Choosing vocabulary words: first step of content building
Finally! We get to start making content! Since we already know the objectives from the last session (review here), we can start building our vocabulary list for this lesson.
I will admit though, that I had to put in some research on this topic. With a professional career strongly rooted in science and engineering, I had never thought much about what words we should be choosing to teach. Really! Up to now, I had kinda just been winging it. But this series prompted me to question exactly what words I should be feeding to my young learners.
Turns out, it was a good question!
A bit of research turned up that the ‘science’ of vocabulary learning generally breaks the English lexicon into three tiers:
The three tiers of vocabulary words are a framework for categorizing words based on their level of importance in instruction and their frequency of use in language.
- Tier 1 Vocabulary Words: Tier 1 words are basic, everyday words that most children are already familiar with by the time they enter school. These words include basic nouns (e.g., snow, ice), verbs (e.g., run, jump), adjectives (e.g., cold, hot), and adverbs (e.g., quietly, softly). Tier 1 words typically do not require explicit instruction and are not the focus of formal vocabulary instruction.
- Tier 2 Vocabulary Words: Tier 2 words are high-frequency words that appear in a wide range of texts and are essential for comprehension. These words include academic vocabulary, generalizable words, and words with multiple meanings (e.g., analyze, contrast, convey). Tier 2 words are typically taught through explicit instruction and are the focus of vocabulary instruction in the classroom.
- Tier 3 Vocabulary Words: Tier 3 words are low-frequency, subject-specific words that are typically found in textbooks, scientific texts, or other specialized contexts. These words include technical terms, domain-specific words, and jargon (e.g., crystallization, fractals). Tier 3 words are not typically taught in isolation but rather are introduced and defined as they arise in specific contexts.
Understanding the three tiers of vocabulary words can help identify which words are most important to teach explicitly and which words can be learned implicitly through reading and everyday conversation.
But… is that really helpful? Are you really any closer to knowing what words to select for a given lesson? I feel that we, as parents and educators, kinda already have a feel for choosing words at this level. We know what our kids are ready for, what is dismissively easy, and what are stretch goals. The above doesn’t really help.
So I stepped back and looked at the forest again. Is my objective that my kindergartners learn vocabulary words?
Well, # 5 : Students will be able to define and use vocabulary associated with snow.
But if I can’t really describe what vocabulary associated with snow is appropriate, than I am just guessing, aren’t I? An educated guess to be sure. I am their father and know what they need and are capable of, but still just a swag.
Then the Alaska Standards I selected drew my attention. Nothing in them explicitly talked about vocabulary. What they did talk extensively about was developing the ability to communicate. Aha! I am not teaching them vocabulary for the sake of knowing vocabulary, but for the purpose of communication. Vocabulary is then a means to the end, not the end themselves.
So I have three guidelines now to narrow down my choice of vocabulary words:
- Focus on Tier 2 words.
- Use your judgment and insight as their parent and educator to customize to their needs and abilities.
- Ensure the words you are selecting are actually useful and needed to enhance their communication ability.
With this insight, I am going to go back and remove objective #5. It is not an end, but a means to the other objectives. It is not an objective itself!
Which brings me to another point – this process, lesson building, is an iterative process. Expect and be happy when you circle back and modify previous ‘done’ sections. It means you are learning and developing too! And that you are actually building a living lesson plan, instead of just getting through the steps as fast as possible. Embrace this fluidity!
Just because we eliminated objective #5 as a means, not an end, doesn’t mean we drop the idea of explicitly teaching vocabulary! Your kids still need those basic building blocks to get to the goals you need them to attain.
Which vocabulary words should I choose?
With that in mind lets take another look at those objectives and see if we can pull out some appropriate vocabulary words to build into our plan:
- Students will be able to observe and describe the characteristics of snowflakes.
- Student will be able to discuss why sometimes it snows and sometimes it rains.
- Students will be able to compare and contrast the properties of snow and water.
- Students will be able to record their observations and findings in a science journal.
- Discuss ways that the Alaskan Native and the Ainu have learned to survive and thrive in the snow.
Looking at these objectives again (with the vocabulary objective deleted), I propose the following ten vocabulary words for use in this lesson plan for a 3-year old and a 5-year old:
| snow | rain |
| cold | warm |
| white | clear |
| frozen | melt |
Why did I choose these particular word?
- I chose word pairs that can be easily contrasted. This will help them work towards objectives #2 and #3
- There are several adjective words they will be able to use for completing objective #4
- Finally, I chose words that they will be able to actually use when discussing the topic with me, their siblings/relatives, or friends. The vocabulary chosen can actually be used!
Would you have chosen different words?
I hope so! Your choice of words will depend on your objectives, chosen specifically for your child(ren), and is reflective of the your own learning style as well as your judgment on the needs and abilities of your children. My children are bilingual and English is a second language for them. So I have to put more direct thought into language arts and literacy for them than might be necessary for a single language household. My needs are different than yours!
My final thought on choosing vocabulary is that it is highly dependent on the discretion of the teacher (or person designing the lesson plan). There was actually very little specific guidance that I could find on exactly what words are age- or level-appropriate. To be sure there are a ton of leveled ‘word lists’ out there! I am sure the builder of these lists put a lot of thought into them, but I could not find any real evidence that there was a concrete methodology to vocabulary word choice.
Choosing vocabulary words largely comes down to, once again, to the judgment and insight of the educator and how well you know your students.
