VOCABULARY TEACHING

Creative ways to teach vocabulary

Here is the third extract from the latest British Council publication 'Creativity in the English
Language classroom' edited by Alan Maley and Nik Peachey. In this chapter, Judit Fehér gives tips
to teachers on how to integrate creativity into everyday classroom practice.
'In this chapter, I aim to give tips to teachers on doing just that: to integrate creativity into everyday
classroom practice and typical language learning activities and exercises. I will use a framework of
thinking that is used by many teachers around the world to think about and plan their lessons,
namely:
Working with the language system:

 Presenting and practising vocabulary.

 Presenting and practising grammar.
 Improving pronunciation.
Working with skills:

 Developing speaking.
 Developing writing.
 Developing listening and reading.
While sticking to this familiar framework, I would like to show that small changes introduced step-
by-step at different levels of teaching can gradually lead to a richer and more motivating, more
creative learning environment for the learners and a more fulfilling, more rewarding teaching
experience for the teachers.
With each typical classroom/course book activity discussed, I will use the following format:

 How is the activity normally done?

 What alternative do I suggest?
 How does the proposed change affect teacher and learner creativity?
 Adaptation, variation, extension. How can the idea be used in different ways?
Background to the activities
The activities in this chapter were designed with secondary and adult classes in mind and they are
informed by a variety of current approaches including learner-centredness, holistic learning,
Multiple Intelligences, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, humanistic teaching and task-based
learning.
Presenting and practising vocabulary
When teaching vocabulary, we normally aim to help our students to connect the form of a word
with its meaning so that they can get to the meaning if they come across the form (they see or hear
the word) and that they can come up with the form (say it or write it) when they have the meaning
in mind. When we present vocabulary, we provide the form, spoken and/or written, and give some
guide to the meaning through a context, images, objects, mime, sounds and verbal clues or by
creating a situation in which the meaning is clarified. This often calls for a lot of teacher creativity,
as they try to find ways to clarify meaning without using the mother tongue, but the students can do
some of this creative work.
From meanings to words
Students present meanings of words they don’t know in English.
Procedure:

 Give students an example of what we mean by different clues for the meaning of words. For
example, if your topic is travelling by train, choose the word ‘train’, give a simple definition,
imitate the movement and sound of a train and show students a simple drawing of a train.
 Ask groups of four to six students to write down in their mother tongue five words on your
topic that they do not know in English but they think would be useful to know, e.g. station,
ticket office, seat reservation, timetable, platform, written in students’ mother tongue.
 Ask groups to provide clues to the words they have chosen. They can use drama, mime,
sounds, drawings, gapped texts, paraphrasing – anything but the mother-tongue word.
 Ask groups to give their clues, one at a time. For example, students in a group pretend to be
trains while some students make sounds like a loudspeaker and they sing the tune you hear
before railway announcements in your country for the meaning of station.
 Ask if another group thinks they have a clue for the same meaning. If there is a group with
the same meaning, get them to give their clue, for example, “You can get on and off trains
here”, or they show a picture they drew. Check with the first group if it is the same meaning.
 Ask students if any of them knows the English word, and ask them to say the word. If not,
provide the word yourself. Get them to repeat the word and write it on the board.
 Continue like this, asking groups to repeat their clues from time to time and say the word, to
recap.
Variation:
If you have a specific list of words you need to teach, make a big poster/slide of the words in the
students’ mother tongue and ask groups to choose the five they want to learn the most.
This technique can be used with any topic which students have some experience with and
knowledge about.'
Extract from chapter 7, 'From everyday activities to creative tasks' by Judit Fehér in 'Creativity in
the English language classroom'.
Read more extracts:

 How to develop a more creative climate in your classroom

 Ideas for using the coursebook creatively
 A creative approach to language teaching. A way to recognise, encourage and appreciate
students' contributions to language classes
Teaching English Vocabulary
10 Fabulous Ways to Teach New Words
Considering the number of new words students have to learn per course, this means us teachers
have our work cut out for us. We all know that although it is important for students to use correct
grammar and structures, words are the main carriers of meaning. This means that the more words
students are able to handle accurately, the better their chances of understanding English and making
themselves understood.

To effectively acquire new vocabulary, students must go through four essential stages:

 first, they notice a new word with help;

 secondly, they recognize the word at first with help,
 then later on their own;
 and lastly, they are able to both recognize and produce the word.
It is essential that you, as the teacher, make use of activities that target each of these stages; more
often than not, we make the mistake of merely introducing new vocabulary, and we don’t give
students the opportunity to put these new words to use.

So, here are 10 great ways to teach English vocabulary,

outlined for each of the stages of vocabulary acquisition:

Stage 1: Noticing and understanding new words

Introducing nouns, things, objects, animals, etc…

Visual elements work best with concrete nouns, but try to go beyond flashcards and illustrations.
Try to use real objects whenever possible, or even sounds, smells, and tastes. Appeal to all of your
students’ senses!
Introducing adjectives
Opposites, like “big” and “small”, “long” and “short”, are usually illustrated with pictures, but
here’s another case where realia will help you teach new adjectives; the use of real life objects is
wonderful for words like “soft” and “rough”, adjectives that may take precious minutes of class
time to explain. For more advanced adjectives, like “stunning”, “gorgeous”, “spectacular”, “huge”,
or “immense”, bring in photos of famous sights from around the world like the Louvre, Egyptian
pyramids, the Eiffel Tower, etc…then use these new adjectives to describe these places in ways that
clearly illustrate their meaning.
Introducing abstracts
There are things you simply cannot teach with a flashcard. What works best in these cases are
synonyms, definitions, substitutions, or simply placing students within a given context. Consider
this simple example: To teach the difference between “early” and “late”, remind students what time
class begins, then state that those who arrive before this time are “early” while those that arrive after
this time are “late”.

