Critical Issue: Vocabulary

Growth in the area of vocabulary has been diminished and weakened in school curriculum these days.  There is more of an emphasis on comprehension and phonics, when vocabulary is an active component of reading.  Many students struggle with vocabulary.  ELLs and students from diverse populations are some of these students.  Students from low socio-economic backgrounds tend to be weaker in vocabulary, because they might not have educational experiences outside of school or discussions at home that teach them new words.  Ells are similar if they do not speak English outside of school.  Many simply vocabulary words to one student, might be completely foreign to an ELL.  This is a serious issue for these students and they will continue to fall further behind classmates if there is not planned instruction for vocabulary in place.

            
Vocabulary actually affects comprehension.  If students are not able to understand the meaning of words in the text, it might alter the overall understanding of the story.  Also, there are multiple questions regarding word meaning on standardized tests.  Strengthening the area of vocabulary, strengthens all areas of reading, because students are reading a wide variety and experiencing multiple exposures.

Vocabulary must be taught early and directly.  It must be taught early, because by third grade, words get more complex and students are expected to read to learn, not learn to read.  It has to be taught directly through explanation and opportunity to use them.  Students cannot simply be told to look up a list of words in the dictionary and write the meaning ten times.  They must be taught specific words and word-learning strategies so students can determine the meaning of unfamiliar words.  There are many techniques and strategies teachers can use to teach vocabulary throughout the year.  Teachers should research and use multiple strategies that incite engagement and active learning. 

For these reasons, vocabulary should be placed at the top of the critical issue list at my school and in my district.  My school is a Title One school with a diverse population.  Data shows that this is an area of weakness for our students.