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Chapter 3. Vocabulary Development

Why Teach Vocabulary Development?

Effective vocabulary instruction is critical for increasing students’ academic achievement.

Educational researchers have shown for years that vocabulary knowledge plays a significant

role in reading comprehension. Robert Marzano also notes the importance of vocabulary

development for building background knowledge, and thereby increasing students’

opportunities to learn new concepts. This is especially important for social studies, as 55

percent of students’ academic vocabulary comes from social studies disciplines: history,

geography, government and economics. Although wide reading increases students’ vocabulary

significantly, direct and explicit instruction in vocabulary is also an important component of

learning vocabulary.

What are the Vocabulary Tiers?

Tier 1 words are basic, common words that most students know from everyday conversation.

These are high-frequency terms and do not typically have multiple meanings.

Tier 2 words are high-frequency terms that occur across multiple content area/school subjects.

The Common Core State Standards refers to these as “general academic words.” These words

typically have multiple meanings and important for reading comprehension of informational

texts. Tier two words are important words for direct instruction.

Tier 3 words are “domain specific;” meaning they apply to a specific content area/school

subject. These words are critical to understanding key social studies concepts. It is important

for Tier 3 words not to be separated from their context.

Table 1A. Three Tiers of Vocabulary Examples

Tier 1 – Common

Words

Tier 2 – General

Academic Words

Tier 3 – Social Studies

Domain Specific Words

book

car

color

house

number

run

sad

school

street

tall

analysis

decline

defend

emerge

evaluate

function

impact

perspectives

priority

structure

appeasement

colonization

cultural diffusion

democracy

economics

environment

federalism

feudalism

imperialism

primary source

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What Strategies Are Effective for Vocabulary Development?

Vocabulary development strategies must go beyond traditional methods of looking up

dictionary definitions, flash card drills, fill-in-the-blank worksheets, and weekly vocabulary

quizzes. In Building Background Knowledge for Academic Achievement, Marzano details a

six-step process for building students’ academic vocabulary. Steps 1-3 are used to introduce

new term to students. Steps 4-6 are designed for students to review these terms.23

1. Provide a description, explanation, or example of the new term. Student-friendly

descriptions, explanations and examples are more effective than dictionary definitions.

Teachers should connect terms to something familiar with students. Teachers can use

stories, videos, or pictures that illustrate the terms.

2. Ask students to restate the description, explanation, or example in their own words. It is

important that students use their own words instead of just copying what the teacher

has said.

3. Ask students to construct a picture, symbol, or graphic representing the term or phrase.

Pictures, symbols, and graphic representations require students to process information

in non-linguistic ways. Pictowords can be used to illustrate challenging social studies

concepts.

Table 3B. Pictoword Examples

Tier 2 – General Academic

Words

Tier 3 – Social Studies Domain Specific

Words

23 Marzano, Robert J., Building Background Knowledge for Academic Achievement. (Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 2004), 91-103

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4. Engage students periodically in activities that help them add to their knowledge of the

terms in their notebook. Students can compare and contrast terms, classify terms,

identify antonyms and synonyms, and create analogies and metaphors using the terms.

5. Periodically ask students to discuss the terms with one another. Students can work in

pairs or small groups to share their descriptions or pictures, compare points of

agreement or disagreement, and share new ideas about the terms.

6. Involve students periodically in games that allow them to play with terms. Word games

can increase student engagement and provide students with multiple exposures to

terms.

Table 3C. Word Activities and Games for Steps 5 and 6

Activity Title Description

Vocabulary Cubes Select a set of words from the word wall and place them on the board.

Students take turns rolling the cube and responding to the questions on

the cube: 1) How does this term relate to you? 2) How does this term

relate to social studies? 3) How would you teach this term to someone

else? 3) What are some synonyms? 4) What are some antonyms? 5)

What pictures or symbols help you remember the meaning of this

term? 6) What clues in the term help you remember the meaning?

Concept Sort Place notecards with vocabulary terms from a unit in an envelope.

Working in pairs, students take turn takes pulling out a card and giving

their description or explanation. As each card is pulled, students

identify what the term has in common with the previous terms. At the

end, students create word clusters and assign titles to each cluster.

Pictionary Place notecards with vocabulary terms in a hat. Divide into two teams.

