10 ways to improve children’s vocabulary at your school
An unwavering focus on vocabulary has allowed our pupils to soar, says Christabel Shepherd…
‘They just haven’t got the words!” This is something I have heard a number of times in my teaching career.
As all teachers know, the consequence of children ‘not having the words’ means that they are unlikely to be able to express themselves clearly.
They may not be able to get the most from the experiences we offer. They are often judged by individuals beyond the school as lacking ability.
They may display frustration and a lack of self-belief which, in turn, can lead to low levels of resilience and, in the case of many of the children I’ve taught, a tendency to be passive learners.
Above all, the vocabulary gap exacerbates social disadvantage. We have all seen the effects that result when children don’t have the words they need to truly express themselves, and to paint a true and vivid picture in the mind of a reader or listener.
We also know that a focus on oracy and ‘closing the vocabulary gap’ opens the doors of opportunity for children and allows them to soar.
Challenge for all
At both the schools I lead, ‘challenge for all’ is a non-negotiable and at the heart of our ethos and vision.
Both schools are members of NACE (National Association for Able Children in Education), and we believe that providing challenge for all our learners develops ability, raises aspirations, engenders resilience and is a key feature of a high-quality education.
Central to providing ‘challenge for all’ is a focus on high-quality language acquisition and use by pupils.
How can we challenge learners effectively if there is a notable vocabulary gap, especially in terms of pupils’ knowledge, understanding and use of Tier 2 and 3 vocabulary?
How can we embed higher order questioning and higher order thinking skills if the children can’t access the language?
Shades of meaning
I think most of us feel comfortable teaching Tier 3 vocabulary. It’s usually technical, often subject specific, and we teach this in a very direct and focused way through a rich curriculum where key words and their meaning are explored and used in context.
Tier 2 vocabulary can be more difficult for children to grasp. It often expresses ‘shades of meaning’ which can be extremely subtle, and much of it relies on an experience and understanding of root words, prefixes and suffixes.
As teachers, we are so used to experiencing these words or skilled at working out what they mean that we may assume they and their meaning are familiar to children too.
It is vital, therefore, if we want our children to engage effectively with the whole curriculum, articulate their thoughts, learning and aspirations, and access real challenge, that we have a whole school focus on closing the vocabulary gap.
We must directly teach and promote the understanding and use of Tier 2 and 3 vocabulary.
If you visit Copthorne Primary, where this approach is fully embedded, you will find wonderfully articulate young people.
Our children are confident, active learners who relish a challenge and are not afraid to question adults, direct their own learning and express their views and opinions. Just being in their company for a few minutes makes my day.
Take a look at the Copthorne Pupil Parliament on YouTube (it’s just four minutes). Most of the children you’ll see arrived at the school with no English and are now able to think and speak fluently in at least two languages.
Here’s how we do it…
1 | Five-minute stories
Present children with three or four age/stage appropriate Tier 2 words. The words must be those they have met before or have roots, prefixes or suffixes which they have experience of.
Give them five minutes to write an engaging short story which must include the given words. This gives children the opportunity to use these words in their correct context applying their developing knowledge of the shades of meaning, whilst developing long-term memory of the vocabulary.
We adapted this idea from Chris Quigley who suggests using this strategy with words from year group ‘spelling lists’.
Similarly, Tier 3 vocabulary can be developed by asking children to use a given selection of words in a summary about their learning in a particular subject.
2 | Silent discussions
Get learners to discuss a topic through written communication only, using given Tier 2 or 3 vocabulary.
3 | Model the language
When modelling writing, act out how to ‘think like a writer’, justifying and explaining your word choice, especially around synonyms from Tier 2.
4 | Talking school
Provide opportunities and groupings for talk in every subject to ensure it absolutely pervades the whole curriculum. For example, try talk partners, debating, school council, drama or film-making.
Use the ‘Big Questions’ resources at oxplore.org to promote debate and encourage the use of high-level vocabulary in context.
5 | Language-rich environment
On every display, pose key questions using the appropriate technical vocabulary. This includes a ‘challenge’ question using Tier 2 vocabulary. Expect a response to the questions from the children.
Display an appropriately aspirational (Tier 2) ‘word of the week’ in each classroom. After they’ve worked out its meaning, encourage the children to use it in their talk and writing and find its synonyms and antonyms.
6 | Weekly vocabulary lessons
Take an object or theme and, using pictures, sound and film, support children in developing their high-quality descriptions using Tier 2 and 3 vocabulary, as well as more metaphorical language.
7 | Reading across the curriculum
Maximise every opportunity in all subjects to teach reading skills and explore Tier 3 vocabulary in context.
Use guided reading as an opportunity to really explore and pull apart those ‘shades of meaning’ for Tier 2 words in a range of text types. This allows for those rich conversations about specific word choice, meaning and effect.
8 | Reciprocal reading
Introduce pupils to a whole class text in small, manageable chunks. At the same time, thoroughly explore all new Tier 2 vocabulary. Encourage the children to use the words’ roots, context and any relevant existing knowledge to clarify meaning.
Taking the time to explore misconceptions in reading and vocabulary use is a key feature of reciprocal reading and stops children from ‘glossing over’ words they don’t recognise.
9 | Headteacher’s book club
Introduce extended guided reading groups for more able readers in Y5 and 6.
Issue a challenging text to learners, along with an initial focus, and give pupils two to four weeks of independent reading time. Then meet together to share afternoon tea, discuss the book and explore new Tier 2 and 3 vocabulary.
Encourage the children to use the new words in their writing and talk activities.
10 | Year group writing events
Stage events such as an alien landing to stimulate pupils’ imagination and provide a specific context for the use of given Tier 2 and 3 words.
Christabel Shepherd is Executive Headteacher of Bradford’s Copthorne and Holybrook Primary Schools. Copthorne is lead school for the Exceed SCITT. It gained NACE Challenge Award accreditation in 2016.