Stage 2: Recognizing new words

Bingo
Bingo is one of the most versatile games employed by ESL teachers. For younger learners,
make bingo cards with illustrations, and call out each word. For those who can read, do the
opposite, make the cards with words, then draw the flashcards from a bag. For teens or adult
learners, you can make cards with the definition and call out the words, or vice versa.
Matching
Another type of exercise with countless possibilities. Students may be required to match
opposites, synonyms, or a word with its definition, as well as a picture to a word.
Fill in the blanks (with options)
Hand out a piece of written text (anything from a description, song, letter, to even a short
story) with blank spaces that must be filled in from a list of words. You can adapt this to longer
texts, and also have longer word lists.

Stage 3: Producing vocabulary

Descriptions
From a newspaper photo of a recent event to a personal account of a recent trip, there are countless
things students can describe while putting new vocabulary to good use. This goes for both oral and
written descriptions. You may give them some guidance, like indicating that they have to use at
least five adjectives in their description, or five words related to sports, weather, etc…to no
guidance at all.
 Fill in the blanks (no options)
Supply students with a piece of written text with blank spaces that have to be filled in with any
word that fits. You may give them indications for each space, like “noun”, “adjective” or “adverb”,
if they’re advanced students. You can then read several out loud to compare the different words
used to fill in each blank.
Mind maps or brainstorming
Tell students they need to think of words they can use to describe the weather. Write “weather” at
the center of a blackboard or whiteboard and circle it. Write every word supplied by students as
“rays” that shoot out this circle. They should reply with previously taught words, like “chilly”,
“scorching”, or “mild”. You may even have sub-circles shooting off to the side for winter, summer,
etc…words. This works great for vocabulary review lessons.
Guess what I'm thinking
Students take turns describing something, like a place: “I’m thinking of a place that is so huge
it takes visitors hours to see all of it. It has stunning works of art. It is a breathtaking building, very
old, but with a modern glass pyramid in the front.” Students choose to be as obvious or as cryptic as
they like. Even little ones can do this with simple descriptions: “It's an animal. It has a very long
neck and big brown spots.” Or simply state a series of words: “Africa, black and white, stripes”.
It’s better to teach vocabulary in context, in other words, teach highly descriptive adjectives when
the lesson is about travel. Or clothes and accessories when you’re talking about shopping. Never
teach a list of words just because, or students won’t have a chance to practice this new vocabulary.

On a final note, remember to cater to different learning styles

or multiple intelligences.
Use songs and music, real life objects, or puzzles, but the more you mix the better. Remember the
difference between recognizing and producing words: to practice recognition the words have to be
supplied by YOU; then students use them to fill in blanks or match them. For students to effectively
and accurately produce vocabulary, they have to spontaneously recall the words.
Doing It Differently: Tips for Teaching
Vocabulary
Tips for teaching vocabulary that include letting students select the words, putting away
dictionaries, and creating time for talk and play with new terms.
Every Monday my seventh grade English teacher would have us copy a list of 25 words she'd
written on the board. We'd then look up the dictionary definitions and copy those down. For
homework, we'd re-write each word seven times.
Good, now you know it. Test on Friday and never for those 25 words to be seen again. Poof. Old
school, yes. Mundane task, yes. Did it work? I don't remember. Probably not.
Copying definitions from the dictionary we would probably all agree is not an effective way to learn
vocabulary. Passive learning hardly ever is. It's just often the way we learned, and as teachers, we
sometimes fall back on using these ways when teaching rather than taking a good look at student
data, the latest research, and then trying something new.

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The truth is, and the research shows, students need multiple and various exposures to a word before
they fully understand that word and can apply it. They need also to learn words in context, not stand
alone lists that come and go each week. Of course the way we learn words in context, or implicitly,
is by reading, then reading some more. (This is why every classroom should have a killer classroom
library stocked full of high-interest, age appropriate books.)

Selecting Words
Ah, so many words, so little time. When choosing which words deserve special instructional time,
we don't have to do it alone. One of the biggest mistakes we teachers make in vocabulary
instruction is selecting all the words for the students and not giving them a say in the matter.
My first year teaching, before my tenth graders began reading Lord of the Flies, I went through
every chapter and made lists of all the vocabulary words I thought they'd have trouble with, so that I
could pre-teach them.
When I looked at those long lists, I began to freak out. How will I teach all these words, and still
have class time for all the other things we need to do? First off, rather than waste my time
compiling lists, I should have let the kids skim the text in chapter one and select their own words.
Then, here's what to do after the students pick their own words:

 Ask each child to create a chart where he/she writes down words of choice, and rates each
one as "know it," "sort of know it," or "don't know it at all."
 Then, on the same paper, have them write a definition or "my guess on meaning" for the
words they know and kind of know (No dictionaries!)
Before they turn in these pre-reading charts, be sure to emphasize this is not about "being right" but
that they are providing you with information to guide next steps in class vocabulary instruction.
Read through them all and use the results as a formative assessment. This data will show you which
words they know, those they have some understanding of, and those words that are completely
foreign to them.
The kids have selected and rated the words, and now it's your turn.

