my eye in this section, was the guideline for choosing vocabulary for direct instruction "If the word appears frequently, and presents opportunities to resolve word meaning using contextual or structural analysis, the word probably doesn't need direct instruction. If the word is essential, and yet cannot be resolved through frequent use, contextual analysis, or structural analysis, the word or phrases should be introduced through direct instruction." Instruction in these strategies is as important as the instruction in new words. These are the skills a student can apply to new words later when the teacher is not there.
Vocabulary is essential for understanding. The two most important factors of reading that will hopefully lead to comprehension are word recognition and vocabulary. Students need to be able to recognize what words they are reading and understand what those words mean in order to reach an understanding of what they have read. So I think it has a great impact on learning. It is essential for comprehension which in turn is essential for almost all learning.
As most all others have stated vocabulary is a strong predictor of reading comprehension. If one is unable to understand what he/she reads or to read for meaning there is little need or reason to read. When I am assessing students reading skills, one thing I always look for is self correction of errors based on context. This lets me know a student is reading for meaning and not focusing on decoding alone.
Vocabulary or the lack of vocabulary may be one of the great dividers in our society. Some kids enter school from homes in which college level vocabulary is used, some from homes where parents speak to their children on a regular basis, and some from homes where parents explain the "why" of things. Other kids enter school from homes where they have never heard the English language spoken in our classrooms, aren't spoken to as often, and do not receive explanation of how things work. As has been pointed out, vocabulary is a strong predictor of reading comprehension. I would also contend that it is a strong predictor of early academic success. The ability to understand words, comprehend words, and use words to describe is a major component in IQ testing and one of the reasons IQ testing is culturally and socio economically biased. When we teach vocabulary and try to give students prior knowledge, we are helping to give them the skill to comprehend and we are leveling the playing field for them compared to their more affluent peers.
Vocabulary instruction is a critical part of reading instruction because if students do not understand the words that they are reading, they can not understand the entire passage. SpEd and ESL students struggle with this so much because a lot of vocabulary is content based and if students don't have any prior knowledge, it is like they are trying to learn Chinese. Taking the time to discuss, learn and use the vocabulary while reading is critical. In the end, we want our students to be able to understand what they are reading. By directly teaching vocabulary, we war making that possible.
Brandi Gibson
ReplyDeleteI think that vocabulary instruction is a critical component needed to help with comprehension and other areas. As the book states, vocabulary knowledge is a strong predictor of reading comprehension. In my upper grades, and with my LD kids, we focus a lot of vocabulary development and usage. We use context clues to try to figure out meaning as well as teaching the words. I have found that "drops in the bucket" are fantastic and catching a glimpse of different skill sets needed to teach reading. Vocabulary instruction is a key component to the sheets and I feel helps student develop understanding and reading for deeper meaning. I
I've used Drops in the Bucket for Math. I'm not familiar with the reading worksheets. I'll have to look for them. Great idea!
DeleteBrandi-
DeleteI’d never heard of ‘Drops in the Bucket,’ but Googled it after reading your post. I can definitely think of some students in my districts that this would be beneficial for in both reading and math. Do you use any of the kits they offer, or just the worksheets??? (In looking through their website, it seems like the sheets would be fine on their own.) Thanks for sharing your resource!
I agree that vocabulary instruction is a very critical component. Most students hate the weekly vocabulary tests and lessons but I do believe it helps them in many ways.
DeleteIf students don’t understand the words that are used, they struggle to understand the passage. Frontloading the vocabulary helps students to go in with some advance learning. The book talks about students getting their list of vocabulary words to work on for the week. I remember doing that in high school. A list of 20 words each Monday. We were expected to write every definition for each word, write a sentence, and take a test each Friday. Repeat week after week. I don’t remember really learning any words doing this.
ReplyDeleteI have some students who tell me they want to take the SAT. I’ve heard enough times that this is a vocabulary test that I give the student a list of words and definitions. This is the only time that I give a list of vocab words for the sake of learning them. Most times, as we read, we talk about the words they don’t know. We look them up and make up sentences for them. I feel like this helps students learn the words they need to know to understand the passage. I also feel like they are learning how to figure out the meaning of unknown words by using word structure, context, or a dictionary.
I love having students make up sentences! Sometimes they make the funniest sentences and they make perfect sense! Then they are able to better remember the words.
DeleteI like that you implement vocabulary instruction into your existing lessons. I think that can be just as beneficial as making a formal list.
DeleteIf students don't understand what they are reading then what's the point of reading? Vocabulary is an important surface literacy learning element of comprehension that is the building block for the higher levels of learning. Students will not be able to work through the deep literacy learning elements if they do not poccess basic understanding of the text. This goes back to the beginning of the chapter that talks about students acquiring surface level learning before going on the deeper levels of learning and how the second cannot occur without the first. Vocabulary increases comprehension allowing the students to be able to work through those deeper levels.
