vocabulary development — Blog - Coffee Break

All words are not of equal importance for instruction. Some words require a deep dive of meaningful scaffolded inquiry of the complexities of words in various contexts, while others require a brief definition.

education, literacy, Vocabulary, struggling readersLaura HancockAugust 20, 2021Vocabulary, literacy, literacyjunkie, word learning, learning words, vocabulary development, vocabulary instruction, reading, Struggling Readers, literacymatters, earlyliteracyComment

Own the New Word

Students need an abundance of exposure to solidify their understanding of words. Teachers need to allow time to process the information through frequent opportunities to hear the meaning of words, expose new words in multiple contexts, and opportunities for active involvement. It’s the active involvement that supports students in developing a deeper understanding of the word and how it is used flexibly.

vocabulary, instructionLaura HancockMarch 20, 2021vocabulary development, vocabulary instruction, developing readers, vocabulary, literacy, Struggling ReadersComment

Developing a Love of Words

Education has over 100 years of studies showing students having difficulties with word knowledge and word relationships beginning with Thorndike (1917) and Davis (1944). In 1950, Kottmyer wrote about teachers having “vexing problems” with vocabulary instruction.