Develop and Maintain Word Meanings

Specific Word Knowledge

A student’s specific word knowledge is developed by selecting appropriate words to teach based on the needs of the students in the classroom. The following activities may be used to actively involve the students in developing their specific word knowledge, but are not limited to:

Identifying the new word, pronouncing the new word, spelling the new word
Writing the new word
Describing the new word using other words that the student already knows
Using semantic maps to categorize the new word with other familiar words
Verbally using the new word in sentences
Writing the new word in sentences
Creating “student-friendly” definitions for the new word
Identifying antonyms, synonyms, and homophones of the new word

Word-Learning Strategies

Word-learning strategies are tools students use during teacher read-aloud activities, specific word instruction, and independent reading. The following activities may be used to actively involve the students in developing their word learning strategies, but are not limited to:

Using context clues in text and illustrations to determine the word meaning
Using word-part clues (morphology) to determine the meaning of a word: root words, prefixes, and suffixes
Lively, interactive, and challenging higher level discussions about the text occur