What is Academic Vocabulary?
The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) define academic vocabulary words as the words that are traditionally used in academic dialogue and text. Specifically, it refers to words that are not necessarily common or that children would encounter in conversation. These words often relate to other more familiar words that students use. For example, rather than watch, observe. They are also words that help students understand oral directions and classroom instructional dialog. They also help students to comprehend text across different content areas- including math, science, and social studies/history.
(http://www.learninga-z.com/commoncore/academic-vocabulary.html)
Why teach Academic Vocabulary?
According to Marzano, the strongest action a teacher can take to ensure that students have academic background knowledge to understand the content they will encounter is to provide them with direct instruction of academic vocabulary.
How should Academic Vocabulary be taught? (Six Step Process by Robert Marzano).
The process of teaching academic vocabulary includes six steps. The focus of steps 1-3 is on introducing new terms and steps 4-6 offer ways to review the terms providing students with a deeper insight.
1. Provide the students an explanation, description, examples and non-examples of the new term.
2. Ask students to write an explanation in their own words.
3. Ask students to construct a picture, symbol, analogy, metaphor, or graphic of the term.
4. Engage students periodically in activities that help them add to their knowledge of the terms.
5. Periodically ask students to discuss the terms with one another.
6. Involve students periodically in games that allow them to play with the terms.
(http://acsulit.wordpress.com/academic-language/)
The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) define academic vocabulary words as the words that are traditionally used in academic dialogue and text. Specifically, it refers to words that are not necessarily common or that children would encounter in conversation. These words often relate to other more familiar words that students use. For example, rather than watch, observe. They are also words that help students understand oral directions and classroom instructional dialog. They also help students to comprehend text across different content areas- including math, science, and social studies/history.
(http://www.learninga-z.com/commoncore/academic-vocabulary.html)
Why teach Academic Vocabulary?
According to Marzano, the strongest action a teacher can take to ensure that students have academic background knowledge to understand the content they will encounter is to provide them with direct instruction of academic vocabulary.
- "Academic words" are critical to understanding academic texts
- More likely to appear in written text than in speech
- Directly related to higher achievement in reading comprehension
How should Academic Vocabulary be taught? (Six Step Process by Robert Marzano).
The process of teaching academic vocabulary includes six steps. The focus of steps 1-3 is on introducing new terms and steps 4-6 offer ways to review the terms providing students with a deeper insight.
1. Provide the students an explanation, description, examples and non-examples of the new term.
2. Ask students to write an explanation in their own words.
3. Ask students to construct a picture, symbol, analogy, metaphor, or graphic of the term.
4. Engage students periodically in activities that help them add to their knowledge of the terms.
5. Periodically ask students to discuss the terms with one another.
6. Involve students periodically in games that allow them to play with the terms.
(http://acsulit.wordpress.com/academic-language/)
