Teaching Vocabular

y

Natalya Koryakina

“Words are the starting point. Without words, children can’t talk about people, places, or things, about actions, relations, or states.”

Clark, 1993“…vocabulary is the glue thatholds stories, ideas, and

content together…making comprehension accessible for

children.” Rupley, Logan, & Nichols,

1998/99, p. 339

hobbySupermanhot-dogcheeseburgercoca-cola.goalkeepertransportforwardsprinterSupermarketbusinessmandollarcomputerhappy end

 

 basketballjoystickvolleyballdesignhockeye-mailtennisRapfileprintertop

the Internetcrosswordjeans office skateboardbikerliftpuzzlesmilefootball

The first lesson is a

very important

one

Say a password

How are you today?

What is there in the box?

Is it big\small\long\short\thick\thin?Is it triangle\round\square\

rectangle\oval? Is it eatable\tasty\sour\sweet\salty\

bitter\juicy?Is it red\green\orange\blue\

brown…?Is it an apple\ an orange\ a pen\a

candy…?

Show me your…

 Rhyme Time Rhyming is not only fun to do, but is an easy way to get your child to think about how words can relate to each other.

TPR

Marry-go-round

Spelling in the air Matching synonyms Matching antonyms Finding mistakes Wiping off the word you hear Bingo Hangman Rearranging letters to form words Crossword Puzzles Rankings Mime Drawing(When it comes to teaching vocabulary

words to younger students, there are plenty of easy options. Coloring pages and picture books help students visualize the words that they are being taught, which helps with comprehension)

Sort them out:domestic animals or wild animals

a tiger, a cat, a giraffe, an elephant,a dog, a zebra, a hen, a bear…

When teaching primary students, flashcards are an incredibly useful recourse for teaching vocabulary

A picture is worth a thousand words.

Try to guess…What is this?

Vocabulary knowledge is not something that can ever be fully

mastered; it is something that expands and deepens

over the course of a lifetime.

But there is no magic bullet; you can’t improve your vocabulary overnight. So, the more you practice, the more you learn.