Chapter Five: Vocabulary Development:

Implementing a Strategic Plan

Akonga face many challenges in their learning. What can highlight differences between akonga is their grasp of vocabulary.When they lack the adequate vocabulary to access a lesson or sit an exam their ability to achieve is hindered. paragraph. Your News section is a great place to establish yourself as an authority in your field by offering informational articles and resources, or updates about your company to your visitors. If you’ve been making headlines in other media outlets, you can mention that here too. Here in your introductory paragraph, talk about the fact that you’re in the news, making news, or have some exciting updates to tell visitors about!

Challenge 1:

There are akonga that arrive at adulthood, beginning their academic careers with significant gaps.
Hart and Risley (1995) established a correlation between family income and vocabulary gaps in children as young as 3 years old. Their data shows that welfare families typically possess just 70% of the vocabulary that working-class families. The gap widens between middle-class families and welfare families, with these akonga possessing just 45% of their more affluent counter-parts. The holes in vocabulary further entrench the gap between low-achieving and high-achieving akonga.

Challenge 2:

Akonga face a barrage of new academic vocabulary every day. The key question here: “Are akonga gaining ground on vocabulary or adding to their existing gaps?”. Marzano, (2004) shows the number of new vocabulary akonga are faced with and it is staggering. The volume between grades 3-5 is comparable to high school. Level 2: 2,398 and Level 3: 2,352, the numbers demonstrate why any akonga might feel overwhelmed. Possessing a poor vocabulary has severe implications for reading and learning. A strong correlation can between drawn between vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension, the more unfamiliar akonga are with words in print, the more trouble they have understanding what they’re reading.

Direct instruction in vocabulary is needed to support akonga
to gain a deeper understanding of content.

What's needed?

Principle 1: Multiple exposures are necessary to build true mastery.

Multiple learning experiences whereby akonga go on a journey of learning with words, deepens their understanding. They benefit from getting numerous, varied opportunities with the use of new words.

Principle 2: The V in vocabulary is for visual.

Akonga deepen their understanding by using non-linguistic representations of words. Kaiako need to integrate these experiences frequently and more strategically.

Principle 3: High-impact vocabulary instruction engages akonga in interactions with words.

Kaiako should make the experiences: hands-on and interactive.

Principle 4: Effective instruction focuses on words students need to know now.

Akonga need to practise words in context to “own” academic vocabulary.

Principle 5: Incidental vocabulary is important, too.

Kaiako model incidental vocabulary through class / group discussions on content; this should be continued.

Strategies to develop
strong vocabulary:

T.I.P charts:

Refer to chapter 2 notes. Link.

Quirky comparisons:

“A ____________ is like ___________ because _________________.” Akonga brainstorm analogies that compare the seemingly very different ideas or nouns. Through discussion they describe why they’ve drawn their conclusion.

Vocabulary sorts:

Refer to chapter 4 notes.

What’s the point?
Kaiako need to keep vocabulary learning fresh and exciting, the words must be used authentically and repeatedly.