Chapter 6

Building Vocabulary

What is Vocabulary?

Exploring relationships between wordsIt is more than memorizing definitions for

a test on Friday.The average first-grader knows 5,000 to

6,000 words.Approximately 3,000 words are learned

each year.

Stages of Word Knowledge

Task One —Learning to read known words. Task Two —Learning new meanings for

known words. Task Three —Learning new words that

represent known concepts. Task Four —Learning new words that

represent new concepts. Task Five —Clarifying and enriching the

meanings of known words. Task Six —Moving words for receptive to

expressive vocabulary.

Seven Principles of Developing Vocabulary

Build experiential background by providing a variety of rich experiences.

Relate vocabulary words to students’ background—the words they already know.

Help students explore relationships between words.

Develop depth of meaning to help students see the many shades of meaning of words.

Seven Principles of Developing Vocabulary Continued

Provide students with multiple exposures to words.

Help create an interest in words.

Teach students how to learn new words independently.

Techniques for Teaching Words

Graphic OrganizersSemantic mapsPictorial maps and websSFAVenn Diagrams

DramatizationCrossword PuzzlesRiddles

Techniques for Teaching Words Continued

Explore Sesquipedalian words—long words.

Have a “Word of the Day or Week” focusLabelingPredictions

Predict-o-gramPossible sentences

Word Sorts

Study Special Features of Words

Homophones—sound alike, but usually spelled differently Greece, grease

Homographs—spelled alike, but sound different Bass voice, bass fish

Figurative language Idioms Metaphors Similes

Learning How to Learn Words

Words with multiple meaningsMorphemic Analysis

Morpheme—smallest unit of a wordBelieve—1Telegraph—2

Prefixes, Suffixes, Inflectional endings, and Root words

Context CluesDictionary Usage

Most Importantly!!!

Provide students with opportunities to read.

Read aloud to your students.