Vocabulary Essentials

Barb Rowenhorst, SD Reads

Vocabulary knowledge is the single most important factor contributing to reading comprehension.
Laflamme, 1997

One way students develop vocabulary is indirectly through reading, listening, and speaking.
A students background knowledge and prior experiences play a large role in vocabulary
development. As students build connections between known words and unknown words, they
develop a deeper understanding of their reading. Thus, the more experiences children have
with reading or being read to before they enter school, the more background knowledge they
have to support the understanding of their reading.
Marzano lists eight research-based guidelines for teachers implementing direct
vocabulary instruction in his books Building Background Knowledge and Building Academic
Vocabulary: Teachers Manual.
1. Effective vocabulary instruction does not rely on definitions alone. Words should be written in a
conversational manner rather than in the more formal dictionary format. If prior exposures to or
experiences with a word are lacking, teachers can build the background knowledge through field
trips, videos, guest speakers, stories, or current events.
2. Students must represent their knowledge of words in linguistic and/or nonlinguistic ways. Students
can draw a picture, create a symbol, or dramatize the word.
3. Effective vocabulary instruction involves the gradual shaping of word meanings through multiple
exposures. These include comparing and contrasting, classifying, and creating metaphors and
analogies.
4. Teaching word parts (prefixes, root words, suffixes) enhances student understanding of the word.
5. Different types of words require different types of instruction.
6. Students should discuss the terms they are learning through cooperative learning activities.
7. Students should play with words using challenging and engaging vocabulary games.
8. Instruction should focus on terms that have a high probability of enhancing academic success.
Level 1 words are concrete and easy to identify with little or no instruction. Level 2 words
appear in text so infrequently that the possibility of learning them in context is slim. Level 3
words are specific to a particular content area. Marzano recommends teaching words in
Level 3 (content-related words) rather than those that are seldom encountered during reading.
Students must use a word between six and fourteen times before they are capable of using it
independently (Billmeyer, 2001), so they need multiple opportunities to interact with words.

Why Is Reading Important?

From time to time people have wondered why reading is important. There seems so many other things to do with
one's time. Reading is important for a variety of reasons. We will look at some of those fundamental reasons
below, but it is important to realize that struggling with vital reading skills in not a sign a low intelligence. For
example, John Corcoran, who wrote The Teacher Who Couldn't Read, is a very intelligent man. He graduated
from High School and College, became a popular High School teacher and later a successful business man all
without being able to read. Many highly intelligent people have struggled with reading although, when properly
taught, most people can learn to read easily and quickly.
Now, if a man like John Corcoran can succeed without reading, why is reading important? A person should really
read Mr. Corcoran's story to get the feeling of shame, loneliness and fear that he experienced before he learned

to read. He was able to succeed in spite of this major handicap because he was a man of intelligence, ability and
determination. But, make no mistake, it was a handicap that made life harder and less enjoyable.

Why Is Reading Important?