Ranking Words
When considering which words need the most instructional attention, let's turn to Isabel Beck's
practical way of categorizing vocabulary words into three tiers:
Tier One: Basic words that rarely require instructional focus (door, house, book).
Tier Two: Words that appear with high frequency, across a variety of domains, and are crucial
when using mature, academic language (coincidence, reluctant, analysis).
Tier Three: Frequency of these words is quite low and often limited to specific fields of study
(isotope, Reconstruction, Buddhism).
Beck suggests that students will benefit the most academically by focusing instruction on the tier
two words (since these appear with much higher frequency than tier three words, and are used
across domains). So, this is when you take a look at the pre-reading vocabulary charts your kids
created and choose "kind of" and "don't know at all" words that you deem to be tier two words. Go
ahead and select some content-specific words (tier three) but only those directly related to the
chapter, article, short story, or whatever you are about to read.
You now have a vocabulary list. It's time to teach.

Teaching Words
If you haven't heard of him, I'd like to introduce Robert Marzano. This guy is pretty amazing,
having spent countless hours observing students and teachers. An education researcher and teacher,
he stresses that in all content areas, direct vocabulary instruction is essential and suggests six steps:
Step one: The teacher explains a new word, going beyond reciting its definition (tap into prior
knowledge of students, use imagery).
Step two: Students restate or explain the new word in their own words (verbally and/or in writing).
Step three: Ask students to create a non-linguistic representation of the word (a picture, or symbolic
representation).
Step four: Students engage in activities to deepen their knowledge of the new word (compare words,
classify terms, write their own analogies and metaphors).
Step five: Students discuss the new word (pair-share, elbow partners).
Step six: Students periodically play games to review new vocabulary (Pyramid, Jeopardy,
Telephone).
Marzano's six steps do something revolutionary to vocabulary learning: They make it fun. Students
think about, talk about, apply, and play with new words. And Webster doesn't get a word in
edgewise.
The Rationale
At this point, you might be thinking that there just isn't enough time for all this pre-reading word
analysis, direct instruction of vocabulary, and game playing. (You have content to teach!) So, I'd
like end with a few quotes for you to consider:
Vocabulary is the best single indicator of intellectual ability and an accurate predictor of success at
school. -- W.B. Elley
Because each new word has to be studied and learned on its own, the larger your vocabulary
becomes, the easier it will be to connect a new word with words you already know, and thus
remember its meaning. So your learning speed, or pace, should increase as your vocabulary grows.
-- Johnson O'Connor
We think with words, therefore to improve thinking, teach vocabulary. -- A. Draper and G. Moeller

Resources
Books to help you focus and fine-tune your vocabulary instruction:
Bringing Words to Life by Isabel Beck
Vocabulary Games for the Classroom by Lindsey Carlton and Robert J. Marzano
Words, Words, Words by Janet Allen
Teaching Basic and Advanced Vocabulary: A Framework for Direct Instruction by Robert J.
Marzano
Websites that share effective and engaging vocabulary activities:
ReadWriteThink
Reading Rockets
PART 1-Strategies for Teaching Vocabulary:
The Books
Strategies for Teaching Vocabulary
Strategies for teaching vocabulary are a critical part of every teacher’s toolkit, yet searching for
them is a little bit of an Alice in Wonderland experience – down the rabbit hole you go.
Responding to a question I got in an email (shout out to blog post muse Allison Rothwell from
Douglas County School District in Colorado), I started to write a post about strategies for teaching
vocabulary, along with resources.
It quickly grew in manner of those sponge things you add water to, and so I’ve divided it up.
This post is Part 1 of a four-part series on teaching vocabulary. If you would like to check out the
rest of the series, visit the posts below

 Teaching Vocabulary: The books (this one)

 Theories & Techniques that work (and don’t)
 21 Activities for Teaching Vocabulary
 Ideas for English Language Learners (upcoming)

