Implicit Vocabulary Instruction for Teaching Vocabulary
Incidental Learning
Incidental vocabulary learning occurs all of the time when we read. Based on the way a word is used in a text we are able to determine its meaning. Consider this example: “Megan’s fluxoolingy hair reached all the way down to her knees”. While you may not know the word “fluxoolingy” you could determine that it has something to do with length since the rest of the sentence focuses on describing where Megan’s hair comes to on her body. Adults should model this sort of incidental vocabulary learning for children to help them develop their own skills.
Context Skills
Context skills are the strategies that a reader uses for incidental vocabulary learning. Texts are full of “clues” about the meanings of words. Other words in a sentence or paragraph, captions, illustrations and titles provide readers with information about the text that they can use to determine the meanings of unfamiliar words. These features are often referred to as “context clues” because they are contained within the context of the piece of writing rather than outside it. Young readers should be taught to find and use context clues for learning new vocabulary words. Adult modeling and practice are key for helping children develop this important reading skill.
Related posts:
- Improving Your English Vocabulary
- Barriers to Meaningful Instruction for English Learners
- Grammar Teaching: Implicit or Explicit?
