14 Ways to Teach Vocabulary
Vocabulary is often taught as a separate skill from reading comprehension - but it shouldn’t be! Teaching word meanings and vocabulary development are a part of reading comprehension. When reading a novel, many teachers spend time teaching vocabulary and then move onto reading comprehension questions, but they fail to see how closely related these two skills are.
Reading Fluency without Reading Comprehension
Have you ever had a student read a passage or story and not have a clue how to answer simple reading comprehension questions about the text? Some students have superb reading fluency skills, but struggle to understand what’s being said. Why is this?
Reading Comprehension Equation
There are a couple different parts of reading comprehension that are required for students to be able to understand what they are reading. Reading fluency (reading quickly, accurately, and with expression) is only part of the equation. Actually, the equation looks a lot like this:
Decoding x Language Comprehension = Reading Comprehension
While many teachers tend to focus on reading fluency, especially in the earlier grades, that is only a part of the equation. Reading comprehension is the whole picture, and language comprehension is often the missing piece. (Think: Part, Part, Whole)
Language Comprehension
A vital piece of reading comprehension that we need to include in our classrooms is language comprehension. This skill, alongside decoding skills, will allow students to have great reading comprehension abilities.
Language comprehension includes vocabulary learning, word knowledge, and understanding spoken language. It requires background knowledge to make sense of what’s being said. Language comprehension skills include an understanding of grammar and how it can influence what’s being said. It also includes being able to make inferences from the information that is given.
If a child can’t understand a story that you read out loud, they will not be able to understand a story that they read on their own.
English Language Learners
Think of English language learners who can read a text aloud, but doesn't understand what it says because they don't have the vocabulary instruction (and the vocabulary knowledge) to go with it.
While this can show you how important vocabulary instruction is, it also reminds us that vocabulary learning and word meanings is important for ELL students.
Vocabulary Strategies
The more we build our students’ vocabulary and knowledge base through robust vocabulary instruction, the easier reading comprehension will become. So, it’s important to have some vocabulary strategies you can do in the classroom to increase your students’ vocabulary. These word learning strategies will introduce students to new words and word meanings.
14 Ways to Teach Vocabulary
Teach Context Clues
When students can use context clues when they read, it allows them to understand words and phrases they have never heard or seen before. This type of vocabulary instruction increases vocabulary knowledge and word consciousness without specific word instruction.
When students (or teachers!) use context clues, they look at the words and sentences around the unknown word to find examples, synonyms, and word parts.
Do you want the “Who S.P.I.E.S. the meaning poster and worksheet? Grab this (and a bunch of other vocabulary and reading comprehension resources) for FREE!
Who S.P.I.E.S. the meaning?
I like to use the question, “Who S.P.I.E.S. the meaning?” to help students remember the following:
Spelled Out (Is the definition spelled out for you? Sometimes a difficult word will be followed by a definition.)
Prefix/Suffix/Root (Check out the prefixes, suffixes, and root words to see if you can recognize a part of the word.)
Inferences (Make an inference based on the rest of the sentence.)
Examples (Is an example given?)
Synonym/Antonym (Is there a comparison between the unknown word and another word you know?)
These types of independent word learning strategies help students infer word meanings and allow them to figure out definitions on their own without having to rely on explicit vocabulary instruction.
Psst! If you’d like to help your students with context clues and align this skill with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) check out my worksheets for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade by clicking on the appropriate grade below:
2. Introduce New Words through Read Alouds
Simply going over new vocabulary words when you read chapter books and novels to your class exposes your students to new vocabulary words. Find vocabulary words to introduce before you start reading the section for the day. Then, when you reach that word, take an extra moment to remind your students of the definition.
Hand Raising
You can also encourage students to raise their hand if you come across a word they don’t know so you can introduce the vocabulary on the fly, or have them write down a word on a sticky note to ask when you’re done reading.
On the Fly
If you didn’t prepare vocabulary words in advance, that’s okay! If you see a word that you don’t think your students know while you’re reading, stop and give them a definition.
Teach Yourself
If you come across a word that YOU don’t know, use it as a teaching opportunity. Either use context clues yourself and model how to do that, or grab a dictionary and look up the word before continuing your book.
This type of vocabulary instruction allows you to teach key words in rich contexts with everyday language.
3. Create a Vocabulary Word Wall
As students are introduced to new words, put them on your wall. You may already be familiar with a word wall, which is popular in kindergarten as students get introduced to new sight words and how to spell them. This idea can be used with vocabulary as well.
If you don’t want to print words out, no worries! Create a cute border on an area of your classroom wall and use sticky notes. Simply write the new vocabulary word with the definition underneath.
4. Do Words Studies on Word Parts
As an adult, I still use this skill frequently.
The more prefixes, root words, and suffixes (morphemes) you’re familiar with, the more words you can figure out on your own. For example, if students know what “hyper” and “mobile” mean, they can figure out the meaning of a word like “hypermobile” even if they’ve never seen the word before.
Introduce word parts along with whole words through explicit instruction. Some of these whole words should be words students already know that you can use as examples. For example, your students should know that a fire hydrant is related to water, which is a great example when introducing the root “hydro”.
You should also have words that can be dissected into word parts, like “hydrophobia”. If students know that hydro means water and phobia means fear, they will easily be able to determine the word's meaning.
It may seem like a lot of extra work to teach word parts on top of whole vocabulary words, but the more prefixes, suffixes, and roots your students know, the more whole words they’ll be able to decipher.