The Books
These books are not listed in any particular order, and they cover a wide range of applications.
Some are true curriculum. Some are theory. Some are practice. Several are a combo platter. Browse
and add to your Goodreads “want to read” list.
Red Hot Root Words
There are different levels of this book for different grade level bands (6 – 9 and 3 – 5). It’s based on
the building blocks of words (prefixes, suffixes, root words), and has loads of lists! The 6 – 9 book
has 54 lists of words based on the same group of building blocks, each divided into lessons that
include practice opportunities. There is a nice list of vocabulary activities in the front of the book
that you could use with any of the lists, as well as other words. I like these books, yet students
would still need more authentic practice with the words.
Word Wise
Published by Mindware, this two-book series is subject driven. There are is a volume for content
knowledge, such as history, biology, etc., and also one for cultural ideas, such as politics and family
and hobbies. The books have the words defined, and quizzes for testing those words. While I like
the variety of the words, I don’t find the books compelling alone. They’re a good place to find
words, and teachers would then have to create their own more authentic interactions with the words.
They are a good place to go to find words to differentiate vocabulary instruction for gifted learners.
Teaching Basic and Advanced Vocabulary: A Framework for Direct Instruction
This is Marzano’s book of the theory and practice of teaching vocabulary (see his six step process
in “Techniques that Work” in a coming post). It’s what it claims to be – a book about the ideas for
direct instruction of vocabulary. I’m not particularly recommending it, but it is worthwhile if you
want to implement his process with fidelity. Note: “advanced” vocabulary here is academic vocab,
not advanced grade levels. It skews elementary. If you want to get a copy, poke around on Amazon
to find a used copy from some third-party seller.
Vocabulary Games for the Classroom
This is the companion volume to Marzano’s other book above, Teaching Basic and Advanced
Vocabulary: A Framework for Direct Instruction. It’s got the actual classroom activities more
spelled out.
Word Power: What Every Educator Needs to Know about Teaching Vocabulary
More of a pamphlet than a book, this little volume is one you can pick up used for $5 or so. It’s
worth it for the lists of common suffixes and prefixes (complete with percentages) alone, but it’s got
some great activity strategies as well.
Ancient Roots and Ruins: A Guide to Understanding the Romans, Their World, and Their
Language
This is a solid contextual base for vocabulary study of Latin. It’s got differentiated lesson plans for
gifted learners, and is more of an entire cultural study unit than vocabulary in isolation. I would use
this in a GT pull-out situation, or as a really good option for students who have mastered the on-
level vocabulary. It would also work to cannibalize it for individual lessons and activities. This is
not a vocabulary book per se, in that it’s far broader, yet this would truly improve students’
understanding of English through the exploration of Latin. I would teach this.
Instant Word Power
Possibly the ugliest, most user-unfriendly vocabulary book available, with the possible exception of
its companion volume, Word Power Made Easy, this book nonetheless deserves a place in this list
because of its sheer effectiveness. It’s a study of roots, suffixes, and prefixes in both Greek and
Latin, and it does a great job. I taught this for my 9th and 10th grade vocabulary in high school
classes for years, and as awful as it looks, I’ve not found anything I like better. You have to create
your own fun to go with it (see upcoming ideas post).
Quick Activities to Build a Very Voluminous Vocabulary (Grades 4-8)
This is a pretty robust compilation of vocabulary activities that you could use with many different
words (it has some vocab included, but you can use the activities with other words as well). None of
the activities are unique, but if you’d like to save the time trying to hunt them all down, this is a
volume that may be a good resource for you. It says grades 4 – 8, but I’d only use it with gifted kids
at the fourth grade level because some of the activities are a little tricksty. Look, you can pick it up
for a penny, so the risk is looooooow.
Bringing Words to Life, Second Edition: Robust Vocabulary Instruction
This is far more theory than practice, but if you really want to understand vocabulary from the
inside out, this is a must read. Be sure to get the 2nd edition. There aren’t a ton of strategies, but
there are other books and ideas for that, including the companion volume by the same authors (see
below). It’s worth it for the content if you want to know ahead of time what’s most likely to work
so you don’t waste time on techniques that are doomed to fail.
Creating Robust Vocabulary: Frequently Asked Questions and Extended Examples (Solving
Problems in Teaching of Literacy)
This is the book you need to go with Bringing Words to Life. It has actual examples and takes the
theory into practice in a way that really works. Get both books if you’re wanting to implement
excellent vocabulary instruction in a real, live classroom.
The Vocabulary Book: Learning & Instruction (Language and Literacy Series)
This is Michael Graves’ book (from “four techniques you must use” fame in the techniques list
coming up next). It’s not a beach read, but like Bringing Words to Life, it belongs in the
professional library of people serious about vocabulary study. Again, I’m singing my same “poke
around” song because you can pick this one up super cheap as well.
Words, Words, Words: Teaching Vocabulary in Grades 4-12
This book is one I’d get if I were looking for a book on what I was doing wrong. As a teacher
myself, I appreciated her narrative about her own evolution of vocabulary instruction. Others might
not like that part, but you can skip it if you like. It has examples of activities and student work,
which I also like. Her other books are good as well, so take a peek at the recommended titles also.
Teaching Vocabulary Explicitly
Free book! This whole (short) book is a free download from the Pacific Center for Education and
Learning. It has brief explanations of many of the ideas found in the larger, longer texts.

Why start with the books?

When you think about strategies for teaching vocabulary, you rarely think, “Oh, I think I’ll read a
bunch of books about it.” No, sireee, Bob. You go straight to Pinterest #truth.
It would have been way more fun to start with the ideas, but it’s important to get you off on the
right foot so you can repeat success. If you do nothing more than read the free book, that’s
awesome. Theory guides practice. If you try to do that in the opposite order, you eventually crash
and burn.

PART 2- Strategies for Teaching Vocabulary:

Theory and Technique
Why talk about theory and techniques for teaching vocab?
The theory and techniques for teaching vocabulary may not be as fun as the ideas that I’ll share in
the next post or as perusing the books in the last post, yet this is the theory applicable to all ages and
types of readers. It is the knowledge that will enable you to choose the right activities and strategies
for your content and grade level.
PURPOSES FOR TEACHING VOCABULARY:
In my experience, we teach vocabulary for a variety of reasons. It’s important to identify vocab
instruction in your teaching practice by considering why you are doing it. That will help you
determine which theories and techniques you should use (or at least try).
Reasons include:

 Improving reading comprehension in general.

