Vocabulary

“That there are far more words to be learned that we can possibly teach is not an argument that we should not teach any of them.” (Beck, McKeown, & Omanson, 1987)

          …. But it is an argument for teaching the skill of figuring out unknown words by using context clues, breaking words into smaller pieces, and recognizing roots in newly encountered words, as opposed to rote memorization. At my advanced age, I still read words everyday that I don’t know and can’t really explain, but I can get enough of an idea about the word to understand what’s going on in a written piece.

          This is a gift we should be giving our students. In this month’s edition of “The Nerd”, we will provide you with ideas and activities for teaching vocabulary skills to kids, but one of the most important things you can do for them is model your own thought process for students as you figure out what an unfamiliar word means by using context clues (what comes before or after the word) or isolating smaller pieces of the word (prefixes, roots, suffixes).  When they see you trying to puzzle it out, they are given the strategies for figuring those words out themselves.

          But aside from modeling your own thinking, follow the link below for a printable poster with examples of how to use context to figure out what a word means. The “Zoom In, Zoom Out” power point link below is a fun way to talk about “inside/outside strategies” with kids that will get them started on the right track as they encounter increasingly difficult vocabulary throughout high school and into their adult lives.

Here are just a few strategies, please contact us if there is something specific you are looking for.