ReplyDeleteI have had students who read words beautifully but do not understand what they are reading. Then there are students who spend so much time on decoding that the meaning of the words are lost. Vocabulary is a delicate balance when reading that effects comprehension. Fortunately some words can be defined via context clues. This is where not only teaching vocabulary is important but also teaching vocabulary strategies.
I agree that vocabulary is a delicate balance. Sometimes students see large words and give up before they even try to figure them out with context clues or decoding. Students should also realize that learning new vocabulary is an on-going process. Even as an adult I still learn new words!
DeleteI have one of those students that reads beautifully out loud, but has no idea as to the content of the passage. It amazes me the phonetic skills are so well developed and comprehension is so lacking. I believe I have an easier time teaching vocabulary than comprehension.
DeleteAs mentioned in the book, vocabulary knowledge is a strong predictor of reading comprehension. And I feel like this is kind of the ultimate end goal for reading instruction; that our students are able to effectively read and comprehend for the purpose of further learning and understanding. Because even if our students’ reading accuracy and fluency are perfect, it won’t be of any benefit to them unless they’re then able to draw meaning out of the words they’ve read.
ReplyDeleteWonderfully said! I feel like too often we stress strong fluency (while this can be important for comprehension, it is not always necessary) understanding the words that you are reading are just as (if not) more important.
DeleteAbsolutely!! I agree completely with you that reading comprehension is the ultimate goal for reading instruction. Accuracy and fluency are important; however, we have to be able to understand and make sense of what we are reading.
Delete
ReplyDeleteWords on the page are just words on the page if you have no idea what they mean. Or sometimes the students will get so hung up on a particular word that they miss an important concept in what they are reading. In high school I see this more and more with science words. I watch my students try their best to understand what the lecture is on but lets face it if they don’t have the vocabulary or the strategies to figure out that hard word, they are totally lost.
Since my students don’t like asking the teacher for help, we have to work extra hard to make sure that we know what is expected for the test. By the time we do have a good understanding of the new science words, the teacher usually has moved on (even with pre-teaching). Not to mention that since heterozygous does not come in regular adult conversation the students have no re-enforcement of the word outside of the science class. Making the vocabulary instruction more critical than ever.
It is difficult to effectively teach, reteach, and reenforce vocabulary at your level. In the middle school, I work hard to use grade level vocabulary that the students use in class and reteach for any confusion. I'm always amazed at the lack of vocabulary knowledge and the confidence of students in this area. Unless you are conscious of this and formally working to help the students in this area, it can seem to be a daunting task.
DeleteI have a little guy in kinder who scored way below grade level on the MAPS reading assessment at the beginning of the year. In January he tested again and I had him fake it with me so he could move around and talk. His score went up drastically mostly due to his vocabulary! If a child doesn't understand what the words mean they will never be able to figure out what a sentence is saying and will not be able to comprehend a story. It is SO important for our kids to learn new words and be able to use them. Often times kids will skip words they don't understand and that will cause them to either not comprehend at all or completely misunderstand. It is important that all students have a toolbox to figure out new words.
ReplyDeleteI agree that having a toolbox to help them understand words they don't know is very important.
DeleteVocabulary is a strong predicator of reading comprehension. I think it is important to understand the vocabulary in order to comprehend. For instance at my level it is what we think of as simple vocabulary such as positional words. If I tell a student the pencil is under the table and they have no idea what the word under or pencil is then how do we expect compliance. You have to teach the vocabulary in order for kids to understand what you want out of them and this moves over to reading comprehension. When they are reading they need to understand the vocabulary in order to comprehend the main point of the story. If the story is read to them and they don't understand the vocabulary then keeping their attention is hard and comprehension is very low. This is why pre teaching vocabulary and being able to understand what they mean so that when they come across the word they are able to understand what it means in their reading.
ReplyDeleteI agree, so many of our little ones with language concerns need to build that basic concept vocabulary so they will be able to follow the directions when they are in the classroom.
DeleteAt the preschool level and early elementary levels, I believe it is more important to develop spoken vocabulary than reading vocabulary. Reading books to students and discussing the pictures is an excellent way to develop vocabulary and expose students to objects they don't see in their daily environments.
DeleteOften our kids lack experience and prior knowledge. We need strategies that allow them to be exposed to more. Talking to them and, as Jan pointed out, describing pictures in books to them are good ways to expose them to vocabulary they might not have heard at home. Having them use the new words and giving them opportunity to teach their new words to other children might be another. The more they use the words themselves, the better they will remember.
DeleteI would have to agree with several people on this post that vocabulary is essential to comprehension and without it comprehension is practically impossible. You can teach decoding and context clues, but even those are difficult. Taking the time to actually learn vocabulary is at the heart of education for ELL and SpEd students so that they may be on level (or as close to on level) as their peers. I personally feel it can be extremely effective with the right amount of buy in; if a student thinks it is a waste of time, however, they will not gain anything from the instruction.