 Improving subject-specific mastery and performance.
 Improving writing and speaking skills.
 Test preparation (SAT, ACT, etc.).
 Deepening students’ ability to put their thoughts into the most appropriate word possible.
These techniques and theories are in no particular order.
This post is Part 2 of a four-part series on teaching vocabulary. If you would like to check out the
rest of the series, visit the posts below

 Teaching Vocabulary: The books

 Theories & Techniques that work (and don’t) (this one)
 21 Activities for Teaching Vocabulary
 Ideas for English Language Learners (upcoming)

EXPOSURE RATES MATTER

Students need to be exposed to the vocabulary over and over if they are to understand and use the
words effortlessly. When stories or texts are repeated, students gain more word knowledge. Researh
shows that students hearing stories more than once have a 12% gain over their peers who only heard
the story one time when tested on the vocabulary in context.
Want to read the research? Look for the studies done by Biemiller and Boote (2006) and Coyne,
Simmons, Kame`enui, and Stoolmiller (2004)

DEFINE THE WORDS WHILE YOU READ

It works better to share vocabulary in context, rather than just learning definitions. You’re shocked,
aren’t you?
It’s also important to emphasize and practice pronunciation of new/unfamiliar words. Don’t assume
that regular decoding skills will work with academic vocabulary. Practice saying the words.
Want to read the research? Look for the study done by Nash and Snowling (2006)

TIERED WORDS: VOCAB IN THE CORE

To decide whether or not a word from a story or lesson should be directly taught, consider: is it
unfamiliar but able to be understood? Is it necessary for comprehension? Does it appear in other
contexts? Is it likely to show up again? One particular model divides words into three categories, or
tiers. This model was developed by Isabelle Beck in Bringing Words to Life.
  Tier One words are the words of everyday speech usually learned in the early grades. These
are not necessary to teach explicitly (except for in ELL acquisition).
 Tier Two words are what the Common Core standards refer to as academic words. They are
more to be read by students in texts that heard in conversations. They may be in
informational or technical texts, or in literary works with sophisticated vocabulary. They
often make language more precise (saying “wended their way” instead of “walked along,”
for example). They are words that cross domains, so you may see them in a variety of
disciplines.
 Tier Three words are the domain-specific words that you would only see in relation to a
specific content area. They are the ones you see bolded in textbooks and/or listed in the
glossary.
You can watch a video about this at Engage NY.
(note: The words that she mentions in the beginning of the video that you would see only in certain
areas are Tier Three words.)

ASK QUESTIONS
Students learn the vocabulary best when teachers actually integrate questioning and discussion into
lessons, rather than just defining them.
Here are some example questions:

 What other words do you know that are similar to this word?
 How can we use this word in [insert other thing you’ve studied]?
 Do you recognize any of the parts of this word?
 If I said that [insert another word here] is the same or similar as this word, would that be
true?
Want to read the research? Look for the study by Ard and Beverly (2004).

THE FOUR COMPONENTS

Michael Graves argues that there are four components of an effective vocabulary program:

 Teach individual words: Teach new words explicitly, meaning on purpose. Make sure
students understand the definition. Make sure the definitions are in student-friendly
vocabulary. It doesn’t help you to understand a word if you don’t know the words in the
definition, either. Show the word in a variety of contexts. Have students generate their own
definitions. Have them engage with the words interactively, playing with them. Vary the
methods so you’re not teaching the same way for every word.
 Provide rich and varied language experiences: We need reading, listening, speaking, and
writing experiences across multiple genres. Yes, there is math poetry. Read out loud to
students. Encourage book clubs and reading challenges. The idea: create an environment
saturated with words.
 Teach word-learning strategies: Teach students how to infer word meaning from context
clues. Teach students how to infer meaning from morpheme clues. Teach students how and
 when to use a dictionary and a thesaurus. We can’t assume that students know the strategies
they need to make sense of words.
 Foster word consciousness: Point out useful, beautiful, powerful, or painful lessons. Be
playful with words.

SELF-ASSESSMENT
When testing students’ command of vocabulary, use a self-assessment that is non-judgmental, using
prompts such as:

 I have never seen or heard the word before.

 I’ve seen or heard the word, but I don’t know what the word means.
 I vaguely know the meaning.
 I can associate the word with a concept or context.
 I know the word well.
 I can explain and use it in general or in writing.
 I can explain and use it with a full and precise meaning.

EASE METHOD
 Enunciate new words syllable-by-syllable and then blend the word.
 Associate the word with definitions and examples that students already know.
 Synthesize the words with other words and concepts that they have already studied and they
have the opportunity to demonstrate deep knowledge of the new word.
 Emphasize new words in classroom discussion.

SIX STEP MODEL OF VOCABULARY INTRODUCTION

 Step one: The teacher explains a new word, going beyond reciting its definition (tap into
prior knowledge of students, use imagery).
 Step two: Students restate or explain the new word in their own words (verbally and/or in
writing).
 Step three: Ask students to create a non-linguistic representation of the word (a picture, or
symbolic representation).
 Step four: Students engage in activities to deepen their knowledge of the new word
(compare words, classify terms, write their own analogies and metaphors).
 Step five: Students discuss the new word (pair-share, elbow partners).
 Step six: Students periodically play games to review new vocabulary (Pyramid, Jeopardy,
Telephone).

