Summary
Effective vocabulary teaching moves beyond copying definitions, combining engaging direct instruction, repeated exposure through reading, and active practice so students truly own words.
Key takeaways
- Vocabulary instruction is most effective when it replaces rote tasks like copying definitions with explicit, active teaching that helps students genuinely understand and use new words.
- Direct instruction works best when it is multisensory and personal, pairing illustrations, examples, and word-part analysis with opportunities for students to build their own connections and applications.
- Word knowledge deepens through both repeated exposure in reading and conversation and varied practice activities like word sorts, mind mapping, and games that go beyond dictionary definitions.
Researcher E.D. Hirsch once noted the importance of teaching literacy in schools: “It is now well accepted that the chief cause of the achievement gap between socioeconomic groups is a language gap.” Adopting effective strategies for teaching vocabulary is one way to help level the playing field for all of your students.
Teaching vocabulary: Strategies to enhance language learning
1. Put yourself in your students’ shoes
According to Steven Stahl’s publication on vocabulary learning, a person’s understanding of various vocabulary words likely fits into four categories:
- I have never seen that word before.
- I don’t know what it means, but I have heard of it.
- The context helps me know if it has something to do with _______.
- I understand and use it.
HMH Classcraft allows students to indicate their level of understanding of vocabulary words.
Stahl uses an example cited from Atlantic Monthly so that adult learners can remember what it feels like to be in that vocabulary acquisition process. Consider the word vicissitude in the following context:
“America’s permanent election campaign, together with other aspects of American electoral politics, has one crucial consequence, little noticed but vitally important for the functioning of American democracy. Quite simply, the American electoral system places politicians in a highly vulnerable position. Individually and collectively they are more vulnerable, more of the time, to the vicissitudes of electoral politics than are the politicians of any other democratic country. Because they are more vulnerable, they devote more of their time to electioneering, and their conduct in office is more continuously governed by electoral considerations.”
Which category from the list above do you fit in for the word vicissitude? Why? Can you gain any meaning from the context? What measures would need to be taken for you to fully understand and include the word in your writing and speech?
Vicissitude is described in the dictionary as “a change of circumstances or fortune, typically one that is unwelcome or unpleasant.” Writing the definition three times, finding it in a word puzzle, or matching words to definitions won’t help students truly own the word. Let’s look at a better way.
2. Make direct vocabulary instruction fun and engaging
When introducing a new term, teachers can:
- Supply illustrations, descriptions, examples, and anecdotes: The keyword here is and. Students need to interact with words in many different ways: hear it, see it, act it out. Take the word jocular, meaning characterized by joking, humor, or playfulness. Students could pantomime laughing uncontrollably. In the earlier example, finding other texts where vicissitude is used and comparing it to synonyms and antonyms could be helpful. Or students might find the words used in famous quotes, poetry, or in the news.
Here’s an example of an engaging way to teach new vocabulary to students. The “Words to Learn” activity in Classcraft allows students to see words in various contexts, enter antonyms for words, and more to gauge their understanding.
- Consider ways to transition between grammatical forms: Explicitly teach roots and affixes of words. Think of connections to easily confused words related to the one at hand, and try to clear up any confusion your students might have. In our example, you’d review the root “vic” and find that it means change, substitute, and deputy; this would be a good start when looking for connections. Discussing the adjective form, vicissitudinary, can also help students connect affixes and possible uses of the word.
- Have students develop their own connections, illustrations, and examples: In the final step of direct instruction, students need to personalize the information and capture experiences to develop a growing understanding of the contexts in which words can be used. For example, if a student heard the word wrangle used in one of their favorite movies, have them sketch the scene and describe why wrangle was chosen by the scriptwriters. For our term, I wondered if vicissitude had anything to do with victim. The prefix vic certainly helped me make this connection, but I can also see a loose connection based on the definitions of the two words. This simple inquiry could help me better understand and use the term vicissitude.
One graphic organizer that can help with direct vocabulary instruction is the Frayer model. This model asks students to define the word, give characteristics of the word, list examples and non-examples of the word, and, in some cases, create an illustration to accompany the word.
Download our version of the Frayer Square Chart.
3. Indirect vocabulary instruction is key
Students can learn vocabulary by repeatedly hearing and seeing words in different contexts. This includes exposure to vocabulary that is encountered in an independent reading book or heard in conversation, whether that be in person, in a movie, or online. Reading aloud to students can indirectly teach new vocabulary as well.
