Vocabulary Pillar : Definition

Vocabulary refers to the words we must know to communicate effectively. In general,

vocabulary can be described as oral vocabulary or reading vocabulary. Oral vocabulary refers
to words that we use in speaking or recognize in listening. Reading vocabulary refers to
words we recognize or use in print.-- National Reading Panel Reports (2001).

Vocabulary can also be referred to as receptive vocabulary and expressive vocabulary. The
words we understand when we hear or read them are considered receptive vocabulary, while
words we speak or write are referred to as expressive vocabulary.

Students build vocabulary by picking up words that they read or hear and through direct
instruction from teachers and conversations with adults.

What is it?:

Why is it important?:

ELL Considerations:

Vocabulary plays an important part in learning to read. Beginning readers must use the words
they hear orally to make sense of the words they see in print.

Vocabulary also is very important to reading comprehension. Readers cannot understand what
they are reading without knowing what most of the words mean. As students learn to read more
advanced texts, they must learn the meaning of new words that are not part of their oral
vocabulary.

For English Language Learners, vocabulary development is especially critical for their ability to
read and comprehend texts.

ELL students need explicit instruction in vocabulary. These students require extensive oral
language activities as well as explicit instruction in vocabulary to become proficient with oral
vocabulary and reading in the English language.

Vocabulary Pillar: Theoretical Foundations

Important Vocabulary Research:

Tiers of Vocabulary

Most children begin first grade with about 14,000 words of spoken vocabulary. They will learn
2,000 to 3,000 more words per year through third grade. However, not all words have equal
importance in language and reading instruction. Three tiers of vocabulary were designed based
on a words frequency of use, complexity and meaning(s). The three tiers are:
o Tier1 basic vocabulary,
o Tier 2 high frequency words
o Tier 3 low frequency/content specific words

Tier 1 Basic Vocabulary: These words rarely require direct instruction and typically do not
have multiple meanings.

Tier 2 - High Frequency Words: These words occur across a variety of domains/subject areas
and occur often in adult conversation and literature. Tier 2 words are the most important
words for direct instruction. These words are:
o Important for reading comprehension
o Contain multiple meanings
o Used across a variety of environments/subject areas
o Characteristic of mature language users
o Increased descriptive vocabulary (words that allow students to describe concepts
in a detailed manner)
Tier 3 Low Frequency, Context Specific Words: These words occur in specific
domains/subject areas and are taught when a specific need arises

It is important to note that Tier Two and Tier Three words are not all clear-cut in their tier
classification. There is more than one way to select words. Word knowledge is subject to
personal experience and background knowledge.

Tier 1 vocabulary are words that ELL students typically know in their native or primary
language. Teachers will need to help ELL students label these words in English through
explicit instruction, oral language activities and discussions that occurs before, during and after
reading instruction.

In many cases, students only need a quick translation from the primary language into English to
understand the meaning of a Tier 1 word. However, the ease of which an ELL student
understands the new English vocabulary greatly depends on the depth of vocabulary the
student has in their primary language.

Idioms and everyday expressions (like make up your mind and once upon a time) are
considered Tier 1 words. ELL students require direct instruction to meanings of these phrases.

Tier 2 words are more complex than Tier 1 words and are often more abstract in their
meanings. Therefore, teachers should target Tier 2 words for pre-teaching before reading a
text. These words include vocabulary that cannot be demonstrated and cannot be explained
quickly with translations from the primary language into English.

Just like English speaking students, ELL students will need direct instruction with Tier 3
vocabulary words. ELL students will require simple yet extensive explanations and practice
with these words to fully use these words in their vocabulary.

It is highly recommended that ELL students have access to bilingual dictionaries in the
classroom at all grade levels so that these students can translate words when the need arises.

Students word knowledge is strongly linked to academic success in reading because students
who have large vocabularies can understand new ideas and concepts more quickly than students
with limited vocabularies.

Research has shown that a child living in poverty will hear less than a third of the words heard
by children from higher-income families (Hart & Risley 2003).

A child from a high-income family will experience 30 million more words within the first four
years of life than a child from a low-income family (Hart & Risley 2003)..

