MCVIP – A Multi-Faceted, Comprehensive Vocabulary Instruction Program

By Baumann, Manyak, Blachowicz, Graves, Arner, Bates, Cieply, Davis, Peterson, & Olejnik

MCVIP is a research and development project funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences. MCVIP is based on Graves’s (2006, 2009) four-component vocabularyprogram, which includes “(1) providing rich and varied language experiences; (2) teaching individual words; (3) teaching […]

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Making the Most of Web 2.0 Tools

By Jill Castek

The use of digital media in vocabulary learning should not only be receptive (e.g., viewing vocabulary graphics), but also generative (actively engaging students in using language and media to express themselves and to create products that represent their new knowledge). This type of vocabulary learning empowers students as agents of their own learning. […]

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Teach Students the All-Purpose Academic Word List

By Alice Thomas

The Academic Word List (AWL) consists of 570 word families that occur reasonably frequently over a wide range of academic texts. The list was developed and evaluated by Averil Coxhead for her MA thesis (Coxhead, 2000). The AWL word families were selected according to range and frequency. For range, the word families had […]

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Modeling Word Solving

By Nancy Frey and Douglas Fisher

Although selecting words worthy of being taught is one of the hardest things about explicit vocabulary instruction, modeling is one of the most underutilized instructional routines for ensuring students’ progress in word knowledge and word solving. Modeling word solving strategies does not focus on specific words, but rather the skills […]

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“Sequestration” and the Complexity of Word Knowledge

By Susan Ebbers

Sequestration is upon us. Specific budget cuts will be announced, and for each nonexempt federal program, this will be carried out by some kind of Edward Sequester Hands. The incisions will be felt most by the unemployed and the furloughed, and I expect they won’t be happy about it. In fact, the tune […]

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Selecting Words: An Important Consideration in Explicit Vocabulary Instruction

By Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey

There are a number of instructional components required for students to really learn words. It’s not simply a matter of assigning words, having students define those words, and then testing them on the words. Rather, the evidence suggests that students need explicit instruction in word meanings, repeated exposure to words, […]

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Tips on Teaching Individual Words

By Michael Graves

After working for nearly 50 years as an educator, I am all too frequently chagrined by how much we do not know, by how many questions about teaching remain unanswered. But there is one thing we absolutely do know: We know how to effectively teach individual words!

Effective Instruction on Individual Words

To understand what […]

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Building Vocabulary Through Morphemes: Using Word Parts To Unlock Meaning

By Alice Thomas

Direct instruction of the most common morphemes (prefixes, suffixes, and root words) can greatly enhance and build the vocabulary and reading comprehension of all students, especially struggling readers. Once students become familiar with the most common morphemes, they can then use their knowledge of word parts to help determine meaning when they encounter […]

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Word Harvesting: Using Authentic Literature As The Source For Vocabulary Learning

By Timothy Rasinsk

Have you ever seen a writing rubric that doesn’t include “word choice” as one of the criteria against which to assess the quality of students’ writing? Word choice goes beyond students’ writing. Published authors themselves, whether of adult or children’s literature, choose interesting words to improve their writing. Thus, it stands to reason […]

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Implications Of A Prefix

By Vicki Gibson, Ph.D. 

At-risk readers and writers benefit the most from explicit vocabulary instruction in every subject area (Baumann and Kame’enui, 2006). What makes a lesson explicit? Consider the implications of one prefix in particular: Originating from Latin, the prefix pre– means ‘before or prior to, in advance of or coming beforehand’ (Webster’s New Universal […]

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