DICTIONARIES
Use dictionaries to work with words that already somewhat familiar. It is not helpful to have
students try to look up words they can’t spell.

WHAT DOESN’T WORK

Kate Kinsella’s ideas of what doesn’t work include:
 1. Incidental teaching of words
2. Asking, “Does anybody know what _____ means?”
3. Copying same word several times
4. Having students “look it up” in a typical dictionary
5. Copying from dictionary or glossary
6. Having students use the word in a sentence after #3,4, or 5
7. Activities that do not require deep processing (word searches, fill-in-the-blank)
8. Rote memorization without context
9. Telling students to “use context clues” as a first or only strategy or asking students
to guess the meaning of the word
10. Passive reading as a primary strategy (SSR)
Watch a video of her teaching about vocab instruction and find related activities here.

TEACHING VOCAB PERISCOPE

Watch this (fairly lengthy) Cult of Pedagogy video on teaching vocabulary.
You’re welcome. I’ve just saved you a grad school class on learning about vocab theory.
Again, this post is Part 2 of a four-part series on teaching vocabulary. If you would like to check out
the rest of the series, visit the posts below

PART 3 – 21 Ideas for Teaching Vocabulary

21 Ideas for Teaching Vocabulary in the Classroom
I’m sharing 21 ideas for teaching vocabulary. You may not be able to use all of them, but I hope
you can find some ideas that will work well for you!
I’ve shared books about vocabulary instruction, as well as the theory and techniques. This post is a
lot more practical. We’re all about ideas today!

IDEA #1: Semantic Maps

In this activity, the teacher chooses a word and displays it for the class on a whiteboard, etc..
Students read the word and then think of words that come to mind when they see that word (this is
awesome because it activates prior learning).
A list is created of all of the words that come to mind, and then those words are categorized. This
can be done as a whole class or in small groups. Students then create a “map” using a graphic
organizer and discuss it. Additional or substitute categories can be suggested.
As students read through the text, they can add related words to the map.

IDEA #2: Eye Spy

Give students a list of words to search for in a text or have them find unfamiliar words. You can
award points to the words based on different criteria (longest new word, word with most
consonants, etc.). Invest in a set of inexpensive dollar store magnifying glasses to make this more
game-like. Do this as a pre-reading activity.

IDEA #3: Making Choices

Students show their understanding of vocabulary by saying the word when it applies, or remaining
silent when it doesn’t.
For example: “Say radiant if any of these things would make someone look radiant.”
-Winning a million dollars.
-Earning a gold medal.
-Walking to the post office.
-Cleaning your room.
-Having a picture you painted hung in the school library. (This idea is from the book Bringing
Words to Life, recommended in the books section.)

IDEA #4: Sorting Hat

Use a Harry Potter theme to have students sort words into categories. They can pull them out of a
hat. If you give them the categories, it’s called a “closed sort.” If they come up with their own
categories, it’s called “open sort.”

IDEA #5: Word Pairs

Give students words in pairs and have them evaluate if the words are the same, opposite, go
together, or are unrelated. (adapted from Word Power: What Every Educator Needs to Know about
Teaching Vocabulary)

IDEA #6: Linear Array

In this strategy, students use a graphic organizer that is a rectangle, three ovals, and then another
rectangle, all in a line. The word in question goes in the rectangle on the far left. The rectangle on
the far right is filled in with a word that is the opposite. The center three ovals are filled in with
words that go from the far left to the far right, gradually become less similar until they reach the
opposite. For example, microscopic, tiny, small, bigger, large. (adapted from Words, Words,
Words: Teaching Vocabulary in Grades 4 – 12)

IDEA #7: Games

Many “real” games work well for vocab play and practice. Games such as Balderdash, Taboo,
Scrabble, Blurt, Bananagrams, word bingo, and others are fun. There are online games as well,
such as Scholastic’s Synonym Toast.
[Note: I am a notoriously horrible Scrabble player, and every time I play I think, “English teachers
should be better at this.” It’s not my favorite.]

IDEA #8: Scavenger Hunt

Have a word scavenger hunt in books, magazines, articles on the net, or in the school or home.
Don’t just go for numbers; go for unusual words, academic vocabulary, weird spellings,
homophones, etc.
IDEA #9: Word Wheel
Copy and paste this image onto a sheet of cardstock and make a vocab spinner game. EisforExplore
shares the whole idea here.

IDEA #10: Vocabulary Photo Album

Using a simple, inexpensive photo album, students create a visual glossary of key words. See an
example from MrsJacobsClassroom here.

IDEA #11: Tally

Use tally marks to track words you’re trying to practice. Mark whenever the teacher says the word
in context, and mark twice when a student does. Alternately, you can have the tally marks be even,
but play the teacher versus the class.

IDEA #12: Relay for Words

Print out words on one set of cards (copy this set a few times) and definitions, context, or sentences
in which they could be used (fill-in-the-blank) on another set (just one set).
Jumble up the words in a pile in the middle of the floor, and jumble up the definitions, context, and
sentences to keep with you. Break students into teams of five-ish.
Call out the definition/context/sentence and give students some think time (8 – 10 seconds) to talk
about what word it might be. After the discussion time, call out “Word!” One member from each
team runs to the center and tries to find the word in the pile. I like having multiple sets of the words
so more than one team can get it.
Check to make sure they’re correct, and then discuss it briefly before the next round.
Note: I got this idea from another teacher’s site, but I cannot for the life of me remember where. I
have searched Google for it, and can’t find it. A small prize to the person who can figure out the
originator of the idea!