Research also suggests that the differences in childrens word knowledge are also linked to the
amount of text to which they are exposed. Students need to read and have exposure to a
variety of texts and genre. Students need to read texts that gradually become more difficult to
improve vocabulary (Hart & Risley 2003).

Research indicates that this gap does nothing but grow as the years progress. Unfortunately, it is
difficult to accelerate growth for children who are economically disadvantaged. Rich, robust
vocabulary instruction and exposure to a variety of books is essential to minimize this
discrepancy (Hart & Risley 2003).

ELL students with strong first language skills are more successful learning a second language.

Schools can work to create relationships with students parents through parent workshops and
outreach programs that encourage parents to speak and read to their children in their first
language in order to set the foundation upon which their second language skills will be built.

ELL Considerations:

Important Vocabulary Research:

Vocabulary Gap:

ELL Considerations:

Vocabulary Pillar: Characteristics

Students with strong vocabulary skills know:

o
o
o
o
o
o

Indications of Readers Effectively

Using Vocabulary Skills :

the concepts a word represents

multiple meanings of a word
associations the word evokes
how a word is used in conjunction with other words
grammar (how a word behaves in a sentence)
other words that sound like it

Students with strong vocabularies are avid readers and are motivated to read for enjoyment
outside of the classroom

Vocabulary knowledge is linked to reading comprehension and conceptual knowledge.

Therefore, students with strong vocabulary skills have high levels of reading comprehension.

Vocabulary can be assessed in multiple ways both formally and informally. Best practices say
that vocabulary can be assessed in the classroom by:
o

The Vocabulary Recognition Task (VRT) -a teacher-constructed Yes-No task

used to estimate vocabulary recognition in a content area

The Vocabulary Knowledge Scale (VKS) - a self-reported assessment that shows

the students incremental stages of word learning.

Standardized vocabulary assessments include:

Indications of Challenged Readers

Needing Vocabulary Skills:

ELL Considerations :

The Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT-III)- this test is individually

administered and is norm-referenced. It is the leading wide-range measure of
receptive vocabulary and verbal ability

Woodcock-Johnson III NU Tests of Achievement (WjIII) this test measures

oral language, basic skills and fluency.

A child that may have difficulties with vocabulary might:

o Be unable to tell a parent about his or her day
o May not fully understand everything friends and family discuss with each other
o May misuse common words
o May not be able to make connections between similar words found in two
different books.
o May not be able to make the connection between a word used in a book and the
same word used in real life
o Has trouble finding the right words to describe something
o Uses the same words over and over again in his/her writing

ELLs who have deficits in their vocabulary are less able to comprehend text at their grade level
than their English-only peers

ELL students particularly benefit from review and reinforcement. Teachers should include
read-alouds, teacher-directed activities, listening to audiotapes, activities to extend word use
outside of the classroom in their instruction.

Vocabulary Pillar: Strategies

Supporting Vocabulary Skills at

School :

There is research evidence to support the notion that vocabulary instruction can be taught
directly and incidentally (as students read texts independently). Vocabulary knowledge can
be acquired through reading and discussions about the context but research shows that
direct instruction is more effective than incidental learning for the acquisition of a
particular vocabulary word (Dougherty Stahl & Bravo 2010).

Teachers need to provide multiple exposures to a word in order to get students to know a
words meaning.

Techniques to use in the classroom to support vocabulary instruction

o Webbing
o Semantic mapping
o Analogies
o Word Walls

Engage your child in conversations every day. If possible, include new and interesting
words in your conversation.
Read to your child each day. When the book contains a new or interesting word, pause and
define the word for your child. After you're done reading, engage your child in a
conversation about the book.
Reread your childs favorite books. Repetition and multiple exposures to vocabulary items
are important to your childs vocabulary knowledge.
Help build word knowledge by classifying and grouping objects or pictures while naming
them.
Help build your child's understanding of language by playing verbal games and telling jokes
and stories.
Encourage your child to read on his own. The more children read, the more words they
encounter and learn.

