Strategies for Vocabulary Teaching

Ryan Brux

English Language Fellow

Tarapoto, Peru

Discussion Questions

• In learning a 2nd language how have you BEST learned new vocabulary?– Picture Dictionaries– Guessing meaning through context– Glossaries/Vocabulary Lists– Flashcards– Breaking down words (roots, suffixes, prefixes)– Other methods?

Use pictures to help you understand

In the Peruvian region of Piura, there is a famous beach, Mancora.

Use context cluesThe city is on the banks of

three important rivers.

Break down words by looking at prefixes/suffixes/root words

Populous

Pop (root word) from Latin‘populi’ meaning people

-ous (suffix) = having the quality/relating to (adj.)

Word Chart

Active Reading Strategies

Improving ComprehensionImproving Comprehension

Do you think about what you read? As you read silently, think about these 5 Reading Strategies:

5 Active Reading Strategies:

2. VisualizeVisualize

3. Stop and check Stop and check

4. ConnectConnect

5. RespondRespond

1.1. Get Ready to ReadGet Ready to Read

1. Get Ready to Read

•Look at the pictures

•Skim and scan

•Activate schema

Look at the pictures

Skim and Scan

• Pictures

• Titles

• Subtitles

• Key words

• Bold-faced words

What did skimming make you think about?

Activate Schema

• What do you already What do you already know about the subject?know about the subject?

Graphic Organizer: KWL

KWL Chart

2. Visualize

Hmm…what do I see?

Create a picture in Create a picture in your mindyour mind

Graphic Organizer: A Captured Image

A Captured Image

3. STOP and Check

• Do I understand?Do I understand?

• Do I have any questions?Do I have any questions?

• What are my predictions What are my predictions moving forward?moving forward?

Do I understand?

• What is the main idea?What is the main idea?

• What are the important What are the important details?details?

If need be, organize your thoughts using a concept web.

ConceptWeb

Predict

• What do you think will What do you think will happen? Prove it!happen? Prove it!

• Use foreshadowing (clues)Use foreshadowing (clues)

4. Connect

•Text to Self•Text to Text•Text to world

Graphic Organizer: Reminds Me Chart

Text to Self

Bring your Bring your own own experiencesexperiences to the story. to the story.

“This reminds me of the time I

went fishing with my dad.”

Text to TextMake Make

connections to connections to other literature, other literature, movies, etc.movies, etc.

This part reminds me of that movie I watched last

week.

Text to WorldThis reminds This reminds

me of…me of…This book reminds me of …

Reminds Me Of Chart

5. RespondResponding to literature is the way in which one reacts to something that has been read or listened to (Cooper, 1993). 

5. Respond

• What does the story say What does the story say to you?to you?

5. Respond

• What is the mood of the What is the mood of the story?story?

5. Respond

• SummarizeSummarize

• RetellRetell

• AnalyzeAnalyze

• GeneralizeGeneralize

Response activities may include: completing a graphic organizer such as a story map or character web, a book project (diorama, book report, etc.), a peer discussion, a book talk, a book review or a reading response journal entry.

Review: 5 Active Reading Strategies

2. VisualizeVisualize

3. Stop and check Stop and check

4. ConnectConnect

5. RespondRespond

1.1. Get Ready to ReadGet Ready to Read