Classcraft shows words in different contexts to deepen students’ understanding of new vocabulary.
4. Create quality vocabulary practices
What are some vocabulary teaching strategies that allow students to practice vocabulary without just copying definitions from the dictionary? Let’s take a look at some ideas.
- Sorting: Guided word sorts consist of telling students the categories in which to sort a list of words. This could be “adjectives,” “nouns,” or “verbs.” Students might sort words related to ancient Egypt into people, places, or religion. The teacher can even give clues, such as “There should be four words in column one and three in column two.” Free word sorts allow students to make categories themselves based on their own observations and methods of grouping. Some students may come up with a completely unique method of classifying the words, which helps them create their own understanding. This works better with certain word lists and when students have experience with the sorting process.
- On-purpose errors: The teacher or a member of a small group uses a vocabulary word incorrectly in a sentence (either aloud or in print). Students are then tasked with determining which word fixes the mistake and should replace the erroneous word in the sentence. For example: “The vexed businessman was shocked at how quickly the value of his stocks rose.” To fix the error, students would need to replace vexed with incredulous (or one of its synonyms).
- Word races: Even older students like a good game. Have students line up in teams and set up the parameters of the game. Then, you could say the definition and have students race to the whiteboard to write the word. You could make this more complex, too. For example: “Write the adjective form of the word that means having a quality deserving of praise, honor, or distinction.” Students write: glorious (changing from the base word glory).
- Mind mapping: Mind maps allow visual representations of connections through the use of branches (like a tree), colors, or pictures. Students can use pencil and paper or digital tools to create a semantic map of how they connect to the vocabulary words. Some might choose images. Some might choose song lyrics, colors, or a tree. With some guidance, individuals can develop their own creative methods of building a vocabulary.
- Inquiries: Like my example above in step three of direct vocabulary instruction, sometimes allowing students to research their own questions about a word can help them build stronger connections. Find out what they’re wondering about. See what they assume about or connect to the word (possibly erroneously!), and spend time researching any questions they have (if you don’t already know the answers).
Vocabulary teaching strategies can be engaging!
Vocabulary instruction is often overlooked as necessary or important in our classrooms. However, it can serve as an equalizer and an important asset for our learners. Moving away from strategies to teach vocabulary that emphasize the dictionary-copying model of instruction and toward explicit, direct instruction of vocabulary is a necessary change to empower our students for long-term academic success.
This article was adapted from a blog post initially developed by the education technology company Classcraft, which was acquired by HMH in 2023. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of HMH.
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Learn more about the engaging, interactive, and embedded vocabulary support in our HMH Into Reading curriculum.
Frequently asked questions
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What is the difference between direct and indirect vocabulary instruction?
Direct instruction explicitly teaches specific words through definitions, examples, word parts, and activities. Indirect instruction builds vocabulary through repeated encounters in context, such as independent reading, conversation, movies, or being read aloud to. Both matter: direct instruction targets priority words deliberately, while indirect exposure broadens word knowledge naturally over time.
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Why is copying definitions an ineffective way to teach vocabulary?
Copying definitions, matching exercises, and similar rote tasks rarely lead to real ownership of a word. Students may reproduce a meaning without being able to use the term in speech or writing. Effective instruction instead has students interact with words in multiple ways, hearing, seeing, and applying them, so the words become usable rather than memorized.
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What is the Frayer model and how does it support vocabulary learning?
The Frayer model is a graphic organizer that has students define a word, list its characteristics, and provide examples and non-examples, sometimes with an illustration. By examining a word from several angles rather than memorizing a single definition, students build a deeper, more flexible understanding that helps them recognize and use the word accurately.
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How can teaching word roots and affixes help students learn vocabulary?
Teaching roots and affixes gives students tools to unlock unfamiliar words independently. Understanding that a root like “vari” relates to change or difference, for example, helps learners connect related words and infer meanings. Analyzing word parts also supports moving between grammatical forms, so students can recognize and use noun, verb, and adjective variations of a term.
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What are some engaging vocabulary practice activities beyond memorization?
Effective practice moves past dictionary copying into active engagement. Word sorts have students group terms by category, on-purpose errors ask them to spot and fix misused words, and word races turn recall into a game. Mind mapping lets students represent connections visually, and inquiry activities invite them to research their own questions about a word.
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