Supporting Vocabulary Skills at

Home :

ELL Considerations :

There are four components of an effective vocabulary program:

o Wide or extensive independent reading to expand word knowledge
students need to read a variety of texts and see vocabulary in rich contexts provided by
authentic texts
o Instruction in specific words to enhance comprehension of texts containing those
words
students gain understanding of a word through rich and robust
vocabulary instruction
in rich vocabulary instruction, students are not typically given the
definition of the word at the beginning of instruction
students actively engage in using and thinking about the word meaning
in context thereby creating relationships among words.
o Instruction in independent word-learning strategies
explicit instruction in word-learning strategies give students tools to use
while reading independently.
Word learning strategies include:
Dictionary use
Morphemic analysis
Contextual analysis
o Word consciousness and word-play activities to motivate and enhance learning
word consciousness is not an isolated component of vocabulary
instruction.
teachers should encourage adept diction through word-play
teachers and students research word origins or histories of a word

When teaching ELL students, take advantage of cognate pairs. Cognate pairs are words in the
students first language that are similar to the English translation such as family and familia.
Students can draw on their cognate knowledge as a means of figuring out unfamiliar words in
English.

ELL students particularly benefit from review and reinforcement. Teachers should include
read-alouds, teacher-directed activities, listening to audiotapes, activities to extend word use
outside of the classroom in their instruction.

When teaching ELL students, be mindful to include and involve the parent. Try to include
and/or involve the parents in their childs learning. If at all possible try to provide tips and
strategies the parent can use at home to support their children.
Teachers need to provide multiple exposures to a word in order to get students to know a
words meaning.

Vocabulary Pillar: Visual Resources

Tiers of Vocabulary :

Found on Pinterest media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com

Diamond, L. & Gutlohn, L. (2006). Teaching vocabulary. Retrieved from

http://www.readingrockets.org/article/teaching-vocabulary

Components of Effective
Vocabulary Instruction and How
They Relate to Each Other:

Vocabulary Pillar: References

Colorado, C. (2007). Selecting vocabulary words to teach english language learners. Retrieved from
http://www.colorincolorado.org/educators/content/vocabulary/.
Colorado, C. (2007). Vocabulary development. Retrieved from
http://www.colorincolorado.org/educators/teaching/vocabulary/.
References:
Diamond, L. & Gutlohn, L. (2006). Teaching vocabulary. Retrieved from
http://www.readingrockets.org/article/teaching-vocabulary
Dougherty Stahl, K.A., & Bravo, M.A. (2010, April). Contemporary classroom vocabulary
assessment for content areas. The Reading Teacher, 63 (7), 566578. doi: 10.1598/RT.63.7.4
Gersten, R., Baker, S.K., Shanahan, T., Linan-Thompson, S., Collins, P., & Scarcella, R. (2007).
Effective literacy and English language instruction for English learners in the elementary
grades: a practice guide (NCEE 2007-4011). Washington, DC: National Center for Education
Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of

Education. Retrieved from http://www.readingrockets.org/article/best-practice-ellsvocabulary-instruction.

Hart, B. & Risley, T. R. (2003). The thirty million word gap.[Review of the book The early catastrophe:
the 30 million word gap by age 3. American Educator. Spring 4-9 and Meaningful differences in the everyday
experiences of young American children. Baltimore, MD: Brookes Publishing. Retrieved from
http://www. http:/literacy.rice.edu/thirty-million-word-gap.
Hutton, T. L. (2008). Three tiers of vocabulary and education. Retrieved from
http://www.superduperinc.com/handouts/pdf/182_VocabularyTiers.pdf.
Irujo, S. (2007). Research tells us about teaching reading to English language learners? Retrieved
from http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/19757/.
Morrow, L. M. (2012). Language and vocabulary development. In Literacy development in the early years
helping children to read and write. (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
Shanahan, T. (2001). The national reading panel report: practical advice for teachers. Retrieved from
http://www.learningpt.org/pdfs/literacy/nationalreading.pdf.
Smith, C. B. (1997). Vocabulary instruction and reading comprehension. Retrieved from
http://www.readingrockets.org/article/vocabulary-instruction-reading-comprehension.
Vocabulary. (n.d.). Retrieved April 4, 2015 from
http://www.readingrockets.org/helping/target/vocabulary.

Tiers of Vocabulary graphic:

Found on Pinterest courtesy of Found on media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com

References for Visuals:

Components of Effective Vocabulary Instruction graphic:

Diamond, L. & Gutlohn, L. (2006). Teaching vocabulary. Retrieved from

http://www.readingrockets.org/article/teaching-vocabulary