One of the things you’ll hear teachers saying all the time is, “Children need to build their vocabulary.” The big question is, “How?” We know that people who write well and express themselves effectively have a large vocabulary. So, we believe that in order for our young writers to express themselves effectively they would also need a large vocabulary.
Our problem is that many of us see words and vocabulary in isolation and out of context. This is why we get all those lists of words to find meanings, but that’s only a small part of the process that has been blown out of proportion. Others will tell you to get children reading and have them list the words they don’t understand, find the meanings and learn them. Again, this is an important part of the process, but it’s only PART.
As writing instructors and supporters of our young writers, we should never assume that the connection between reading and writing is automatic. And, we should always remember that context is a critical component of words and meaning. Have you ever wondered why dictionaries always give example sentences to show how words are used? And have you ever noticed that the average word has at least two meanings? This is something that we should keep in mind when encouraging children to build their vocabulary.
So stop with the lists and lists of words and instead focus on having students encounter words in context, used in passages, articles, and stories. And follow-up by providing students with opportunities to use their new words and expressions by producing passages, articles, and stories of their own. Ideally, target 10 to 20 new words a week. Let young writers see these words everywhere.
Provide them with as many opportunities as possible to see how the words are used in different contents and in different ways. Have them try to use two or three of the new words in everything they write, or in discussions they have in class (or at home with a parent). You can start by having them use the words orally to get used to them in context, but be certain to create a process where new words must be included in writing.
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