Day 6: Vocabulary

 Day 6: Building Comprehension through Word Power

I wasn’t present for Day 6, but here’s what I’ve learned from my colleagues:
Today’s focus was on strengthening vocabulary practice, an essential area that significantly influences student comprehension. Research shows that a learner’s vocabulary is one of the strongest predictors of how well they understand what they read.From listening to my colleagues share their reflections, it’s clear that this session highlighted just how important intentional vocabulary instruction is in the classroom. Being part of a collaborative team has been incredibly beneficial, as it allows me to stay connected to new learning, share ideas, and continue growing my practice even when I can’t be in every session.

Vocabulary

When exploring the word vocabulary, I discovered that it comes from the Latin word vocabulum, meaning “name” or “word.” It refers to the body of words we know and use, often described as our word stock, lexicon, or lexis. It is important reminder that students need multiple exposures to words in various contexts to truly learn them.    

Three Tiers of Vocabulary

Tier 1: Everyday words commonly used by most students in daily life (e.g., house, happy, run). These are usually picked up naturally and don’t need direct teaching.

Tier 2: High-frequency words that appear across different subjects and texts. These are more complex words important for understanding academic material (e.g., analyse, compare, predict). Explicit teaching of Tier 2 words supports students’ success across the curriculum.

Tier 3: Subject-specific words tied to particular learning areas or topics (e.g., photosynthesis in science, algebra in maths). These words are usually taught within the context of the subject.

Robust Vocabulary Instruction: 5 Key Principles

Explanation – Teach new words with clarity and accuracy so students fully understand their meanings.
Meaningful Connections – Encourage students to link new vocabulary to their existing knowledge and experiences.
Fun and Creative Activities – Make learning vocabulary enjoyable through games, humour, and imaginative challenges.
Active Participation – Involve students actively in exploring and using new words.
Regular Review and Practice – Reinforce learning by revisiting and using words repeatedly in a variety of contexts.

Morphology: Words as Building Blocks

Morphology is the study of how words are constructed from smaller meaningful units called morphemes, such as prefixes, suffixes, and root words. These building blocks of language are essential for developing vocabulary, reading comprehension, and overall literacy. A few years ago, during professional development on Structured Literacy, morphology was highlighted as a key element. It was eye-opening to realise that even at my age, I had been producing some words incorrectly. This really made me reflect on the complexity of how words are formed.

Listening to my colleagues’ recap of Day 6 was inspiring, but it also made me feel a bit behind since they’re already using these activities with their students. My goal now is to observe how they’re implementing vocabulary strategies in their programmes and then give it a try myself. The best part about revisiting vocabulary instruction has been discovering new ways to reinforce it effectively.