Word-Learning Strategies
Specific word instruction is one way to increase students’ vocabulary. Another method of teaching vocabulary, equipping students with word-learning strategies, allows them to expand their vocabulary when reading independently. These word-learning strategies must be explicitly taught to students and will provide the tools needed to become independent word learners.
According to the National Reading Panel (2000), effective word-learning strategies include:
- how to use dictionaries to confirm and deepen knowledge of word meanings;
- how to use morphemic (word-part) analysis to derive the meanings of words in the text;
- how to use contextual analysis to infer the meanings of words in the text. (Diamond & Gutlohn, 2006, p. 74)
Provide student dictionaries, such as Collins COBUILD New Student’s Dictionary or Heinle’s Basic Newbury House Dictionary of American English. Teach students how to read a dictionary entry and understand the components included.
Morphemic analysis allows students to use knowledge of known morphemes to determine the meaning of a word. For example, if a student is presented with the word “returnable,” the word can be broken down into the following meaningful parts:
re + turn + able
re = back or again able = able to
Returnable means able to turn back in (or able to take back).
The explicit practice of this can be provided through the Blending portion of the Three-Part Drill with Morphemes or through the Application portion of the lesson plan for Teaching a New Concept (Morphemes). Creating Word Sums or Mini Matrices are examples of ways to apply this skill. Electronic mini matrices can be created through www.wordworkskingston.com.
When working with English-language learners, making them aware of cognates is another helpful word-learning strategy. Cognates are “words in two languages that share a similar spelling, pronunciation, and meaning” (Diamond & Gutlohn, 2006, p. 84). For example, some English/Spanish cognates are animal/animal, class/clase, and family/familia.