IDEA #13: Vocabulary Relay

This is a different relay activity than the one above. In this version, teams of students race to fill in
words responsive to a category that start with the letters of the alphabet in order. Shared by Sarah
Ressler, this activity is one that has a thematic base, and would work really well to target academic
vocabulary.

IDEA #13: Comic Strip Word Activity (elementary)

Try this fun activity from This Reading Mama (It’s a free printable). She’s got another great idea
on teaching words in context, too.

IDEA #14: Paper Plate Vocab

I love this inexpensive matching game from Finding Joy in Fifth Grade, and I think students could
create it themselves.
IDEA #15: Vocab on the Move
Students all have a sentence strip with a word with which they are familiar in a “crown” on their
heads. (this is a review activity, not an initial teaching activity). The students don’t know what word
he or she has. They walk around the classroom asking each other a series of questions to determine
the meaning of their word.
You can grab directions here and see students playing it here (scroll down).

IDEA #16: Word Sneak

Based on the game played by Jimmy Fallon, this teacher created a fun Word Sneak game awesome
for secondary students! It’s free in her TpT store.

IDEA #17: Frayer Model

The Frayer Model is an oldie-but-goodie vocab activity model in which student work in multiple
ways in a specifically laid out graphic organizer to engage with words. Find examples and great
resources in The Teacher Toolkit.

IDEA #18: Tweet

Have students create a “tweet” that a word would send out or with the word in the tweet in context.
You can use a tool like PrankmeNot or Siminator to make it look real.

IDEA #19: Brain Power Words

This is a strong academic vocabulary activity that takes a little bit of time, but would really help get
the words past the superficial level of understanding.

 Ask small groups of students to preview sections of a text and identify difficult words.
 For long chapters, assign different sections to different groups.
 Students place a Post-it next to the words in the text they identify as potentially difficult.
 After identifying the words, the group goes back and uses context clues to hypothesize what
the words might mean.
  Clues of substitution: A known word would make sense in the context and is
probably a good definition.
 Clues of definition: The word is defined in the text (many textbooks do this).
 Clues of opposition: Words “not, unlike” etc. are excellent clues to what a word is
not and thus help define the words.

 After the Brain Power Words list is identified and definitions sought, the students check
their work with the teacher.
This strategy is from Becky McTague and Margaret Richek (it’s in the book Reading Success for
Struggling Adolescent Learners by Susan Lenski and Jill Lewis).

IDEA #20: The Concept Cube

Students receive six-square pattern on tagboard that can be folded up and taped into a three-
dimensional cube, which will be 4” on each side. You can create these digitally at the
ReadWriteThink website.
You can print out a blank cube and have students print the responses below, or complete it online
and then print it out.
Before folding, students write clearly in each square following the directions below.
Each student is given one challenging vocabulary word from a recent reading and asked to:

 Write the assigned vocabulary word in one square.

 Write a synonym (word or phrase) in another square.
 Write an antonym (word or phrase) in another square.
 Write a category or categories it could belong to.
 Write the essential characteristics of the concept of this word.
 Give one example.
Cut, fold, and tape the cube.
Roll the cube and read what comes up on the “top”; the student must tell the relationship of that
word or phrase to the original word.
After students know their own cube without any errors, they exchange with a peer.
This idea is from Bridge of Vocabulary: Evidence-Based Activities for Academic Success

IDEA #21: Phone a Friend

Search TeacherspayTeachers or Teachers Notebook for vocabulary activities you can use or adapt.
The beauty of this is that you can search by grade level and subject, so you can focus on what
you’re studying.
A caveat to this is that if you create something grade level or content specific, you can share it with
other teachers, too.
The Importance of a Variety of Activities
You want to have a variety of activities so that vocabulary instruction doesn’t become routine or
boring. Keeping it fresh with lots of different ways of learning will help students (and the teacher)
avoid getting burned out or tired of working with vocabulary.
These 21 activities for teaching vocabulary are just a start. I’d love to know your ideas!

The Vocabulary Series

This post is Part 3 of a four-part series on teaching vocabulary. If you would like to check out the
rest of the series, visit the posts below

 Teaching Vocabulary: The books

 Theories & Techniques that work (and don’t)
 21 Activities for Teaching Vocabulary (this one)
 Ideas for English Language Learners
PART 4- Best Practice in Vocabulary
Instruction for English Language Learners
Best Practice in Vocabulary Instruction for
English Language Learners
In a lot of ways, vocabulary instruction for English Language Learners is a lot like vocabulary
instruction for any learner. [See the previous posts in the series for ideas.]
Yet there are some differences that are worth discussing to ensure that vocabulary instruction for
English Language Learners gives them the best chance possible to gain solid footing in the target
language vocabulary.
While this list is not intended to be comprehensive, it is a nice overview of some of what we know
works best.

More is better
ELL students need more vocabulary exposure, practice, and instruction to achieve the same results
as native language learners. This makes sense, doesn’t it? They’re not awash in the sounds of the
language as we are when we acquire our first language.
Just because it takes more practice and more time does not mean you’re doing it wrong or that the
child is not trying.