1. Reading is fundamental to function in today's society. There are many adults who cannot read well enough to
understand the instructions on a medicine bottle. That is a scary thought - especially for their children. Filling out
applications becomes impossible without help. Reading road or warning signs is difficult. Even following a map
becomes a chore. Day-to-day activities that many people take for granted become a source of frustration, anger
and fear.
2. Reading is a vital skill in finding a good job. Many well-paying jobs require reading as a part of job performance.
There are reports and memos which must be read and responded to. Poor reading skills increases the amount of
time it takes to absorb and react in the workplace. A person is limited in what they can accomplish without good
reading and comprehension skills.
3. Reading is important because it develops the mind. The mind is a muscle. It needs exercise. Understanding
the written word is one way the mind grows in its ability. Teaching young children to read helps them develop their
language skills. It also helps them learn to listen. Everybody wants to talk, but few can really listen. Lack of
listening skills can result in major misunderstandings which can lead to job loss, marriage breakup, and other
disasters - small and great. Reading helps children [and adults] focus on what someone else is communicating.
4. Why is reading important? It is how we discover new things. Books, magazines and even the Internet are
great learning tools which require the ability to read and understand what is read. A person who knows how to
read can educate themselves in any area of life they are interested in. We live in an age where we overflow with
information, but reading is the main way to take advantage of it.
5. Reading develops the imagination. TV and computer games have their place, but they are more like
amusement. Amusement comes from two words "a" [non] and "muse" [think]. Amusement is non-thinking
activities. With reading, a person can go anywhere in the world...or even out of it! They can be a king, or an
adventurer, or a princess, or... The possibilities are endless. Non-readers never experience these joys to the same
extent.
6. In line with the above, reading develops the creative side of people. When reading to children, stop every once
in awhile and ask them what they think is going to happen next. Get them thinking about the story. When it is
finished, ask if they could think of a better ending or anything that would have improved it. If they really liked the
story, encourage them to illustrate it with their own drawings or to make up a different story with the same
characters. Get the creative juices flowing!
7. Reading is fundamental in developing a good self image. Nonreaders or poor readers often have low opinions
of themselves and their abilities. Many times they feel as if the world is against them. They feel isolated
[everybody else can read - which isn't true] and behavior problems can surface. They can perform poorly in other
subjects because they cannot read and understand the material and so tend to "give up."
8. Why is reading important? Let's keep going... Good reading skills, especially in a phonics reading program,
improve spelling. As students learn to sound out letters and words, spelling comes easier. Also, reading helps to
expand the vocabulary. Reading new words puts them in their mind for later use. Seeing how words are used in
different contexts can give a better understanding of the word usage and definitions than the cold facts of a
dictionary.
9. There is an old saying, "The pen is mightier than the sword." Ideas written down have changed the destiny of
men and nations for better or worse. The flow of ideas cannot be stopped. We need to read and research to build
on the good ideas and expose the bad ideas before they bring destruction. Only by reading can we be armed in
this never-ending, life-and-death struggle.
10. The fact of the power of written ideas communicated through reading is a foundational reason why some
governments oppose free and honest communication. Illiterate people are easier to control and manipulate. They
cannot do their own research and thinking. They must rely on what they are told and how their emotions are

swayed. There is a good possibility that this is one of the main reasons phonics was removed from the schools
about 100 years ago.
11. Finally, why is reading important? Reading is important because words - spoken and written - are the
building blocks of life. You are, right now, the result of words that you have heard or read AND believed about
yourself. What you become in the future will depend on the words you believe about yourself now. People,
families, relationships, and even nations are built from words. Think about it.
According to Jonathan Kozol in "Illiterate America," quoted in "The Teacher Who Couldn't Read,'" the three main
reasons people give for wanting to read are:
1. To read the Bible,
2. To read books and newspapers, and
3. To help their children.

Reading Strategy For Your Entertainment

If you are developing a reading strategy for your own entertainment consider the following:
1. Make some time just for you. Turn off the TV. Relax. Get your favourite beverage and a comfortable chair. Turn
off the phone! Very few things are so important that they can't wait. C.S. Lewis said something to the effect that he
never found a book long enough or a cup tea large enough for his satisfaction. I read of a book publisher who had
just gotten a manuscript from one of his favourite authors. He had his secretary hold all his calls. When he got to
the final chapters he had her put all his calls through so he could prolong the pleasure of reading. It is also nice
when nature cooperates in setting a mood: Nothing is better than a hot cup of tea, a thunderstorm, and a good
Agatha Christie!
2. Time is always an issue. Carry a good book with you wherever you go. Waiting for doctors, kids after school, or
a hundred other places where delays - expected and unexpected - happen can be entertaining times instead of
frustrating times.

