Word Aware 1

Teaching Vocabulary Across the Day, Across the Curriculum

Stephen Parsons, Anna Branagan

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2021
• ISBN:
  9781000376951
• Edition: 2
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Inclusive Education

Now in a fully updated second edition, this comprehensive and practical book outlines the theoretical underpinnings for vocabulary and acts as a 'how to' guide to developing word learning across the school and curriculum. It is packed with easy-to-implement activities, worksheets and resources that can be put into practice immediately with individual students or groups, whole classes and throughout the school.

The Word Aware approach provides a structured framework to promote vocabulary development in all children and has been rigorously tried and tested. Now in full colour, with photocopiable and downloadable materials, it is an outstanding resource that will be an essential addition to any school and classroom.

The second edition of Word Aware 1 brings:

• An even wider range of ready-to-go vocabulary activities
• Fine-tuned teaching techniques
• Enhanced resources to develop children's independent word learning skills
• A step-by-step guide to developing a whole school approach

Word Aware 1 is an invaluable tool for teachers and other professionals looking to support children as they broaden their vocabulary. It is particularly suited to children aged 5–11 years but can easily be adapted for older children.

Step 1:
Get Excited About Words

Get Excited About Words

The word learning environment is crucial as it forms the foundation upon which any successful vocabulary intervention is built. Children are born word learners and they will develop vocabulary naturally through exposure (Chiat, 2000). However, by enriching the word learning environment and exposing children to a wider range of words, practitioners are able to give students more opportunities to expand their vocabularies (Scott & Nagy, 2009). As you develop the language environment be careful to make it appropriately challenging. There is a potential to bombard children with language, and this may be counterproductive.

It has been estimated that each child needs to learn seven words per day throughout their schooling if they are to reach the average of knowing 30,000 words by adulthood (Clark, 1993). It is not practical or possible to reach this target via direct teaching alone. Direct teaching has a part to play, and this is expanded in later parts, but enriching the word learning environment remains crucial.

Enriching the word learning environment is not about one major change, but rather about creating a culture in which practitioners are able to reflect and make small changes that suit the children in their classes. Most classrooms will have much in place already, and so the first step in creating an enriched word learning environment is to reflect upon current practice.

It may be tempting to think that the word-enriched environment is mere ‘background’ that can be skipped over in the rush to get to the direct teaching elements. However, small changes in daily practice will greatly increase children’s opportunities for word learning. A word-enriched environment will provide opportunities to learn words independently as well as reinforce words that have been taught via other elements of the Word Aware approach. We have chosen it as the starting point for implementing Word Aware, because it creates a buzz and energy around word learning which can then be built upon.

Two parts to get excited about words:

• Celebrate words: activities and actions which promote enjoyment of the spoken and written word
• Play word games: fun activities that encourage word play, which promotes enjoyment of words, but also allows for new connections to be made. Word learning without knowing about it!

Come together as a school and reflect on what you are doing already to promote children’s enjoyment of words. Get creative and bounce ideas off each other, add in the ideas contained in this book and make a plan to get children truly excited about words. In your plan build in whole school events and opportunities for families to get involved so that the whole school community becomes abuzz with words. The mere mention of ‘words’ can instil fear in some children and adults, so make your activities inclusive so that everyone can participate and benefit.

1. Get Excited About Words: Where to Start

Get staff excited about words. Look at the staff activities (see page 30) and try a few or add your own ideas.

Reflect on what activities you are already doing that get children excited about words. Think about both whole school as well as class-based activities. Then look at how you can make it even better. Start with easy to implement activities that will have maximum impact across the school.

Celebrate words

• Choose a couple of whole school activities from the examples provided on page 34. You could start with ‘whose favourite word?’ (children match a word to a teacher, page 34), children writing their favourite word in chalk in the playground (page 35) or maybe a word challenge day (page 37).
• Every class chooses a couple of class-based activities from the examples on page 89. Each class can do something different. It should be something that is easy to do that really captures your class’s imagination. You could start with the ‘Word Collector’ bookmarks (page 92), create definition mobiles (page 117) or add gems to ‘sparkling’ vocabulary (page 99).

Play word games

• Choose four or so games that are new to you. Most of the games in this book are quick and require little preparation. Write them down somewhere to remind you. Teach them to any staff members who work with you in your classroom.
• Choose the best time to play games. This could be a game slot once a week, a quick game before you get down to work in the morning or to be used when concentration is waning. Establish the habit of playing games regularly.

The aim of these activities and games is to enthral and inspire and not overwhelm.

Once you have got started and built up some momentum it is easy to keep going. Add in more creative whole school activities and build up your repertoire of ways to celebrate words in your class. Keep trialling new wor...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Foreword
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• Implementing Word Aware
• 1 Get Excited About Words
• 2 Teach Words
• 3 Independent Word Learning
• Families
• Outcomes and Evaluation