Vocabulary Development

I can remember years ago going to Johnson O’Connor, an apptitude testing center, at that time in New York City,  http://www.jocrf.org/.  My father had done it as a young man, and so my sisters and I did it too, a family tradition sort of thing.   Johnson O'Connor research has found that regardless of the profession, from ditch digger to rocket scientist, the single common factor of successful people is that they all have extensive vocabularies.  Since many of the individuals I work with don’t have this, I work very hard at direct vocabulary instruction and getting them interested in words, and language in general.  After doing this work for over 20 years I’ve picked up a number of tools that have worked well.

One of my favorite parts of the work I do is teaching the history of English, which consists of three invasions and two cultural revolutions (I only go up to the Renaissance period.)   This lays the framework for word origin explorations, which I always include when looking at an unfamiliar word. (It also lays the groundwork for the study of Latin and Greek roots and prefixes.)  I do grammar study with them too (using Framing Your Thoughts http://www.projectread.com/Products/framing-your-thoughts-sentence-structure-guide-amp-companion-dvd--204.cfm ), so we pick up the part of speech as well.  We look up the word and review the definitions, and typically simplify it as much as possible without losing the meaning. (Dictionary definitions are often awkward.)  We record all this information on a large index card, along with synonyms that they are familiar with.  We then discuss the situations when the new word might be applied, and by whom.  When our investigation is done, we think up a phrase that picks up the sound of the targeted word.  For example for the word span we might say “span it or land in it”, and illustrate that with a person or creature leaping over a puddle.

Since we absorb words that we have heard more quickly those are the ones I target.  I have used vocabulary lists, but generally I select words from their reading that I think the most useful.  I have a student now who is very visual and have her select a word on the Knowji app, http://www.knowji.com/ which has pictures and sounds and is fun to use.

Having the words on index cards makes it easy to review and do various activities.  One of my favorites is putting some or all of the cards face up and taking turns telling a story.  In each turn we have to use one of our words.  This allows me to demonstrate a range of ways the word can be used, and I can observe the student’s use of the words.  

We absorb vocabulary through multiple exposures in text we are reading.  Though what I do is direct vocabulary instruction, this is not a matter of memorizing words and meanings.  During review I will say a word and give them as much information as they want or need.  We might start with the phrase, the picture, or I might just show them the card.  After a while they often tell me they saw the word, or used it in their writing.  From their writing it will gradually move into their speech.  Then they own it!