teaching vocabulary

Marzano’s Six Step Process
Teaching Academic Vocabulary
1. Provide a description, explanation, or example of the new term. (Include a non-linguistic representation of the term for ESL kids.)
2. Ask students to restate the description, explanation, or example in their own words. (Allow students whose primary existing knowledge base is still in their native language to write in it.)
3. Ask students to construct a picture, symbol, or graphic representing the word.
4. Engage students periodically in activities that help them add to their knowledge of the terms in their notebooks.
5. Periodically ask students to discuss the terms with one another. (Allow in native language when appropriate)
6. Involve students periodically in games that allow them to play with terms.

1. Provide a description, explanation, or example of the new term.
 Looking up words in dictionaries is not useful for teaching vocab
 Provide a context for the term
 Introduce direct experiences that provide examples of the term
 Tell a story that integrates the term
 Use video as the stimulus for understanding information
 Ask students to investigate the term and present the information to the class (skit, pantomime, poster, etc.)
 Describe your own mental picture of the term
 Find or create pictures that explain the term

2. Ask students to restate the description, explanation, or example in their own words.
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Monitor and correct misunderstandings
Must be student’s original ideas, not parroting the teacher

3. Ask students to construct a picture, symbol, or graphic representing the word.
 Model, model, model
 Provide examples of student’s drawings (and your own) that are rough but represent the ideas
 Play “Pictionary”
 Draw an example of the term
 Dramatize the term using speech bubbles
 Let them find a picture on the internet, if necessary

4. Engage students periodically in activities that help them add to their knowledge of the terms