Academic Vocabulary

 

One of the key shifts in Common Core standards is an emphasis on academic vocabulary.  These are words that are used in the classroom, in textbooks, and on assessments.  Understanding academic language is essential to student success.  Academic vocabulary needs to be taught explicitly.  It is not likely to be acquired through students’ independent reading or incidental classroom exposure.

Vocabulary words can be divided into three tiers.  Tier 1 words appear frequently in spoken language.  They are commonly used in various contexts, not just in classroom or educational settings.  They rarely require explicit instruction. These would be words like clock, house, or walking.

Tier 2 words are used less commonly, and are likely to appear more often in written text than in spoken language.  These words are generalized, and used in many different contexts.  They are often more precise ways to say rather simple things. They are essential to understanding, and need to be taught explicitly.  Examples of these words are: conclude, define, and dialogue.

Tier 3 words are highly specialized, and domain-specific.  They are not generalized, or used widely. These words must be explicitly taught. Tier three word examples are: isotope, tectonic plates, phoneme

Here is a suggested procedure for teaching academic vocabulary:

1.  Introduce the word by providing a description, explanation, or example in student-friendly terms.  Do not use dictionary definitions when introducing the word.  Write the word for students to see.  Have students repeat the word, and spell it orally.  Provide several opportunities for students to read and say the word.

2.  Have students explain the term in their own words and let them share examples, synonyms, or uses of the word.

3.  Have students represent the word in graphic or picture form.

4.  Working with partners or in small groups, have students discuss their ideas and understanding of the word.

5.  Provide opportunities for the word to be used in context.  Teach a word when it will be incorporated into the lesson activities.  For example, teach the word develop when students will be working on writing assignments and can be encouraged to develop their ideas and add more information.

6.  Be sure to teach other forms of the word.  For example, when students learn conclusion (a noun), they should also learn conclude (a verb).

7. Review and revisit the words after they have been taught.  Use the terms frequently during instruction in all subjects.

 

I have  new academic vocabulary packet in my Teachers Pay Teachers store.  It has page-size posters for 48 academic vocabulary terms that are taken directly from Common Core standards.  I purposes chose words that were not tied to one domain, but are very general and are useful in any subject area.  You can find it here:

Academic Vocabulary from Common Core Standards

 

 

 

First of all, a big thank you to all current military personnel and their families, as well as all veterans, on this Veteran's Day.  I am so grateful to all of you, and grateful for this great nation.  I am so proud of my dad for his service during the Korean War.

The journey into Common Core Math Standards has been interesting, to say the least.  It has been fustrating, as we have tried to shift gears in the way we think about math, and the things we expect of students.  We are using "GO MATH!" for the first time this year.  My kiddos have had a struggle with all the problem solving.  We have not, in the past, expected them to THINK so much!  They are beginning to get a little better at it.  I know it will be a process.  I am anxious to see how our American kids, overall, do with math in the next few years.  There are some things about the Common Core standards that I really like.  I think the shift toward more problem solving is good.  I think that emphasizing fewer topics and going more in depth is good.  I have to admit I'm a little worried about some of the things that seem to have been left out.  Topics that were a big part of our third grade math curriculum previously, seem to have just disappeared. . POOF!  We no longer directly teach place value, for instance.  Maybe with the emphasis in first and second grade, there will no longer be that need. . . .we shall see.
I was asked a question today on my Teachers Pay Teachers page that is a very good question, indeed.  I created a quadrilaterals unit, based on the Common Core Standards.  A teacher who bought that unit wondered why I included trapezoids, rectangles, squares, rhombi, but not parallelograms.  The answer is that the word parallelogram is not used in the Common Core.  I don't know if that's good or bad.  It's one less definition to remember, but also one less classification to use in making sense of quadrilaterals.