| ELL Vocabulary Instruction Strategies in Making Meaning Vocabulary |
| Introduce a word in a meaningful context |
Each word is introduced through a familiar read-aloud text. |
| Define the word in clear, simple language |
Lessons provide classroom-tested, student-friendly definitions. |
| Use visual aids to support word learning |
When appropriate, lessons use text, photographs, and illustrations, or real objects to make word meanings concrete. Teachers or student volunteers frequently act out words. |
| Model the way words are used |
Lessons include language teachers can use to model or explain how a word is used. Prompts model how to use a word correctly. |
| Help students connect words to personal experience |
Teacher questions “personalize” a word by having students use the word to talk about themselves and their experiences. |
| Provide many opportunities to discuss and use a word in a variety of contexts |
Students practice using a word in various ways and review the word frequently. |
| Invite students to respond to words physically by associating a word with an action, gesture, or expression |
Students act out words and use gestures and expressions to convey meaning during role-playing activities. |
| Review words frequently |
Ongoing Review activities give students a chance to review words each week. |