5. Facilitate Classroom Discussion
Do not underestimate the benefits of classroom discussions and conversation.
Classroom discussions are a great opportunity for students to be introduced to new vocabulary words, concepts and background knowledge. Being able to hear from peers and discuss topics that their classmates know a lot about can engage your students more than a lecture will.
So, take advantage of students who have background knowledge that others don’t and give them space to teach your other students - without them realizing!
It’s okay that students aren’t turning in anything during this time. Not everything has to be a worksheet, and not everything has to be graded.
You can keep these conversations related to what you’re studying in class, or you can allow your students some time to just chat about what interests them. The important thing with classroom discussions is to encourage rich vocabulary and a discussion of new ideas.
6. Model the Use of New Vocabulary Words
My mom would do this for me growing up. She would purposefully use words that I didn’t know to help me learn new words.
It worked.
I try to do this naturally in the classroom during direct instruction by using a new vocabulary word alongside a context clue like a synonym or an example. (See what I did there?)
This can be planned out, but I found myself doing this the most when I would naturally start to use a more difficult word during instruction. I would realize the vocabulary word might be beyond my students’ comprehension and use the word anyway along with a synonym or other context clue.
Repeated or multiple exposures with help students develop vocabulary growth.
Explicitly giving a definition for the word works too, but it does break your flow a little more than giving your students a context clue. However, it might be necessary for students who are not proficient at picking up context clues naturally.
Another option is to use a context clue, and then stop and ask your students to define the unfamiliar word by using the context clue that you gave them.
This will also break your flow from teaching, but it allows you to introduce students to a new word and give students the opportunity to practice using context clues naturally all while only taking a moment away from your lecture.
Flocabulary has a great list of vocabulary words based on novels, basal readers, and state tests HERE.
7. Have Students Create a “My Student Dictionary”
This is an awesome tool to use to help your students grow in independence as they gain a deeper understanding of the words students encounter.
More often, I’ve seen this in classrooms for spelling, where students have a “My Spelling Dictionary” in their desks where they add new words as they learn how to spell them. However, the same concept can be applied to vocabulary.
Print a blank student dictionary for your students. As they come across new words, encourage them to use context clues, a real dictionary, or you to help them learn the definition and write it down for reference.
Click on the image or click HERE to download my FREE Student Dictionary.
8. Use the Frayer Model
If you have the time, give students a more holistic understanding of new vocabulary words by using the Frayer Model.
The Frayer Model introduces students to more than just a word’s definition, but also its characteristics, examples, and non-examples.
Some people adapt this to include synonyms and antonyms and even an example sentence.
This method works well for students who prefer some sort of graphic organizer when they learn.
Download the Frayer Model graphic organizer, context clues poster and worksheet, and a bunch of other resources for FREE!
9. Reward Risky Vocabulary Use
Teachers often teach new vocabulary words to activate prior knowledge before a read aloud - but it’s also important that students are adding these vocabulary words to their conversations and writing as well.
Sometimes students are hesitant to use a new vocabulary word in speech or writing because they are afraid that they’ll use it incorrectly or get marked down on an essay.
First of all, make sure your students feel like your classroom is a safe space to try out new vocabulary words during classroom discussions by encouraging your students when they make mistakes and not allowing teasing from other students.
Additionally, reward your students when they try out new words.
Tell your students that if they use one of your new vocabulary words during a classroom discussion or when asking a question, or if they use it in a short-answer response or essay, they can get a point or a prize.
You may include the condition that the students must use the word correctly to get the reward but make it enough like a game that they don’t feel bad if they didn’t get it quite right.
Remember to download your FREE resource above. It includes mini certificates to give to your students when they use new vocabulary words.
10. Tell Short Stories with Your Vocabulary Words
You can do this activity when students are in line during transitions!
Have students take turns telling a story using words from your vocabulary list.
One student will start the story off with a couple sentences, including a sentence with one of your vocabulary words. The next student in line would add onto the story with a few more sentences and another vocabulary word.
Continue with each student until you run out of time.
Don’t have a great vocabulary list? Check out Flocabulary’s HERE.
11. Play Headbandz to Practice Vocabulary
Write the vocabulary words you are working on in class on index cards. You can make multiple sets if you’d like multiple small groups of students to play at the same time.
Then, have students each take a card and hold it up on their forehead so that their classmates can read the word but they can’t.
Have students take turns asking yes or no questions about their word until they can figure out what it is.
This is an engaging way to give students more exposure to the words.
12. Play Charades to Practice Vocabulary
Write each vocabulary word on a separate paper or index card. One at a time, have students act out the word they drew and have the other students guess what it is.
Consider making this a center during rotations.
13. Play Pictionary to Practice Vocabulary
Again, you’ll need the vocabulary words you’re working on written on index cards or something similar.
In a small group, have students draw the vocabulary word that they drew from the pile and have their classmates guess what it is.
Pictionary is a great small group activity for early finishers.
14. Play Vocabulary Games
There were only a few game-like activities that made my list here, but practicing skills with games is such a great way to keep kids engaged. If you’d like to check out more vocabulary game options, go to Upper Elementary Snapshots.
Don’t forget to grab your 50-page resource for FREE! It includes some of the resources you see here, as well as reading comprehension resources as well!
Vocabulary Is Just a Part (of Reading Comprehension)
Language comprehension, including vocabulary, is just a part of the bigger picture. It is important to teach your students vocabulary skills and other reading comprehension skills. If you’d like to see a similar post about activities for reading comprehension, click here.
