What
kinds of words are most important to teach?
Kind
of Word
|
Explanation
|
Examples
|
|
Tier One |
Basic words, well
known, often used |
clock, baby, happy |
|
Tier Two |
High frequency
words used by mature language users across several content areas |
coincidence, absurd,
hasty, perseverance |
|
Tier Three |
Low-frequency
words, often limited to specific content areas |
nucleus, osmosis,
archaeologist |
Criteria
for Identifying Possible Words (p. 26, 29)
·
How generally useful is the word? Is it
a word that students are likely to encounter in other texts? Will it be of use
to students in describing their own experiences?
·
How does the word relate to other
words, to ideas that students know or have been learning? Does it directly
relate to some topic of study in the classroom? Or might it add a dimension to
ideas that have been developed?
·
What does the word bring to a text or situation? What role does the word
play in communicating the meaning of the context in which it is used? What role
do the words play in relation to the mood and plot of the story?
Robust
Vocabulary Instruction
The
key features of robust vocabulary instruction are:
·
Selection of
Tier 2 words, words used by mature language users that students do not usually
include in their everyday conversation and writing
·
Introduction
of a set of 5-7 Tier 2 words each week with student-friendly definitions
·
Daily
activities that engage and support students in thinking about and using the
words in a variety of formats and contexts
·
Mid-week
assessments/speed rounds
·
End-of-week
assessment
·
Maintenance
activities
These
materials are based on:
Bringing Words
to Life: Robust Vocabulary Instruction (2002)
by Isabel L. Beck, Margaret G.
McKeown, and Linda Kucan,