Background Knowledge	Lesson 2: Readings (5)	-

Learning vocabulary: Different ways for different goals

McKeown, M. G. & Beck, I. L.
Appeared: (1988). RASE, 9(1), pp. 42-52.
(abstracted by the Online Academy)

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Effective Vocabulary Instruction

Involve several techniques rather than a single approach.

For understanding:

• present the words frequently
• promote active thinking about meanings and uses
• motivate use of words outside the classroom

Start with sets of words:

• associate words with meanings
• move beyond meanings to associations with context
• give attention to relationships

Design Features:

• Create contexts and relationships
• High frequency of encounters with taught words
• Set up conditions to motivate students to learn vocabulary outside the classroom

Instructional Features:

• richness of instruction
• frequency of encounters
• extension beyond classroom
• teacher modeling

Choice of kind of instruction to use in specific instances depends on:

• goal of instruction
• kinds of words being presented
• characteristics of learners

Designing a Vocabulary Program

Understand that different kinds of experiences in vocabulary have value for various aspects of vocabulary knowledge:

• initiating event which begins process of learning the word (brief definition or association)
• rich instruction
• encouragement for learners to extend word learning beyond classroom
• encourage independent learning

Program with several components:

• instruction of many words in narrow ways (synonyms)
• rich instruction with smaller sets of words
• gimmicks to encourage word usage outside classroom
• motivation to discover, learn, and use new words

What words to use for vocabulary programs:

• based on classroom lessons
• spontaneous selections from news or child's contribution
• those seemed important to central ideas of selection
• generally interesting and useful

(Give consideration to why words are chosen and the role they will play in a child's repertoire.)

Choice between rich or narrow instruction depends on a variety of factors:

• importance of words to understanding lessons
• relationship to specific domains of knowledge
• general utility
• relationship to other lessons and classroom events

Words for Narrow Presentation:

• those words specific to one particular lesson
• those which are interesting and generally useful

Words for Rich Instruction

• those which represent the central issue of the lesson
• those associated with common plot devices in literature
• those related to wide-ranging domains in everyday human interactions and across cultures (high general utility used in varied situations)

When to Teach Words:

• set aside a 20 to 30 minute period a week
• review words
• present enriching activities
• challenge students to generate contexts for new words
• draw or elicit relationships among words
• encourage extension beyond classroom

Ways to Captivate Interest:

• gimmicks
• word wizard activities

No Simple Formula

Craft experiences with consideration of:

• specific learning goals
• words being taught
• characteristics of learners