New Vocabulary Words for Children

Did you know:

•Students must learn 3,000 words per year by 3rd grade.

•Only 400 words a year are directly taught by teachers.

•Students do not learn vocabulary words based on their age or their grade.

•They learn words based on their experiences , (Beck, et al, 2002)

•Academic demands are high

•Everyday speech consists of only 5,000- 7,000 words.

Parents and teachers have a role to play in expanding a child’s vocabulary. The more children read and hear books read aloud, as well as listen and engage in conversations, the more they are exposed to new words. When a child asks, “What does that mean?” they should be told an accurate and appropriate definition based on their age and cognitive ability to make meaning of the word.

Children learn new words through experiences, therefore science experiments, videos, art, movement, fieldtrips, guest speaker are important. Engaging in conversations allows a child to hear and practice new words. Visuals are particularly valuable to expand vocabulary, as most children are visual learners. Using multi-sensory activities helps place new learning into longterm memory. It’s important for new words to be presented in kid-friendly terms.

Here are examples of Common Core State Standards for vocabulary acquisition for Grade 2 (this is only a sampling, check out the full list online :

•CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.4
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 2 reading and content, choosing flexibly from an array of strategies.

•CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.4.A
Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

•CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.4.B
Determine the meaning of the new word formed when a known prefix is added to a known word (e.g., happy/unhappy, tell/retell).

•CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.4.C
Use a known root word as a clue to the meaning of an unknown word with the same root (e.g., addition, additional).

This is a great way to show “shades of meaning.” Teach synonyms in a visual manner. Paint strips can be found at Walmart and hardware stores.

Remember that children acquire vocabulary primarily from experiences. MAKE IT FUN.

In order to teach vocabulary, you must be aware of the three different types or tiers. Tier 1 vocabulary can be classified as everyday vocabulary that we use in life around us. This type of vocabulary is often learned orally at a young age, reading, and daily experiences.

•Tier 2 vocabulary is high utility words found in cross curricular texts.

• They are academic words that are general enough to be used across all domains, yet are not part of students’ everyday social language.

•Example: students know “happy,” but may not know, “contented.”

•Tier 2 words need to be taught because they are not used daily and it increases a student’s vocabulary to know synonyms.

Tier 3 vocabulary is domain or content specific. For example, if teaching about circles, the word circumference or radius would need to be taught. Or if you are doing an ancient civilizations unit on Egypt, the word hieroglyphics would need to be explained. Students’ academic success comes when specific instruction of both Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary is taught.