Reading Strategy For Information

If you are developing a reading plan for your own information, for High School learning, or for work consider the
following:
1. Start by skimming through the article or section of the book. In some cases, you may want to skim through the
entire book. Skimming allows you to get an overall picture of the information in the book. If that's all you need, you
can stop there. If you need more detail, then go back and read the sections you need - even if it is the whole book
- in detail.
2. If you own the book, then highlighting key sentences and facts is important. It helps you to focus and remember
those details. It also makes it easier to find facts that you need when you need them later. Nothing is worse than
wanting a quote or fact in a 500 page book and not remembering where it was! Highlighting makes it easy to
quickly scan the pages for the information you are looking for.
For highlighting to be effective, you have to be selective. If you highlight everything, then it becomes useless. Pick
out the really important statements, interesting facts, or items you know you will want to use later. If you can
eliminate several words from the sentence and still have the sentence make sense, go ahead and only highlight
the core sentence.
Highlighting [or underlining, although highlighting is better] forces the mind is concentrate on what it is reading.
The mind is a marvel. It is amazing how many things it can do, and a wandering mind can be a problem when you
are trying to absorb information. Highlighting helps the mind focus. Your comprehension of the material will also
increase with this added effort.

3. If the margins are wide [and you own the book], don't be afraid to jot down notes on the side. If you don't own
the book, or if you are making extensive notes, then have a notebook handy to record your thoughts. It is always
better to record them right away rather than wait to later. Use just as much detail as you need to remind yourself
of your ideas.
4. When you need to remember something, a good reading strategy is to read out loud if you are in a place where
you can. Hearing what you are reading gets your mind going on another level, increases your involvement with
the material, and you will likely remember it better.
5. Be curious. Ask questions. Do you agree or disagree with the author? Is there information you would like to
know that wasn't included? Why did he say it in that way? The more you involve your mind, the more you will
remember.
6. Be sure to consider the context of what is being said. It is unfair to quote an author out of context. Failure to pay
attention to this reading strategy has caused a lot of harm and misunderstanding. Depending on the type of book
you are reading, it may also be important to consider the author's style and voice. Is he being serious or ironic?
The same sentence can have totally different meanings depending on context and voice! Pay attention.
7. Finally, don't be afraid to use glossaries and dictionaries for any words you don't know. Don't guess. The extra
time you invest will be rewarded by a richer understanding of your topic.

Seven Strategies to Teach Students Text

Comprehension
By: C.R. Adler

Comprehension strategies are conscious plans sets of steps that good readers use to make sense of
text. Comprehension strategy instruction helps students become purposeful, active readers who are in
control of their own reading comprehension. These seven strategies have research-based evidence for
improving text comprehension.

1. Monitoring comprehension
Students who are good at monitoring their comprehension know when they understand what they read
and when they do not. They have strategies to "fix" problems in their understanding as the problems
arise. Research shows that instruction, even in the early grades, can help students become better at
monitoring their comprehension.
Comprehension monitoring instruction teaches students to:

Be aware of what they do understand

Identify what they do not understand

Use appropriate strategies to resolve problems in comprehension

2. Metacognition
Metacognition can be defined as "thinking about thinking." Good readers use metacognitive strategies to
think about and have control over their reading. Before reading, they might clarify their purpose for
reading and preview the text. During reading, they might monitor their understanding, adjusting their
reading speed to fit the difficulty of the text and "fixing" any comprehension problems they have. After
reading, they check their understanding of what they read.
Students may use several comprehension monitoring strategies:

Identify where the difficulty occurs

"I don't understand the second paragraph on page 76."

Identify what the difficulty is

"I don't get what the author means when she says, 'Arriving in America was a milestone in my
grandmother's life.'"

Restate the difficult sentence or passage in their own words

"Oh, so the author means that coming to America was a very important event in her
grandmother's life."

Look back through the text

"The author talked about Mr. McBride in Chapter 2, but I don't remember much about him.
Maybe if I reread that chapter, I can figure out why he's acting this way now."

Look forward in the text for information that might help them to resolve the difficulty
"The text says, 'The groundwater may form a stream or pond or create a wetland. People can also
bring groundwater to the surface.' Hmm, I don't understand how people can do that Oh, the
next section is called 'Wells.' I'll read this section to see if it tells how they do it."

3. Graphic and semantic organizers

Graphic organizers illustrate concepts and relationships between concepts in a text or using diagrams.
Graphic organizers are known by different names, such as maps, webs, graphs, charts, frames, or
clusters.

