No individual fully knows or uses every word in their language, but focusing on key vocabulary can significantly enhance reading comprehension. It is not necessary to have a large vocabulary to function in society; a few tens of thousands of words are sufficient.
However, this is far more than the two or three thousand words that a toddler typically learns before entering primary school.
Even if vocabulary instruction were the sole focus of the curriculum, it wouldn't be enough to close the learning gap. Thankfully, as demonstrated by researchers Nagy, Herman, and Anderson, vocabulary can also be acquired through natural reading contexts. In the mid-1980s, they presented evidence that pupils acquire new words through context.
Until at some point context isn’t providing enough unfamiliar words anymore. At this point, direct vocabulary instruction is the most effective method for teaching students new words in a controlled manner. This gives control over which words they learn and how well. The only downside is that it takes a lot of time.
Reading is a powerful method for vocabulary acquisition, allowing students to learn new words naturally. Researchers spent a long time trying to figure out how it works. For example, how often do you need to see a word before you recognise it? Consider proving the notion that reading helps with word learning.
Nagy and his colleagues have taken up the challenge. They created an experiment that mimics natural reading as much as possible.
Instead of requiring pupils to look up unknown terms in reading or instructional books, children should be able to understand the meaning by context.
Key Insights on Vocabulary Acquisition Through Reading
In the study, a group of 57 pupils (14 years old) were assigned to read either an instructive book about rivers or a spy story. Each text was around 1,000 words long.
The researchers identified the fifteen most challenging words for each manuscript. To ensure that pupils did not already know these words, they were hidden among a list of approximately 200 words.
Pupils were asked to check whether they recognised the words or not. After reading, pupils participated in a discussion and a multiple-choice test to understand the meaning of the thirty terms (of which only fifteen were found in their own book).
The researchers found that pupils typically recognised fifteen terms from one text but not from the other, as expected. The majority of the terms in the book occurred just once, and the pupils only read it once. The context helped them understand and retain the words.
The study found that even pupils with limited vocabularies were able to recognise the terms while reading. It didn't matter if the pupils had read a narrative or informative piece.
Pupils did not provide clear meanings for newly learnt vocabulary. Although they may not fully comprehend a word, they have a general understanding of its meaning. Nagy and his colleagues explain that the meaning becomes more familiar and deeper with each contact.
Reading allows pupils to gradually learn words through context, which is more natural than memorising individual words.
When reading a text, there are more unknown terms than you can remember. Nagy and colleagues believe that the harvest is approximately 10%. This method of word learning is analogous to shooting with a shotgun rather than sharpshooting.
However, learning words through a tale is efficient. After all, the formation of vocabulary is entirely coincidental. Reading is both a leisure activity and a means of expanding one's knowledge and skills. So many birds with one stone.
But how much reading is required to learn a substantial number of words? In a 1987 follow-up study, three reading researchers found that pupils who read for fifteen minutes daily would obtain an average of 1,000 new words every year.
Educational Implications of Vocabulary Learning Through Reading
Nagy and colleagues' findings suggest that schools shouldn’t let go of vocabulary teaching. Direct instruction is still a highly effective method for teaching pupils words.
To save time, schools should focus vocabulary teaching on school language that pupils need to grasp instructions and tasks, rather than covering all words. Consider words like 'argue', 'determination', 'check', and 'fragment'.
The three reading scholars emphasise the importance of reading aloud and independently in addition to direct instruction. It's crucial to encourage pupils to read books and magazines at school, as they may not do so at home.
Many schools have implemented free reading schedules, where all classes, including teachers, read for half an hour on a weekly or daily basis.
Practical Classroom Strategies for Enhancing Vocabulary
As a teacher, you have numerous methods to help pupils expand their vocabulary. In nursery classes, children learn via reading, talking, and playing language activities. This method allows for a creative approach to teaching pupils new vocabulary.
In middle and upper grades, vocabulary classes introduce pupils to new words. It is recommended to focus on teaching school language words. These words are commonly used in all topics, leading to improved learning.
Learning new words that are unlikely to be used frequently is ineffective. Examine school language assignments, such as 'motivate your answer' or 'what is the difference between x and y', to ensure kids comprehend their tasks.
Paying close attention to free reading is also necessary. It is not a luxury activity to be done in free moments, but rather one that should be arranged in advance.
Every day, you should prefer to spend fifteen to thirty minutes reading for free. Discuss with your team how you can apply this school-wide.
Immerse kids in language to the greatest extent possible. Read aloud, hold conversations, listen to books, poems, or music, then talk about them again, hang book covers throughout the classroom, place books on theme tables, and so on.
In short, make your classroom a language-rich environment.
Key take-aways
- Vocabulary instruction alone only teaches a limited number of terms.
- Free reading is not a luxury pastime; it deserves a regular place on the schedule.
- With fifteen minutes of free reading every day, pupils get an average of one thousand new words per year.
- Make your classroom a rich linguistic environment.
Reference
Nagy, W. E., Herman, P. A., & Anderson, R. C. (1985). Learning words from context.