VOCABULARY
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Vocabulary is learning words and word meanings. Vocabulary can include word meanings, word learning strategies, and a deep awareness and love of words.
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The knowledge of what words mean influences the understanding or comprehending of text. We are all constantly expanding our vocabularies. Children are able to grow their vocabulary at an accelerated rate when they have many opportunities to read, be read to, talk and discuss. Vocabulary can also be expanded by teaching specific words through explicit instruction. This vocabulary gained helps readers comprehend texts.
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Vocabulary requires explicit instruction, multiple exposures and opportunities to USE the words being learned, and also implicit opportunities to READ the words in text. Multiple exposure ideas vary but may include: text reading, shades of meaning, Marzano model, expert word cards, word webs, Frayer model, and so many more.
3 effective ways to teach and build vocabulary:
Implicit teaching: reading to children and giving incidental word meanings, providing pictures, realia, Multiple Exposures!
Explicit teaching: specific word instruction, cognates, morphemic analysis, etc…Multiple Exposures!
Lots of text reading: at home and in school, choral, whisper, peer and independent reading. Get them reading! Multiple Exposures!
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Integrating Oral Language into Vocabulary is important to allow students the opportunity to use meanings of words and relate them to their own lives in meaningful ways with reading, writing, listening and speaking. Students can share created definitions, use words in sentences connected to their own lives, use words in academic language stems, discuss multiple meanings, new contexts, and deep meanings of words, and many other fun and meaningful ideas.