Vocabulary Instruction

[del]

What is the value of focusing on vocabulary instruction in Content Area.

[cyan]

Some of the benefits of focusing on vocabulary instruction in content areas include: firstly,

students get the opportunity to better understand the content since there is a direct link

between vocabulary and comprehension, secondly, students are forced to use their prior

knowledge and make connections to understand what they read, thirdly, vocabulary

instruction help students to organise their information through graphic organisers which

further leads to retention of information and lastly, it equips students with a wide

range of strategies that will them become life long and independent learners.

[joejoe]

vocabulary instruction in content area: is very important because as we learnt previously, there is a correlation between vocabulary and comprehension. students make better understanding or meaning of their reading in the different subject areas, when they are familiar with the vocabulary they will be encountering. ...so we see that vocabulary is not only important in the language arts but across the curriculum.

[sara]

Vocabulary instruction and content area literacy go hand in hand.. The two cannot be divorced. Before we, as student teacher knew the terms in our classes we were already making use of some of this vocabulary strategies. In addition, teaching the students the vocabulary associated with the content area, students become better readers and writers of content area as well as understand the concepts better.

[blanch]

I agree with my colleagues. Focusing on vocabulary instruction in content areas are important. In fact, they should be taught in isolation. When students are familiar with the different content vocabulary, they are better to make sense of the content. Vocabulary instruction helps to make the content less daunting. I agree with Cyana's final point, students will be knowledgeable of the various vocabulary strategies which will help them become life long learners.

[sara]

Blanch i think you made an error in stating that they should be taught in isolation, what I think you wanted to say is that the should not be taught in isolation because as previously stated the two go hand in hand

[sben]

I think that every body made very important points because without a child knowing some of the vocabulary associated with the content area he or she is about to learn, tell me how can that child understand when he or she start to read the comprehension. As someone mentioned, vocabulary and comprehension are husband and wife and they cannot separate from each. Therefore,it is of great value to focus on vocabulary instruction in the content area so that both the student and the teacher will not get frustrated during reading instruction.

[kami]

i totally agree with answers stated.....if one does not understand the terms or jargon in a specified content area, they would not be able to decipher what is being said. there fore teaching vocabuary in the various content areas is quite valuable.....as one would better understand the concepts taught and also transfer this knowledge from one area to another

[Angelina Polius]

Wow! You all have shared some very important reasons why we should focus instruction on vocabulary. Well done so far. Just to add my voice, we must remember that every subject area has its own language and of course its vocabulary. It is important to help students learn the language of the various content areas so that in cases where the same term is used across subjects they will realize that even if the word is the same its meaning changes depending on the subject area.

Also, equipping students with strategies for vocabulary building will not only help with comprehension of content but it will also enrich students' own vocabulary which in turn can help improve their writing.

Let's see what the others have to add to this topic. I just wanted to point out too that the ideas you are discussing here will help with developing the rationale for assignment Two (A). So we really want others to share their ideas.

[jean]

Teaching vocabulary in content areas is important because it is essential for comprehension of the texts which will be read. If students are reading a text filled with vocabulary or jargon they are not familiar with and do not know the meaning of, they will not fully understand what they are reading. This may lead to them becoming frustrated. Also, as mentioned by Ms Polius, there are words which are used across content areas which have different meanings depending on which area it is used. If students are not taught the meanings of those words in the content areas, they may associate the wrong meaning to them, leading to lack of comprehension and confusion.

[niki]

In addition to what Jean mentioned students then develop negative attitudes towards reading and later on school. This is a problem that should be avoided because then it goes way beyond the classroom and into our society. A lot of the blame is placed on school and education for the outrageous behaviour of the youth. I think some of these children had simple problems in vocabulary where they misunderstood a lot of things in the classroom and instruction and so they made school their enemy.

[marci]

Hello there,
I find this discussion board very informative.

It is of upmost importance that students are equipped with the tools for acquiring their own rich vocabulary. Using words in meaningful contexts (situations), help students learn many new words. However some words must be directly taught to students, for it is a fact that their meaning may vary depending on the subject being taught. Repeated meaningful encounters with words in conversations with teacher and other classmates, during individual reading time, read-alouds, in grande discussions, in think- pair- share activities helps in vocabulary building .

Students benefit greatly from acquiring a strong vocabulary base. Since vocabulary and comprehension goes hand in hand, students will also understand their text better.

[marv]

I agree wit my classmates.Vocabulary knowledge is fundamental to reading comprehension and will influence success in academic areas. Therefore it is important we give students direct or indirect experiences for new words through discussion and activities. Also, have students describe new words in terms of their experiences rather than only define.

[Angelina Polius]

I also believe that because vocabulary is directly linked to comprehension, it it important to teach vocabulary particularly the specialized or technical terms since they carry meaning of the content presented in the text.

[empressc]

I completely agree with my colleagues........like i stated in my presentation vocabulary is important for the different subject areas because it is important to learn the different jargon associated with the different subject areas in order to understand certain concepts in these areas......I also agree that vocabulary instruction is important across the curriculum