Vocabulary
Vocabulary is recognizing words and their meanings in oral language and text.
HELP Vocabulary
What is Vocabulary?
Vocabulary is recognizing words and their meanings in oral language and text. Your understanding of what you read and hear is determined by your vocabulary. Oral language vocabulary precedes and supports print-based vocabulary development.
HELP Vocabulary focuses on three instructional goals:
- Word Identification. Teach how to identify words quickly and accurately.
- Word Meanings and Types. Teach word meanings and how words are used.
- Relationships Between Words. Teach relationships between words such as opposites or synonyms.
HELP K3 Literacy is the most effective way to teach vocabulary because it combines systematic direct instruction, guided practice, vocabulary learning games, and environmental literacy supports. HELP Vocabulary Lessons feature targeted direct instruction to teach word identification, word meanings, and relationships between words. Small sets of words are selected from the reading fluency texts and used in a variety of activities based on the science of literacy.
HELP Vocabulary Lessons are active, engaging, and fun. They are perfect for our English Learners.
HELP Vocabulary Strategies
Five simple vocabulary activities that engage learners and build word knowledge.
1. Word Trading
Show your word card. Tell the learner your word and what it means. Invite the learner to tell you their word and what it means. Trade words!
2. Word Pictures
Draw a picture to represent one of the words. Invite the learner to guess the word. Invite the learner to create a picture card.
3. Word Performances
Act out one of the words. Invite the learner to guess the word. Invite the learner to act out one of the words.
4. Word Pointing
Say a word or a word meaning. Invite the learner to point to the word.
5. Missing Word
Create an array of word cards face up. Read or make up a phrase leaving out a word that appears in the array. Invite the learner to point to the missing word.
HELP Vocabulary
Science of Reading on Vocabulary
The Science of Reading offers six findings on effective vocabulary instruction.
- Provide frequent and multiple exposures to targeted vocabulary words.
- Repeated readings of text result in greater gains in vocabulary development for young children.
- Deliver explicit instruction of targeted vocabulary words.
- Word explanations taught directly during text reading enhance children’s understanding of word meanings.
- Context-based vocabulary instruction produces greater vocabulary gains than lessons that emphasize learning word definitions in isolation.
- Maximize teacher-student language interactions during activities that target new vocabulary.