Practice Brief-Struggling Readers.pdf

VOCABULARYKnowing the meaning of words relates stronglyto reading comprehension and overall academicsuccess (e.g., Baumann, Kame’enui, & Ash,2003; NRP, 2000). When students understandthe meanings of the words they encounter in textand have strategies to figure out unknown words,they are more likely to understand the contentof what they are reading. However, vocabularyknowledge is more than simply understandingthe meanings of words as we read. Vocabularyknowledge involves word consciousness, theawareness of the richness and varied usesof language. Word-conscious students areinterested in words and enjoy using andhearing others use words well. They knowthe importance of learning new words andof mastering strategies associated with wordlearning. They understand that words can havemultiple meanings that often vary, sometimessubtly, depending on the circumstances oftheir use. Word consciousnessfosters comprehension.What is involved in knowing and using aword? Given the word support, you can probablycome up with a definition, generate a picture inyour mind, identify synonyms and antonyms, andyou may even be familiar with various uses andforms of support as a verb and a noun. But whatabout the word trammel? Perhaps you know already or can figure out itsmeaning in the following sentence, “The fish were trammeled in the net.” Totrammel means to trap, but it can also mean to hinder progress. As a noun, itcan mean a fishing net or a shackle, among other things. Its definition ismultifaceted: to know the word well would require more than looking upThe ChallengeHow can teachers possibly teach the numberof words needed to make up for the hugedeficits in some students’ word knowledge?A SuggestionTeachers who understand how word learningoccurs can select relevant words to teach andthen implement evidence-based instructionalpractices that support vocabulary development.They can also create enriching learningexperiences that promote incidental wordlearning. Vocabulary instruction for studentswith learning disabilities (LD) need not belimited to one strategy, but should combineactivities (e.g., explicit instruction and wordconsciousness activities) to enhance wordlearning (Bryant, Goodwin, Bryant, & Higgins,2003). As with any instruction, the learningtask should reflect teaching goals (Jitendra,Edwards, Sacks, & Jacobson, 2004). Forexample, explicit instruction is mostappropriate for introducing new vocabulary,while deep understanding and generalizationare supported when students actively engagein vocabulary activities and see and use wordsin a variety of contexts.13