Teams alternate pulling terms from a hat. The drawer creates pictures

that represent the term. The pictures cannot contain any numbers or

letters. Teammates try to guess the term the drawing represents.

Password Place notecards with vocabulary terms in an envelope. Groups of four

students divided into pairs. The facilitator selects a card and show to

one student in each pair. The partner who knows the term gives a one

word clue. The other partner then offers one guess on the term. Game

play alternates between the two teams.

Taboo Create a set of notecards with vocabulary terms. On each card, write a

list of five words or phrases that are closely related (“taboo” words) to

the vocabulary term. Similar to Password, one partner in a pair

provides clues to the other partner. In addition to the key term, the

clue provider cannot use the additional “taboo” words on the cards.

Scattergories Create a slide presentation with one category at the top of each slide.

For each category, assign a specific letter of the alphabet. As a slide is

displayed, students list vocabulary terms related to the category that

start with the assigned letter.

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Marzano also recommends the use of student vocabulary notebooks. Students can use

vocabulary notebooks to record their descriptions from Step 2 and their pictures or symbols

from Step 3. In Step 4, students can add additional information to their notebooks as they

review, discuss, and extend their understanding. The vocabulary organizers below can be used

in conjunction with vocabulary notebooks.

In Words, Words, Words, Janet Allen discusses the importance of using Word Walls for

vocabulary development. When introducing concept-related words or topical categories, the

words should be posted so that students can see them and use them in their discussions and

writing. 24 Word walls should not be a static room decoration. They can be utilized regularly as

part of the six-step process above. Word walls should also be updated with each unit. Terms

that have been mastered can be retired to a shoe box.

Sarah Brown Wessling uses Vocabulary Paint Chips. The strategy involves using paint strips or

chips from the hardware store. Teachers write a vocabulary word on one color of the strip, then

write different “versions” of the word on the other colors, and finally, put synonyms on one of

the colors. For example, one paint chip may include illuminate, illumination, illuminating, and

the synonyms enlighten and brighten. In this teacher's class, every time a student uses one of

the paint chip words in their writing, they can add a sticker to a chart.25

Table 3D. Sample Social Studies Vocabulary Paint Chips

revolution colony monarch

24 Allen, Janet, Words, Words, Words: Teaching Vocabulary in Grades 4-12. (Portland, Maine: Stenhouse Publishers, 2006.), 70-71. 25 Learn more about this strategy from the video here: www.teachingchannel.org/videos/build-student-vocabulary.

revolution

social revolution

economic revolution

political revolution

radical

colony

colonization

colonizer

colonized

subject state

monarch

monarchy

absolute monarch

limited monarch

emperor

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What Tools Can Teachers Use for Vocabulary Development?

Graphic Organizer 3A. Frayer Model

Definition or Explanation in Your

Own Words

Characteristics

Examples Non-Examples

Graphic Organizer 3B. Word Map

Definition in Your Words or

Synonyms

Antonyms

Use It Meaningfully

in a Sentence

Draw a Picture

or Symbol

Term

Term

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Graphic Organizer 3C. Concept Map

Graphic Organizer 3D. Concept Map – Connections

Concept

What is the Meaning? What are some examples?

What is it like?

Concept

Context: I will find this concept…

Self: I will remember this concept by…

World: I will connect this concept to…

Description or Explanation

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What Resources Are Available for Vocabulary Development?

Publications

Allen, Janet, Words, Words, Words: Teaching Vocabulary in Grades 4-12. Portland, Maine:

Stenhouse Publishers, 2006.

Marzano, Robert J., Building Background Knowledge for Academic Achievement. Alexandria,

VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 2004.

Marzano, Robert J. and Lindsay Carleton, Vocabulary Games for the Classroom, Marzano

Research Laboratory, 2010.

Dugan, Christine, Strategies for Building Academic Vocabulary in Social Studies. Huntington

Beach, CA: Shell Education, 2010.

Websites

EdGames, http://people.uncw.edu/ertzbergerj/ppt_games.html

FM Teaching Ideas Vocabulary Game Blank Templates,

http://wiki.fms.k12.nm.us/groups/middleschoolteachingideas/wiki/94d30/Vocabulary_Game

s_Blank_Templates.html

Reading Quest, http://readingquest.org/strat/

Teaching Channel, https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos?q=vocabulary