TEACHING CONCEPTS and VOCABULARY

Principles and Strategies

What is a concept?

CONCEPTS are (1) categories into which experiences are organized and
(2) the larger network of intellectual relationships brought about
through categorization. Understanding a concept requires some level
of critical thinking in order to make associations between words and
ideas according to certain criteria.

Objects or events are sorted into concept categories according to

their basic characteristics or critical attributes.

The critical attributes must be present in a particular sequence,

relationship or patterns to qualify for category placement. These
represent the concept criteria.

The specific ordering of attributes is known as the concept

definition or rule.

Planning inventory for teaching a concept

1. What name is commonly applied to the concept?

Ex. Lake

2. What is the concept's rule or definition?

Ex. A body of water surrounded by land.

3. What are the essential characteristics or critical attributes

of the concept?

Ex. land, water, surrounding

4. What are the non-critical attributes typically associated with

the concept?

Ex. size, location, depth

5. What are some interesting and learner-relevant examples or cases

of the concept which you can use in its explanation?

Ex. local lakes, mountain lakes, desert lakes

6. What are some contrasting non-examples of the concept that will

help clarify or illustrate the concept?

Ex. ocean, stream

7. What are some cues, questions or directions that can be employed
to call attention to critical and non-critical attributes in the
concept examples?

Ex: "Look at all the points where the water meets the land."

8. What is the most efficient, interesting and thought-provoking

medium (or media) by which to present examples and non-examples?

Ex. slides, aerial photographs

9. What level of concept mastery do you expect of students and how

will you measure it?

Ex. Be able to define "lake" and state the similarities and

differences this body of water has with other major bodies of water
through a project.

Teaching word meanings related to concepts:

How to select and teach vocabulary

1. Word meanings are best learned through conceptual development.

This approach stresses in-depth understanding as opposed to surface
understanding. Existing concepts can be used as a basis for
acquiring new concepts. For example, a student who knows what a
horse is can relate the new concept of unicorn to horse in order to
understand the new concept.

2. Word meanings should be learned in context. The contextual

setting gives student clues to word meanings. The teacher should
provide examples in which the new word is used correctly and
students should have opportunities to apply the word's meaning.

3. Vocabulary instruction should be based on learner-generated word

meanings. Learner involvement increases understanding and memory;
thus, when students use their experience and background knowledge to
define words, they learn better. The words serve as labels for
concepts and students associate words to a larger vocabulary and
experiences.

4. Vocabulary should focus on usable words. The use of vocabulary

related to a theme or instruction in "word webs" is helpful.
Students should be taught how to figure out related words.

5. Students should be taught the use of context clues and structural

analysis skills (prefixes, suffixes, root words).

6. Students should learn to use the dictionary, thesaurus and

glossary to develop understanding of word meanings when they cannot
figure out the meanings from experience, context or structural
analysis.
Sources:

Roe, B.D., Stoodt, B.B., & Burns, P.C. (1987). Secondary School
Reading Instruction: The Content Areas. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.

Cooper, J. M. (Ed.). (1986). Classroom Teaching Skills. Boston, MA:

D.C. Heath.