Early Childhood Educator Preparation to Support High-Quality Language Instruction
Explicit Vocabulary Instruction
MODULE 2
Explicit vocabulary instructional strategies are beneficial because they help children learn a set of new words that are useful in meaningful contexts. Recent research indicates that vocabulary instruction is most effective when children learn more than just to recognize a word or its picture. Vocabulary knowledge is deeper, longer lasting, and has more impact on later learning when the child can tell you what the word means, even in their own, child-like way. This does not mean that our goal is for children to memorize definitions. Instead, we use the definitions to build their conceptual understanding of what words stand for and how they connect to other words on the same subject or that mean similar things. In Module 2, we will be learning three explicit vocabulary instructional strategies. They are book embedded vocabulary instruction, network activities and category activities. Key features common among all three of these explicit vocabulary teaching strategies include: repeated exposure to words, child friendly definitions provided by the teacher, and labeling the target word for the child first instead of having the children guess the word.
Category Lesson
The goal of the category lesson is to increase children’s vocabulary depth and breadth by grouping words into various categories based on their meanings. This activity allows children to actively engage in developmentally appropriate sorting of familiar and new words within a particular theme.
The lesson begins by defining the two main categories into which words will be sorted. Next children will be taught a gesture or hand motion for both words. The teacher will have children generate examples for the first category, followed by the second. During this portion of the lesson, the teacher will elaborate on the examples by sharing factual information.
After the children have identified examples for each category, the group will play the “What’s Your Sign” game. The teacher will name an example of something that is either one category or the other and the children will show the gesture for the appropriate category. Throughout the lesson, teachers should prompt children to explain why they chose a particular category into which to sort their examples.
Module 2 Category Lesson
How does the teacher teach the children about beavers and deepen their understanding of this animal?
The teacher talks about the color of the beavers teeth and she shows the children a picture of a beaver.
It helped children understand that it is safe to drink fresh water and it salt water is unsafe and tastes bad.
She guides them to think about familiar places in their environment (i.e., beach). She describes the frog’s habitat, points out that a tree frog is green and asks the children if they have ever seen a tree frog at the beach.
Anchor Chart Lesson
An anchor chart lesson helps children form and explore connections between words by discussing and describing how words are connected. By making these connections, children will understand the concepts and words being taught. In the anchor chart lessons, words may be connected by being synonyms, antonyms, or by sharing a common context. Anchor chart lesson are implemented using the ten steps below.
The lesson begins by introducing the center target word and providing a child friendly definition. Throughout the lesson the teacher can choose to represent the words in written form, with a sketch, a stock photo, the images provided, or any combination thereof. Once the center word has been presented, the teacher will provide 2-3 examples of words in the anchor chart, explicitly stating how each word is connected to the center target word.
Once all examples have been demonstrated, allow children to generate their own ideas for other words connected to the target word. Each word provided should be connected to the center word to highlight the relationships. At the end of the lesson, the teacher will review the created word web and connect all of the ideas and words back to the center word and the overarching theme.
Module 2 Anchor Chart Lesson
She restates the definition of saturate and includes extended explanations of its meaning. Ex: It is filled with water. You can’t put any more water in it.
The teacher affirms the answers and explains how the words are connected to the center target word (is it an opposite, an event, an example).
Using the additional provided words/images, the teacher introduces the word, provides a definition, and explains how it connects to the center word.
Book Embedded Vocabulary Instruction (BEVI)
The goal of book embedded vocabulary instruction is to incorporate explicit vocabulary instruction within a large group shared reading experience. The shared reading strategy includes four parts: pre-planning, pre-teaching target words, first encounter of the target words, and second encounter of the target words. After these four parts are completed, the teacher will lead the children in a shared writing experience.
During pre-planning, teachers should prepare by carefully selecting books that relate to a theme they are teaching. Teachers should also select target vocabulary words within that book that support children’s understanding of the book and of the larger thematic content the teacher wants them to learn. Finally, the teacher will need to plan what the child-friendly definition is for each target word and where they will pause during the book reading to briefly re-define the words.
During pre-teaching of the selected target words, the teacher introduces each of the target words before actually reading the book. Using the most realistic illustration, the teacher will say the target word, prompt the children to say the target word, and give a child friendly definition.
Next, the teacher will read the text as a read-aloud. However, when the reading comes to the first encounter of the target words in the text, the teacher will: (1) review the target word, (2) have children repeat the word, and (3) say the child friendly definition of the target word while pointing out the word in the illustration. If a target word is encountered for a second time during the book reading, the teacher will repeat these three steps.
During the shared writing experience, the teacher should ask children to share what they have learned from the book reading and what they would still like to find out. The teacher records the children’s responses on chart paper, under the headings “Now we know…” and “Let’s find out…”.
Module 2 Book Embedded Vocabulary Instruction Pre-Teach and Read
Module 2 Book Embedded Vocabulary Instruction Shared Writing Extension
The author’s name and what the author does. ELA.RI.PK3.6 – With guidance and support, identify the role of the author and illustrator.
She asks about certain animals in a prompting question. For example, she asks, “Do you think snakes live in the wetlands?”
She says the word, defines the word, points out a picture if applicable and has the children repeat the word.
