Vocabulary

SENIT-Language Team

Why do we need to teach vocabulary?

Some children have difficulties understanding and using vocabulary, which could be due to;

poor attention lack of experience poor auditory memory difficulties identifying word boundaries poor storage difficulty retrieving words (word finding)

Poor vocabulary will impact across the curriculum , with pupils showing;

frustration/behaviour issues. May withdraw or become disruptive to deflect attention from the problem

poor attention poor basic vocabulary (Tier 1)

They may have difficulty with subject specific vocabulary (including maths, science, history) higher level inference and deduction interpretation of instructions labelling of emotions responding to questions or directions (delayed) interpretation of language (may interpret language literally) reading; inconsistent word/picture match reduces impact of

use of picture cues understanding words with multiple meanings

How can vocabulary difficulties be recognised in the classroom?

use of empty non-specific language such as ‘thingy’ use of a related word or talk around a target word

use of gesture/visual prompts to show the item rather than use word

extra time needed to retrieve a word pauses, hesitations, dysfluency allowing extra thinking time knows the word but can’t remember it’s name- tip of the

tongue syndrome. limited language use; short phrases/simple vocabulary

Types of Vocabulary

Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3

eye glance microscopedog companion farm

Tier 1

These are common words used regularly in spoken language. They are easily reinforced through gestures, pictures and symbols.Most children will develop knowledge of these words through daily experiences. However where a child’s exposure to high quality spoken language is limited then there may be some difficulties acquiring these words.

Tier 2These are the types of word which are encouraged to be used in school. They are the descriptive vocabulary encouraged when using prompts such as VCOP.It is the language of education and academia which children need to use and understand to have the greatest success in school.These words will not necessarily appear in everyday conversation they are more sophisticated vocabulary of the written word.Children who are avid readers will be likely to have the most developed tier two vocabulary. Understanding of Tier 2 vocabulary often depends on the context in which a word is used.

Tier 3These tend to be subject specific technical words. They often need to be taught as part of a topic or block of work. They are rarely used in everyday conversation. However unlike Tier 2 words they are easily defined and the meanings often remain consistent within the subject area.

How do we learn vocabulary?Tier 1 and Tier 3 Vocabulary

To learn a new word it is important to focus on both the meaning of the word and phonological features such as initial sound, number of syllables and word length.In addition, kinaesthetic prompts such as generating an action for a word, drawing a picture, interacting with real objects will support the learning of new words.

Tier 2 Vocabulary

These words are best taught as they are encountered within a text.

Developing Vocabulary

name everyday resources, labels, actions and concepts as they occur

teach the vocabulary used in areas; labels, displays and key questions

reinforce vocabulary within texts sort real objects, photos, and pictures into different categories

such as food, clothes, transparent, waterproof.

Meaning PhonologicalWord

Kinaesthetic

use vocabulary maps

Vocabulary maps make explicit links between the word, its meaning, and its structure. Colour is used to organise information; red for structure and green for meaning. The use of real objects, photos or pictures supports the understanding of words.This approach can be adapted to teach vocabulary to any age group.

Use questions to help the pupil clarify information; What does it look like?

What do we do with it?(function) Where do we find it? What is special about it? (unique)

What else is it like? (categories)

Include information about the word itself; to help the pupil distinguish between similar-sounding words, and learn longer, more complex, and ‘technical’ vocabulary.

Is it a long/short word?How many syllables?First/last sound?What does it rhyme with?Can you use it in a sentence?

Activities

Describe using senses for a multi-sensory approach What does it look like? feel smell sound taste

looks white

feelscold

smellsfresh

sounds crunchy

tastes wet

List associated words and concepts; word wheel

Pupil asks questions to identify the word (e.g. yes/no game)It’s a vehicle/Has it got 4 wheels?

It’s a food/Is it soft?You wear it in cold weather/Do you wear it on your head?

Provide information for the pupil to identify the word (e.g feely bag)

e.g. target word: bananaclues:fruit, yellow, curved like the moonmonkeys like to eat thembegins with ‘b’

Make this easier by using lotto or bingo board. Let the pupil take the role of providing the information.

Compare and contrast vocabulary

e.g. bicycle/bus similarities differences transportinitial sound ‘b’

2 wheels/4 wheels3 syllables/1 syllable

Identify items that go together: socks and shoes knife and fork

Odd one out, and why

knife fork spoon spade

anxious scared petrified delighted

oxygen nitrogen hydrogen magnesium

Generate vocabulary using different criteria, for example: category farm animals.

initial sound beginning with ‘p’

colour things that are green

Make a visual representation of words with more than one meaning; particularly useful for older pupils

bark

References

Primary and Secondary Inclusion Development Programme. Department of Education 2010.ELKLAN Speech and Language in the Classroom. Liz Elks and Henrietta McLachlan 2008 Pip St John Pre Teaching Vocabulary 2011Creating Robust Vocabulary Isabel Beck, Margaret McKeown, Linda Kucan 2002