Instruction for the Vulnerable Reader: Vocabulary
Previous posts in this series on quality instruction for vulnerable readers have addressed word work and spelling. this post will address vocabulary. I have addressed the topic of vocabulary in a number of posts over the years. There are three key things I think we need to keep in mind when helping vulnerable readers build on their vocabulary.
1. Always work to build vocabulary from a conceptual base; that is, vocabulary is best learned through connections with already established concepts that children possess. If we want children to understand the concept of domestic animal, it is best to work to expand the knowledge they already have about pets.
2. Children need many meaningful encounters with a word before they own it. CONTINUE READING: Russ on Reading: Instruction for the Vulnerable Reader: Vocabulary