Vocabulary
Vocabulary knowledge is a prerequisite of comprehension skill. Students may have varying levels of vocabulary since reading experience is an important source of vocabulary development (Joshi, 2003, p. 258). People who avoid reading may have a lower vocabulary level than others. It can take a reader up to 40 times using a new word to learn it with automaticity. Expanding their vocabulary will help students understand the material they read better and will enable them to get their thoughts across better in speaking and in writing.
Steps to building vocabulary:
1. To begin with, tell students to look up the word in context, in the glossary if offered and in the dictionary. However, the dictionary may show more than one meaning, so students have to know the context in which they read the word.
2. Students should clarify the pronunciation of the new word and the use of it in their textbook and in class.
3. Tell students to keep a vocabulary section in the back of their notebook or binder - write the new word, its meaning, a picture and a familiar word that will spark memory of the new word. This will help students remember and learn the word faster.
4. Students can create flashcards on index cards or websites such as www.quizlet.com and test themselves regularly. Make a stack of cards and when the word becomes automatic, it can be removed from the first stack. Keep the second stack of cards and go over them periodically. Colour helps memory. Use bright canary index cards and pink markers to print the words.
5. It's better to practice using new words daily if possible. Use the word in conversation with other students in the class or teach the new word to someone who may not know it. Regular reviews are more powerful for memory and learning than once in a while review. For example, make it a habit to practice new words for 15 minutes a day. Make it a habit so it won't be so hard to do.
Prefixes and suffixes
Learning common prefixes and suffixes is also helpful. There are common roots in Latin and in Greek. There are lists of prefixes and suffixes for particular courses. For example, this link takes you to biology affixes http://biology.about.com/od/prefixesandsuffixes/a/aa020106a.htm
Steps to building vocabulary:
1. To begin with, tell students to look up the word in context, in the glossary if offered and in the dictionary. However, the dictionary may show more than one meaning, so students have to know the context in which they read the word.
2. Students should clarify the pronunciation of the new word and the use of it in their textbook and in class.
3. Tell students to keep a vocabulary section in the back of their notebook or binder - write the new word, its meaning, a picture and a familiar word that will spark memory of the new word. This will help students remember and learn the word faster.
4. Students can create flashcards on index cards or websites such as www.quizlet.com and test themselves regularly. Make a stack of cards and when the word becomes automatic, it can be removed from the first stack. Keep the second stack of cards and go over them periodically. Colour helps memory. Use bright canary index cards and pink markers to print the words.
5. It's better to practice using new words daily if possible. Use the word in conversation with other students in the class or teach the new word to someone who may not know it. Regular reviews are more powerful for memory and learning than once in a while review. For example, make it a habit to practice new words for 15 minutes a day. Make it a habit so it won't be so hard to do.
Prefixes and suffixes
Learning common prefixes and suffixes is also helpful. There are common roots in Latin and in Greek. There are lists of prefixes and suffixes for particular courses. For example, this link takes you to biology affixes http://biology.about.com/od/prefixesandsuffixes/a/aa020106a.htm