Why Vocabulary?

Why vocabulary? Why should researchers invest time and effort into learning what dictates best practices for this concept? Well, because vocabulary matters! It matters to students when they need to comprehend what they read. Researchers have found that vocabulary knowledge is closely tied to reading comprehension (Sparapani, et. al 2018) It matters to students that come from homes of poverty. It matters to students who are trying to learn more about what interests them. And yes, it matters when these same students take standardized tests at the end of the school year because they are being assessed over those skills. 

In this post, you will find answers to four questions regarding research behind learning vocabulary and its relation to students. 

1. What is the importance of vocabulary knowledge for students? We need to think about the difference among vocabulary dimensions. Vocabulary Breadth and depth both contribute to student comprehension of text (Sparapani et. al, 2018).

https://www.slideshare.net/flordeparamo/about-vocabulary-learning 

Word exposure (breadth) is important. Depth of vocabulary knowledge matters too. “Depth of knowledge refers to a focus on the quality of word knowledge, with instructional efforts focused on building more extensive word knowledge for a relatively smaller pool of words. (McKeown & Beck, 2014)” (Dickinson et. al, 2019). When students learn vocabulary words through morphology, they are able to apply that knowledge to new words they discover when reading.

2. What are best practices for teaching vocabulary skills to students? 

Dr. Mary E. Curtis describes best practices:

https://youtu.be/OetbzrP2QUU 

Explicit vocabulary instruction, where the word and its meaning are introduced in student friendly language (Sparapani et. al, 2018) is a best practice that many teachers are familiar with as it is found in many different reading curriculum materials. However, follow-up activities are equally necessary as explicit instruction. Providing time for student discussion and actively using the words is another way to address vocabulary learning. When students explain their thinking of what words mean to them, they are able to develop conceptual representations and participate in discourse with their peers their learning is extended. Words should also be used across different contexts including multimedia, meaning videos and traditional books. (Silverman et. al, 2017). It’s important to teach Tier 2 Academic Words that cut across the different disciplines.

3. How does vocabulary affect students from homes of poverty?
   When students begin their school experience, vocabulary knowledge is very different among students. Studies have indicated that, “...socioeconomic and educational status of the family is associated with vocabulary development (NICHD Early Child Care Research Network, 2002; Weisman & Snow, 2001) (Carlisle, et. al, 2013). With those students from higher poverty backgrounds there are larger vocabulary knowledge gaps to fill in. This affects their reading comprehension as well. In the primary grades it is important for teachers to provide proper support for students to build word knowledge through explicit teaching and follow up activities. Here are some more tips for what teachers can do for under-resourced children.

4. What effect can vocabulary learning have on assessments? 

Unfortunately, standardized tests students take at the end of the year measure breadth of knowledge through multiple choice questions (Dougherty Stahl, K.A et. al, 2010). These tests are extremely subjective. If teachers have taught specific words associated with reading passages and not revisited words periodically it’s likely that this knowledge won’t transfer when students have to take these assessments. If teachers can focus on morphology and Tier 2 (academic) words, students will have a better chance of success on these assessments. Educators need to remember the ultimate goal of vocabulary learning: students being able to use words, rather than recalling definitions. 

In conclusion, research supports explicit vocabulary instruction with follow-up and extension activities. All learners benefit from multiple exposure and opportunities to use words in a variety of contexts. Educators need to implement best practices in vocabulary in order to aid students reading comprehension. Disciplinary vocabulary is another aspect that teachers need to consider when planning for students. More about this topic will be explored in the next post.

References

Carlisle, J. F., Kelcey, B., & Berebitsky, D. (2013). Teachers’ Support of Students’ Vocabulary Learning During Literacy Instruction in High Poverty Elementary Schools. American Educational Research Journal, 50(6), 1360–1391. 

Dickinson, D. K., Nesbitt, K. T., Collins, M. F., Hadley, E. B., Newman, K., Rivera, B. L., Ilgez, H., Nicolopoulou, A., Golinkoff, R. M., & Hirsh-Pasek, K. (2019). Teaching for breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge: Learning from explicit and implicit instruction and the storybook texts. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 47, 341–356. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2018.07.012

Dougherty Stahl, K.A., & Bravo, M.A.  (2010) Contemporary Classroom Vocabulary Assessment for Content Areas. The Reading Teacher, 63 (7), 566–578. doi: 10.1598/RT.63.7.4

            Sparapani, N., Carlisle, J., & Connor, C. (2018). Observations of Vocabulary Activities during                                 Second- and Third-Grade Reading Lessons. Education Sciences, 8(4), 198.