Because of the gap that I found in their learning, I wove small teaching moments into instruction for the next few weeks as we encountered inflectional endings attached to words of which they had some basic knowledge. I gradually started selecting words that I found necessary for the deep understanding of the text at hand—not necessarily the same words the publisher had selected. Also, I wanted my students to be word-seekers, to find words in the books they chose for independent reading, and to be genuinely interested in growing their own vocabularies. I understood that by requiring my students to read their self-selected books for more than two hours a week in class and for homework, I could support their vocabulary growth by asking them to be cognizant of words they did not know, to record them, and to apply them. I finally settled on a vocabulary log assignment in which students would find several unknown words per week in their reading or in their environments and tackle those words by recording the context, defining each word as it was used in context, and using the word in an original sentence. Periodically, I asked students to do word talks during which they shared a word or two with the class and explained why those words were important or interesting. Eventually, I also made a section on my final exam that required students to argue for ten words they thought everyone in their grade level should learn. These assignments weren’t perfect, but they were certainly more aligned with how people authentically learn vocabulary through reading and participating in life.
About This Book
With these realities and concerns in mind, I have drawn from some of those improvised lessons and devised a framework for effective vocabulary minilessons. The term minilessons refers to short lessons that can be completed in twenty minutes or less. This book offers more than one hundred minilessons for immediate use that target specific words and often suggest related words. The chapters and sections in this book group minilessons in ways that build on similarities. In some cases, the target words appear alphabetically. In other cases, they appear in groups based on word length, sound pattern, thematic relationship, or some other kind of similarity.
Chapter 1 outlines the components that make up these minilessons and explains how to logistically implement each. Chapter 2 offers descriptions of the different research-based, time-tested, instructional strategies that are noted throughout the lessons in this book. Teachers can broadly apply these types of instructional strategies to effective vocabulary instruction. These strategies appear throughout the book within minilessons but are also provided in more depth in this chapter as a reference, and also so you can find your own unique ways to apply them to instruction more broadly if you wish. Chapter 2 also includes short descriptions of relevant digital tools. Chapters 3 through 7 describe specific minilessons for some of the essential vocabulary words I’ve identified for helping to ensure success for elementary students in academics and beyond. Chapters 3 and 4 focus on roots, and lessons cover roots alphabetically. Due to the disproportionately high number of roots as compared to other types of word parts, chapter 3 addresses roots beginning with the letters a–k, and chapter 4 addresses roots beginning with the letters l–z. Next, chapter 5 offers lessons centered around target words with common prefixes. Chapter 6 similarly offers lessons for words with common suffixes. Lessons for common academic vocabulary and terms encountered in testing appear in chapter 7. Chapter 8 focuses on terms to expand students’ word choices beyond the simple or slang terms they often fall back on and overuse.
I recommend digital tools and resources in some minilessons. Websites and applications are suggested only when they seem to fit the content well or add extra support or enrichment. Visit go.SolutionTree.com/literacy to access live links to the websites suggested throughout this book. Additionally, an appendix featuring an index of vocabulary words (page 245) lists all words that are included in these minilessons, so you can quickly look up any specific word to see if it’s covered in this resource. This feature can support you as you find important vocabulary in content-area classroom materials that you plan to use in instruction.
This book is not a program, a textbook, or a workbook. It does not have to be digested or utilized in any set manner; the way you use what’s offered here is up to you. It’s a collection of ideas that—when brought to life based on your unique teaching situation—can change the lives of your students for the better. My hope is that you’ll find support for what you already do and inspiration for things you could do differently. As teachers know, with larger vocabularies, your students have a greater chance of being successful in their academic work, communities, and future workplaces.
Final Thoughts
Vocabulary in a SNAP is a resource for you no matter where you are on the vocabulary instruction spectrum. If you’re just beginning to feel the itch to improve in this area, terrific! If you’ve been tinkering with vocabulary instruction for a while, you will find detailed ideas here that can supplement what you’re already doing. And if you’re already an expert teacher of vocabulary, you will find precise suggestions and tools here that save you time and give you new ideas.
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Minilesson Management
Obviously, you’re interested in what you can do to help your students embrace word learning and enlarge their vocabularies. This book can be a handy resource for you and for other professionals in the building who want to address students’ critical need for high levels of vocabulary knowledge. By addressing this critical need, you will be helping students move more clearly toward success in academia and in the world of work.
Vocabulary in a SNAP can fuel teacher inquiry and data collection. After using some of the minilessons, ask your students if they feel they’re learning more words. Ask them if they are excited about word learning. Analyze their speaking and writing for improved word choice. Along with trusted colleagues, determine which minilessons, instructional strategies, and digital tools work best, and continue refining vocabulary instruction at your school. This chapter lays out the research basis for the SNAP minilessons, highlights the flexibility and adaptability of this framework, clarifies the structure and components of the minilessons in depth, and explains the logistics of implementing the minilessons in your classroom.
Research Basis
This book does not purport to be the one, end-all, be-all collection of words that will guarantee students finish their K–5 years prepared for all that lies ahead of them. In fact, no such word list exists, and even if it did, it would not take into account all that good teachers bring to instruction in order to meet their students’ needs.
The excellent teachers I’ve observed and supported as a professional development provider heavily influenced this work. The teachers and students I’ve worked with in settings as dissimilar as West Valley City, Utah, and Zwolle, Louisiana, were first and foremost in my mind. What would I say and do if we were teaching these lessons to their students? How would I work with teachers to adapt the lessons?
I consulted several credible resources to decide which words to include in this book, in addition to consulting many dedicated educators who have been studying vocabulary instruction with me. The following published works have most influenced word selection in this