Regardless of the label, graphic organizers can help readers focus on concepts and how they are related
to other concepts. Graphic organizers help students read and understand textbooks and picture books.
Graphic organizers can:

Help students focus on text structure "differences between fiction and nonfiction" as they read

Provide students with tools they can use to examine and show relationships in a text

Help students write well-organized summaries of a text

Here are some examples of graphic organizers:

Venn-Diagrams (29K PDF)*

Used to compare or contrast information from two sources. For example, comparing two Dr.
Seuss books.

Storyboard/Chain of Events (29K PDF)*

Used to order or sequence events within a text. For example, listing the steps for brushing your
teeth.

Story Map (19K PDF)*

Used to chart the story structure. These can be organized into fiction and nonfiction text
structures. For example, defining characters, setting, events, problem, resolution in a fiction
story; however in a nonfiction story, main idea and details would be identified.

Cause/Effect (13K PDF)*

Used to illustrate the cause and effects told within a text. For example, staying in the sun too
long may lead to a painful sunburn.

>Find more free graphic organizers.

4. Answering questions
Questions can be effective because they:

Give students a purpose for reading

Focus students' attention on what they are to learn

Help students to think actively as they read

Encourage students to monitor their comprehension

Help students to review content and relate what they have learned to what they already know

The Question-Answer Relationship strategy (QAR) encourages students to learn how to answer
questions better. Students are asked to indicate whether the information they used to answer questions
about the text was textually explicit information (information that was directly stated in the text),
textually implicit information (information that was implied in the text), or information entirely from the
student's own background knowledge.
There are four different types of questions:

"Right There"
Questions found right in the text that ask students to find the one right answer located in one
place as a word or a sentence in the passage.
Example: Who is Frog's friend? Answer: Toad

"Think and Search"

Questions based on the recall of facts that can be found directly in the text. Answers are typically
found in more than one place, thus requiring students to "think" and "search" through the passage
to find the answer.
Example: Why was Frog sad? Answer: His friend was leaving.

"Author and You"

Questions require students to use what they already know, with what they have learned from
reading the text. Student's must understand the text and relate it to their prior knowledge before
answering the question.
Example: How do think Frog felt when he found Toad? Answer: I think that Frog felt happy
because he had not seen Toad in a long time. I feel happy when I get to see my friend who lives
far away.

"On Your Own"

Questions are answered based on a students prior knowledge and experiences. Reading the text
may not be helpful to them when answering this type of question.
Example: How would you feel if your best friend moved away? Answer: I would feel very sad if
my best friend moved away because I would miss her.

5. Generating questions
By generating questions, students become aware of whether they can answer the questions and if they
understand what they are reading. Students learn to ask themselves questions that require them to

combine information from different segments of text. For example, students can be taught to ask main
idea questions that relate to important information in a text.

6. Recognizing story structure

In story structure instruction, students learn to identify the categories of content (characters, setting,
events, problem, resolution). Often, students learn to recognize story structure through the use of story
maps. Instruction in story structure improves students' comprehension.

7. Summarizing
Summarizing requires students to determine what is important in what they are reading and to put it into
their own words. Instruction in summarizing helps students:

Identify or generate main ideas

Connect the main or central ideas

Eliminate unnecessary information

Remember what they read

Effective comprehension strategy instruction is explicit

Research shows that explicit teaching techniques are particularly effective for comprehension strategy
instruction. In explicit instruction, teachers tell readers why and when they should use strategies, what
strategies to use, and how to apply them. The steps of explicit instruction typically include direct
explanation, teacher modeling ("thinking aloud"), guided practice, and application.

Direct explanation
The teacher explains to students why the strategy helps comprehension and when to apply the
strategy.

Modeling
The teacher models, or demonstrates, how to apply the strategy, usually by "thinking aloud"
while reading the text that the students are using.

Guided practice
The teacher guides and assists students as they learn how and when to apply the strategy.

Application
The teacher helps students practice the strategy until they can apply it independently.

Effective comprehension strategy instruction can be accomplished through cooperative learning, which
involves students working together as partners or in small groups on clearly defined tasks. Cooperative
learning instruction has been used successfully to teach comprehension strategies. Students work
together to understand texts, helping each other learn and apply comprehension strategies. Teachers help
students learn to work in groups. Teachers also provide modeling of the comprehension strategies.