Respect the brain

The brain resists nonsense, so if the vocabulary doesn’t make sense to the learner, the odds that it’s
going in long term memory are pretty much zero.
Because of that, it is mission critical that we check for understanding and check again. Maybe check
once more, just to be safe.
If a student leaves a class where amazing vocabulary instruction occurred, and the student doesn’t
really have a grasp of what the word truly means, ownership of the word will stop at the classroom
door.

Bring on the video

Vocabulary for English Language Learners benefits from the use of video.
Video gives words context, as well as providing a layer of interest on the part of the student that is
sometimes missing when the teacher is talking.
That’s a little crazy when we think about it – that kids’ minds would rather watch strangers in a
video than listen to a teacher who has certifications, experience, and an education. We have to
accept that the brain wants what it wants.
For ELL students, incorporating multi media opportunities for vocabulary exposure increases the
understanding of the target vocabulary,as well as their general vocabulary knowledge as well.
Want to read the research? Look for the study done by Silverman and Hines (2009).

Start with the basics

Teach the meaning of basic words (words that most English-only students know).
Begin with the Dale-Chall List, a list of three thousand words 80% of all fourth graders know.
This is a good beginning, as well as a place for those who may need direction in discovering
vocabulary gaps.

Use cognates with care

Many languages have cognates they share with English, and those can be a great path to language
acquisition.
We have to beware of false cognates – words that look like they should mean the same, but don’t.
[Linguists know it’s even more complicated than that, but we’re going with this definition.]
For example, in Spanish, asistir looks like it should mean “to assist” or “to help.” It actually means,
“to attend.”
Keep in mind that while English shares lots of Greek and Latin roots with Romance languages like
French and Spanish, it is a Germanic language. Its structure is Germanic, as are many of its words
and word pieces.
Linguistics can be complicated, and we can’t base a student’s acquisition of vocabulary on
commonality.
So use cognates, but use them with care. They can be tricksty.
Note: SpanishCognates shares a list of the top 20 most confusing cognates for ELLs, if you’re
interested.

Reading aloud to students

Reading aloud to students empowers more than just ELL students. I read aloud to even my 11th
graders every single day.
Students must hear the language, and they must hear it over and over and again and again. They
must be immersed in the sounds of the language (unless it’s, you know, Latin or ASL).
For ELL students, reading aloud is vocabulary acquisition gold IF the reading aloud is done well.
If you know you are not a fabulous oral reader, use CDs or tapes or digital audio. They simply must
hear accurate pronunciation.
I would not read aloud to students trying to learn German, for example. My German, while
serviceable, is not good enough to share beautiful, accurate pronunciation and inflection.

Parental Involvement
It is common for newcomers to a country to have children who master the language and parents
who never do. That’s okay. We can still harness the power of parenting to help build vocabulary.
We must invite in non-threatening ways, making sure that parents understand that we do not expect
them to teach their children English. Rather, we need their help in making sure that the seeds of
language we are planting at school have fertile soil in which to grow at home.
We must always remember that language is an intrinsic part of culture, and we must never, ever
denigrate the native language. To do so is to deny the child his or her identity.
Even parents who do not speak the target language themselves can be involved in many ways.
Things parents can do include:
 Keep English and native language reading materials in the home. You can read about the
critical role of books in the home here. Wonderful dual language books are available free in
written and audio formats at Bilinguis.com.
 Play English songs appropriate for the child’s age (borrow materials from the library or from
the teacher). Music contains many idiomatic expressions and wordplay, making it a critical
piece of language development.
 Label household objects in the target language. My own children have grown up with
German labels on everything from forks to powdered sugar.
 If possible, take some English lessons themselves so that they can understand some of what
their children are learning.
 Let their child read aloud to them in the target language, even if they don’t understand it.
Things teachers can do to encourage parents:
 Reassure parents that we support the native language and its culture.
 Provide a lending library.
 Connect our families with materials through organizations like FirstBook or
ReadingisFundamental. Find more sources here.
 Gather books & magazines we can give for students to keep from friends.
 Fully understand the value of bilingualism, so that we can embrace the fantastic benefit our
English Language Learners will have being bilingual. (I wrote an article about it you can
read here.)
 Work on learning a world language yourself. This will give you an understanding of some of
the things that help you with vocabulary (and don’t), as well as an appreciation for how
challenging it can be, n’est-ce pas?

Sites to help you

Share ideas we find on bilingual resources sites like those listed at Omniglot.
A wonderful website with resources for teachers and families of bilingual students is
ColorinColorado.
The section for families on learning together at home can be found here. Note: It’s not about colors
in Colorado; it’s a reference to a Spanish phrase commonly said at the end of stories.

The truth
Bilingualism is a strength, yet it will never fully reveal itself until the target language is mastered.
Helping our students gain access to the entire English-speaking culture through mastery of
vocabulary has the power to change their lives and their families’ lives forever.

Next Steps
To learn more about this vitally important topic, choose one or more of the following activities:
Easy: Read this article by Kate Kinsella on teaching academic vocabulary.
Medium: Read this article by teacher Suzanne Irujo about teaching ELL students based on research
and practice.
Challenging: Read this article by researcher Jim Cummins about immersion strategies, as well as
other bilingual strategies. Note the specific vocabulary applications in Figure 1.
For everyone: Share any good ideas you find to help as many children as possible.