Vocabulary

Why Teach Vocabulary? (from the Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement)

• One estimate found that “Printed School English” contains roughly 88,000 different words.
• The average child, by the end of high school, may know about half or 45,000 different words.
• If a child enters 1st grade knowing about 6,000 words, then they must learn about 3,000 new words per year.
• Children learn about 3,000 words a year, but only about 300 from organized instruction.
• Informal estimates suggest that active teaching can cover 6-10 words per week — 400 per year.
• Since approximately 300 words account for 65% of the words in texts, rapid recognition of these words during the primary grades forms the foundation of fluent reading.
• Why teach sight words?

How Do Children Learn Words?

• Incidental word learning
  • Through lots of reading
    • Repeated reading
    • Assisted reading
    • Reading level-appropriate materials
  • Through lots of being read to
    • Increases world knowledge for children with reading problems
    • Can overcome some of what struggling readers lose by not reading challenging materials
    • Enhanced by interactive dialogue about words before and after reading
      

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Intentional word learning

• Semantic Methods
  • Mapping
  • Semantic Groups
• Word Parts
  • Prefixes
  • Root Words
  • Suffixes
• Ongoing Vocabulary Instruction
  • Synonyms, Antonyms, Categories, Descriptions
  • Definitions and Multiple Meaning Words
    

    Ready-Made Activities
    Boggle's World Teacher Resources	Vocabulary Exercises
    Fake Out! Word Game	Matching Exercises
    FunBrain Word Games	Between the Lions Games and Activities
    Easy Vocabulary Quizzes	English Raven EFL/ESL Materials
    Funology Word Games	Arthur's Un-Matching Game
    Flashcard Exchange	Jan Brett's Activity Pages
    BlackDog's Word Games	Vocabulary Resources to Enhance Word Skills
    KidsReads Word Scrambles	Activities for ESL Students
    The Longman Vocabulary Website	Star Words (game with high frequency words)
    Flip-a-Chip	Vocabulary University
    Clip Art for FL/SL Instruction	Vocabulary Books from LearningPage.com
    Vocabulary Development Using Digital Tools	Reading A-Z
    Vocabulary Activities	MindFun.com Word Puzzles
    SuperKids Vocabulary Builders	Vocabulary Word Map
    Kathy Dunkin's Vocabulary Lists	Vocabulary Games
    Vocabulary	Learning Vocabulary Can Be Fun
    Vocabulary Drill	Vocabulary ESL Resources
    English Exercises Online	Vocabulary Lists
    The Internet Picture Dictionary Activities	All Mixed Up - Hangman
    Wacky Web Tales	Surfnetkids Word Games
    Alphabet Action	PuzzleMaker Word Puzzles
    Worldwide Wordplay	Lots of Scrambles
    Web Quizzes and Activities	Interactive Wordplays
    Educational Worksheets, Flashcards, Activities, & Games	Sparkle Spelling Games
    Printable Cards	Interactive Word Wall
    Carl's Corner	Literacy Building Awareness
    The Longman Vocabulary Website	Flashcard Templates
    Online ESL Flashcards
    High Frequency Words / Dolch Words / Sight Words
    Dolch Sight Words	Sight Words
    Jan Brett's Dolch Word Lists	Jan Brett's Dolch Flashcards
    Jan Brett's High Frequency Word List	Jan Brett's High Frequency Word Flashcards
    1200 High Frequency Words PowerPoint Files	Dolch Reading Books
    Most Common High Frequency Words	Word Wall Flashcards
    2nd Grade Word Wall	Words We See All the Time
    Dolch Activities	Dolch Sight Word Activities
    Dolch Kit	Sight Word Lists
    Sight Words	The Critical Importance of Dolch Sight Words
    PowerPoints to Practice Dolch Word Skills	Flash Hangman Games for ESL Students
    Popcorn Words	Sight/Popcorn Words
    Popcorn Words	Popcorn Words

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Word-learning strategies

• Context Clues
• Dictionary
• Ask!
  
  

  Ready-Made Activities
  Word Central	The Internet Picture Dictionary
  Little Explorers Picture Dictionary	Spanish Picture Dictionary
  Wordsmyth	ASL Browser
  The Idiom Connection	Dictionary.com
  OneLook Reverse Dictionary	A Maths Dictionary for Kids
  Kids' Lab Direct Definition Context Clues	The Longman Vocabulary Website
  Mrs. Dowling's Vocabulary Corner	Scholastic I Spy

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For More Information about Vocabulary

Return to Components of Literacy

This page was created with support from a
U.S. Department of Education PT3 grant ("Join Together", P342A030098).

Resources Materials and Technology Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Specialized Center for the FDLRS Network

Page last modified January 4, 2011
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