ReplyDeleteA previous administrator told me students only needed to know how to look up information on the internet; we were discussing vocabulary at the time. I do not necessarily agree with her statement. Yes, it is important to be able to access information on the internet, but general understanding of a passage is greatly impacted by understanding and comprehending the words used. I know I don’t always look up unfamiliar words when reading, especially if I am in a hurry; I don’t expect that students are any different in this regard. Plus, being able to pronounce a word and know the meaning speeds up reading fluency.
ReplyDeleteI think that vocabulary instruction is important for students to help them with reading and writing. I know many students hate weekly vocabulary lessons and tests in their English classes but as an adult I can see that it helps them in many ways. I use it with the students that have English in my classroom. It assists them in reading and helps to expand and improve their writing vocabulary. I think this is the case for SPED and ESl classes, it helps them with expand their vocabulary for reading and writing purposes. It also helps kids with their everyday communication needs.
ReplyDeleteDustin- I agree with you. I think it expands their reading and writing abilities. I also it helps to reading comprehension as well. Often times students do not read as they don't understand the vocabulary within the book. In my Early childhood experiences things that we assume kids should know, they truly don' know the vocabulary therefore asking a child to pick the pencil up under the chair they stand and look at you. I then realize they don't know what I mean by under or what a pencil is. I believe that vocabulary is built at the age I teach. In fact when we did PT conferences, one of the things that the teacher brought up was that this child does not know how to sort. To the parents they did not understand why because they do it at home. It then came to the vocabulary word sort. Even though the child heard this word in their math lesson, to do the task they did not understand what the word sort meant.
DeleteVocabulary instruction is so important because it aides in comprehension of conversations and in our daily reading. With a little vocabulary it is difficult for students to understand what you are asking them to do or what they are reading about. At the kindergarten level we do level readers, but I also read books to them. Most of my students have not had a lot of exposures in their life on top of having a disability. Reading to them and talking about what is happening in the book increases their vocabulary and understanding of the world around them. Overall, it is vital to teach vocabulary to our students so that they have a better understanding of daily living tasks that they will face throughout life.
ReplyDeleteVocabulary is the foundation for comprehension. Without knowledge of vocabulary, comprehension is impossible. On page 49 of the text, Biemiller (2005) describes this. "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." In other words, students with proper vocabulary skills may not necessarily succeed, but students without proper vocabulary skill will certainly fail. Teaching vocabulary is an essential piece to comprehension. Teachers must provide students with vocabulary instruction so that the student may have access to texts and comprehend materials presented in class. With proper vocabulary skills, students can be more independent in reading, writing and thinking. They will be able to comprehend texts and focus on learning concepts rather than deciphering the meaning of individual words. When a student is able to do this, they can be more responsible and independent in their learning.
ReplyDeleteI agree with many above that vocabulary is a strong predictor of reading comprehension, which is the end goal of reading. One of the things that caught my eye in this section, was the guideline for choosing vocabulary for direct instruction "If the word appears frequently, and presents opportunities to resolve word meaning using contextual or structural analysis, the word probably doesn't need direct instruction. If the word is essential, and yet cannot be resolved through frequent use, contextual analysis, or structural analysis, the word or phrases should be introduced through direct instruction." Instruction in these strategies is as important as the instruction in new words. These are the skills a student can apply to new words later when the teacher is not there.
ReplyDeleteVocabulary is essential for understanding. The two most important factors of reading that will hopefully lead to comprehension are word recognition and vocabulary. Students need to be able to recognize what words they are reading and understand what those words mean in order to reach an understanding of what they have read. So I think it has a great impact on learning. It is essential for comprehension which in turn is essential for almost all learning.
ReplyDeleteAs most all others have stated vocabulary is a strong predictor of reading comprehension. If one is unable to understand what he/she reads or to read for meaning there is little need or reason to read. When I am assessing students reading skills, one thing I always look for is self correction of errors based on context. This lets me know a student is reading for meaning and not focusing on decoding alone.
ReplyDeleteVocabulary or the lack of vocabulary may be one of the great dividers in our society. Some kids enter school from homes in which college level vocabulary is used, some from homes where parents speak to their children on a regular basis, and some from homes where parents explain the "why" of things. Other kids enter school from homes where they have never heard the English language spoken in our classrooms, aren't spoken to as often, and do not receive explanation of how things work. As has been pointed out, vocabulary is a strong predictor of reading comprehension. I would also contend that it is a strong predictor of early academic success. The ability to understand words, comprehend words, and use words to describe is a major component in IQ testing and one of the reasons IQ testing is culturally and socio economically biased. When we teach vocabulary and try to give students prior knowledge, we are helping to give them the skill to comprehend and we are leveling the playing field for them compared to their more affluent peers.
ReplyDeleteVocabulary instruction is a critical part of reading instruction because if students do not understand the words that they are reading, they can not understand the entire passage. SpEd and ESL students struggle with this so much because a lot of vocabulary is content based and if students don't have any prior knowledge, it is like they are trying to learn Chinese. Taking the time to discuss, learn and use the vocabulary while reading is critical. In the end, we want our students to be able to understand what they are reading. By directly teaching vocabulary, we war making that possible.
ReplyDelete