Vocabulary can be so tricky. It can make or break a student's understanding of text; this is especially true when working with content-specific vocabulary. There are many ways to introduce, develop, and master vocabulary.
In this post I will share with you 2 student-specific strategies, which work for any subject you teach, that will help your students master vocabulary.
Knowledge Rating
Knowledge ratings are a simple way to introduce words that students will encounter in upcoming lessons or text. Knowledge ratings can be used for any subject and with any number of terms you may need.
Students are presented with a given list of terms. For each term, the student will rank themselves on a 4-point scale. A score of 1 means the student has never seen or heard the word. A score of 4 means the student has mastered the word and can teach it to someone else.
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| Knowledge Rating Vocabulary Strategy |
Once students have completed the individual scoring of each term, they add up the individual numbers and have their rating. When using a knowledge rating for a unit of study (social studies, science, math) have them keep the rating. At the end of the unit, ask them to rate themselves again. The goal will be for students to increase their rating. If using a knowledge rating for a novel study, break the terms up by chapter or section. Once students have completed the section, go back to the rating and rate once again.
Knowledge Ratings are a great way for students to consider their own level of understanding and mastery of upcoming vocabulary. Using a rating allows students to consider where they currently are with particular terms and gives them a focus for improvement throughout the upcoming lessons.
Vocabulary Card
Vocabulary Cards are basically 4-Square Organizers that give students a space to write words they find interesting. They are organized by part of speech. (I also arrange my Word Wall by Part of Speech.) As students read a novel or work through a unit of study, they can add words to the appropriate spot and refer back to them later on.
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| Vocabulary Card Strategy |
When meeting in a small group, I will ask students to share words they have added to their cards. Where did they find them (page number)? What do they think the word means? What might be a synonym for the word?
Allocating 10-15 minutes to this discussion gives students an opportunity to steer the lesson in a direction they find interesting.
Different from a glossary, in which particular words are given to the students, vocabulary cards give students the opportunity to create a collection of words they find interesting. It is very student-specific and helps keep students engaged in what might otherwise be a very bland topic of conversation.
For other ideas to develop vocabulary click a link below:
4 Steps to Building Vocabulary
Teaching Vocabulary with Mentor Texts
Developing Vocabulary in Social Studies
No matter what the subject is, vocabulary can be a tough obstacle to overcome. With a few student-driven vocabulary strategies, you can keep your students engaged and on their way to mastering vocabulary!
You can read about other strategies to use during your ELA instruction by clicking a link below:
Best Comprehension Strategies for Your Elementary Classroom
Best Character Analysis Strategies for Your Elementary Classroom
Grab your own set of editable vocabulary activities (along with other reading responses) to use with your students from my TpT store here: Reading Response Worksheets or by clicking the image below.
Your download will include:
Google Slides
• Cover Slide
• 3 Vocabulary Slides
• 5 Comprehension and Character Study Slides
• 5 Author's Craft, Summary/Sequence Slides
• 3 Theme Written Response Slides
PDF Printables
• Pre-Reading Activities
• Vocabulary
• Literary Devices
• Comprehension
• Character Analysis
• In-depth Analysis
• Summary & Sequence of Event Responses
• Theme Written Response
• Organizers & Rubrics