2. What is
a
Vocabulary?
Vocabulary plays a fundamental
role in the reading process and is
critical to reading comprehension.
Children learn the meanings of most
words indirectly, through everyday
experiences with oral and written
language. Other words are learned
through carefully designed
instruction.
3. What is
Vocabulary?
Vocabulary refers to the words
we must understand to
communicate effectively.
Educators often consider four
types of vocabulary: listening,
speaking, reading, and writing.
4. What is
Vocabulary?
Listening vocabulary refers to the
words we need to know to
understand what we hear. Speaking
vocabulary consists of the words we
use when we speak. Reading
vocabulary refers to the words we
need to know to understand what
we read. Writing vocabulary consists
of the words we use in writing.
5. What is
Vocabulary?
Vocabulary plays an important part in
learning to read. Beginning readers
must use the words they hear orally to
make sense of the words they see in
print. Kids who hear more words
spoken at home learn more words and
enter school with better vocabularies.
This larger vocabulary pays off
exponentially as a child progresses
through school.
6. What is
Vocabulary?
Vocabulary is key to reading
comprehension. Readers cannot
understand what they are reading
without knowing what most of the
words mean. As children learn to
read more advanced texts, they
must learn the meaning of new
words that are not part of their
oral vocabulary.
7. Research
Studies
There are studies on
vocabulary instruction stated
that most vocabulary is learned
indirectly and that some
vocabulary must be taught
directly. Thus, it supports using
a combination of both indirect
and direct approaches.
8. Indirect
Vocabulary
Learning
Indirect Vocabulary Learning
Children learn the meanings of most
words indirectly, through everyday
experiences with oral and written
language.
Children learn word meanings indirectly
in three ways:
They engage daily in oral language
They listen to adults read to them
They read extensively on their own
9. Direct
Vocabulary
Learning
Direct Vocabulary Learning
Although a great deal of vocabulary is
learned indirectly, some vocabulary
should be taught directly.
Direct instruction helps students learn difficult
words, such as words that represent complex
concepts that are not part of the students'
everyday experiences.
Direct instruction of vocabulary relevant to a
given text leads to better reading
comprehension.
10. Direct
Instruction
Direct instruction includes:
Providing students with instruction in
specific words that are important to
students’ content learning or
understanding of a particular text
Teaching students more general
word-learning strategies that they
can apply to a variety of words, such
as analyzing parts of words (e.g.,
root words)
11. Analyzing
Word
Parts
Analyzing Word Parts
The ability to analyze word parts also
helps when students are faced with unknown
vocabulary.
If students know the meanings of root words and
affixes, they are more likely to understand a word
containing these word parts.
Explicit instruction in word parts includes teaching
meanings of word parts and disassembling and
reassembling words to derive meaning
(Baumann et al., 2002; Baumann, Edwards, Boland, Olejnik, and
Kame'enui, 2003; Graves, 2004).
13. Structural
Analysis
Structural analysis is a
powerful vocabulary tool since
knowledge of a few word parts can give you
clues to the meanings of a large number of
words. Although the meaning suggested by
the word parts may not be exact, this
process can often help you understand the
word well enough that you can continue
reading without significant interruption.
14. Structural
Analysis
When using structural analysis, the reader
breaks words down into their basic
parts:
Prefixes – word parts located at the beginning of a
word to change meaning
Roots – the basic meaningful part of a word
Suffixes – word parts attached to the end of a
word; suffixes often alter the part of speech of the
word
15. Example
For example,
The word ‘incredible’ can be broken
down as follows:
PREFIX – in – meaning: not
ROOT WORD – cred – meaning: the
ability to gain acceptance
SUFFIX-ible – meaning: able to be
‘INCREDIBLE’ – too extraordinary and
improbable to be believed
17. Importance
The Importance of Structural Analysis
Studying roots, prefixes, and suffixes helps
students:
Learn to break apart unfamiliar words in
order to understand their overall meanings
Understand how prefixes and suffixes can
change a word's meaning and how much of
our language is constructed
Increase vocabulary and reading
comprehension
