Ask a physical education teacher if they “teach gym.” You will often find an abrupt response, clarifying that they teach in the gym but they teach physical education. I mention this to get quickly to my point which is simply that words matter. In particular, vocabulary words matter. They do not matter as a random list of words to be memorized or even to randomly use in a sentence but instead they are the foundation of comprehension, especially as you move into more and more complex content. The question is how do we effectively utilize vocabulary in our classrooms across all age levels and content?
This is one of the questions my co-author, Lissette Jacobson, and I endeavor to answer in our new book, Your Words Are Fire: 10 Culturally Responsive Teaching Strategies to Build Belonging and Help Students Learn, Express Ideas, and Solve Problems. We believe wholeheartedly in teaching vocabulary. We also believe that how it is currently being done is not serving all students equally well. One of the major concerns is the initial vocabulary students have upon arrival. Students coming from homes where parents and guardians do not speak Standard American English (we define this as the English that is taught in school), speak another language altogether, or where students are not spoken to as often, are arriving at school with fewer English vocabulary words to start. This is further complicated by the fact that each content area requires vocabular to truly understand what is being taught. The typical teaching method has been to offer a list of words, often in isolation, and ask students to memorize the words and their meanings. I was reminded that this does not work when my daughter asked me a question about two body parts she had learned about in health class. She believed that both of these body parts were the same, though they are not and serve different functions. (I am leaving out details on purpose, but you may be able to guess.) She had completed a worksheet with the vocabulary and understood enough to be able to complete her assessment but true deep learning had not happened.
What to Do
We propose a different approach to vocabulary that centers on the differentiated instruction of the words and explicit opportunities to apply the new knowledge, discussing their learning with the vocabulary. Below are a few basic steps to consider when planning for vocabulary in your unit.
- Frontload vocabulary and plan to review it throughout the unit. Decide what words are absolutely key for students to understand the unit of instruction ahead. Select a limited number of vocabulary words and pre-teach them at the beginning of the unit through direct instruction. Consider pointing out the Greek and Latin roots of the word. Talk about the morphology of the word (i.e. muscle, muscular, skeletal muscule, etc.). Once you have introduced the vocabulary, mark certain points in the unit in which you will review the vocabulary explicitly.
- Build in opportunities to apply vocabulary. Find intentional and authentic ways for students to use the vocabulary that has been instructed. This can be done through writing or in conversation. Include the vocabulary in the question asked of students and have them answer the question by using the question in the answer. Lead the students in an open-ended discussion that would require the students to use the vocabulary in the form in which they learned the word but also challenge them to use the word in other forms as well. It is important, for example, to ask students what the “sum” of two numbers are without explaining pre-emptively that it means to add the numbers. When the students answer, have the say, “The sum of the two numbers is…” Sentence stems is a great way to engage students in this practice at the beginning of a unit.
- Use creative language to define vocabulary. Students bring in a lot of vocabulary with them to school. That may include vocabulary in their home language, a dialect of English that is spoken, or the language or youth culture. Additionally, we can borrow language from other content areas. Using analogies and metaphors is not only for English class. Students can use analogies to demonstrate understanding of new vocabulary. “The brain is to the body what the nucleus is to the cell.” For more complex vocabulary, ask students to describe it in the language they would use with friends.
Overcoming Pushback
One of the things that makes vocabulary instruction challenging is the fear that students simply will not understand what is being said. The answer to this problem begins with a mindset shift amongst us adults. Students are capable of learning new vocabulary, using it in context, and carrying that learning with them as they progress in their academic careers. When vocabulary instruction, review, and application are an intentional part of lesson planning, students will adapt to the norms of the classroom. Too often, I have heard teachers simplify the vocabulary in order to support their students in accomplishing the tasks. However, we must realize that vocabulary is part of the tasks. When students are given the opportunity to interact with high-level academic and content vocabulary, they will be more prepared for state assessments (that use that vocabulary) and for the next level of learning.
Conclusion
Ultimately, vocabulary instruction is fundamental to students truly understanding their learning and being able to effectively communicate it to others. We can support students in their vocabulary acquisition, whether they are learning a whole new language or just learning new content. We must learn to think of all of our students as language learners and ourselves as language teachers. When we do this, we give our students access to the world of professionals across the many areas of economy who learn to speak like the scientists, entrepreneurs, or educators that our students want to be. This is critical, equity work that makes an impact on our world. To find more strategies like this or resources to help with centering language in instruction, check our our website, www.blackbrownbilingue.com, or grab a copy of our new book, Your Words Are Fire.
Pair this post with the following:
hELLth- Supporting English language learners in General Health Education Classes by Kathleen Peterson
Mind Your Language by Andy Milne
Cultures, Perspectives, Backgrounds by Leticia honey
5 Small Mindset Shifts by Dr. Cara Grant
Have you read the latest Book of the Month recommendation?