Make Words Come to Life: How to Teach Vocabulary

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When I first started working with my students and saw a “tier II vocabulary” goal, I had no idea where to start.

How do I know which words are “most important?”


How do I pick out of thousands of words?

What does tier II even mean??

 “Vocabulary knowledge is one of the most important predictors of reading comprehension, inferencing… and is related to quality of life, like employment and engagement of activities”

(Suzanne et al., 2019)

 So, we know vocabulary is important then. Out of thousands of words to choose from, it can be overwhelming to know which words to pick. And then after choosing, how do you teach new words in an engaging manner that sticks?

 In order to answer these questions, we have to first define some terminology:

Three Tiers of Vocabulary

Tier 1: Consists of basic words that do not (usually) require instruction and do not have multiple meanings. These are words that are commonly heard and are generally learned on their own. Examples: apple, cat, & sad.

Tier II: These are high frequency words that occur often in conversation and literature. These words may contain multiple meanings, are used in a variety of contexts, allow students to describe concepts like emotions, in detail and are most important for reading comprehension and expressive language abilities (Beck et al., 2002). Examples: measure, devour, wonder, & deprive

Tier III: These are low frequency, context specific words. These are words that are related to specific hobbies, careers, categories, etc. Example: economics, crepe, World War II, etc.

 How to Pick Vocabulary Words.

  • Pick words that are grade-appropriate

  • Pick a theme each month. It is best to follow the theme that the teacher is using that month/unit (example: Spring related vocabulary)

  • Teach 4-5 words/ unit (Robb, 2003)

  • Choose “academic vocabulary,” which are words that are commonly seen in text and literature and are less likely used during everyday conversation. Student’s have fewer opportunities and exposure to practice academic vocabulary words, yet these words are necessary in order to actively participate in academic tasks and perform at one’s best. 

How to Teach New Words!

1. Teach vocabulary words in context: highlight / draw attention to the new vocabulary word. Teach how to use context clues to identify meaning of unknown word.

Example: A dog will bolt out the door when no one is watching

2. Provide a “kid friendly/age appropriate” definition of the word. Have a student define the word in his/her own words. Incorporate the part of speech into the definition (noun, adjective, verb, preposition)

         Example: Bolt (noun) = to move quickly and suddenly

3. Use a variety of instructional methods (visual, auditory, tactile, etc.)

         Example: say the word 5 times, write the word, identify the word in a word bank, read the word in a sentence

4. Use Morphological awareness to understand how prefixes/suffixes can change the meaning of your target words.

         Example: bolt —> bolted, play —> replay, kind —> unkind

5. Provide opportunities in multiple contexts

     Example: teach synonyms, antonyms, and multiple meanings of your target words

6. Use the word in functional ways. Have students make their own sentences using the word

 7. Incorporate games using the words!

         Example: draw pictures to define new vocabulary word(s), make a story using new words, etc.

 8. Practice, practice, practice! Repetition is most important. Choose your 4-5 words/ unit and show all of the different ways they can be used!

Teaching vocabulary is not kill and drill. Words are powerful and meaningful, make them fun and come to life!