Vocabulary - Part One

          Vocabulary is the knowledge of words and word meanings.  Vocabulary is not something that can ever be fully mastered; it is something that expands and deepens over the course of a lifetime.  Vocabulary is acquired incidentally through indirect exposure to words and intentionally through explicit instruction in specific words and word-learning strategies.  There are four components of an effective vocabulary instruction: 1) wide or extensive independent reading to expand word knowledge, 2) instruction in specific words to enhance comprehension of texts containing those words, 3) instruction in independent word-learning strategies and 4) word consciousness and word-play activities to motivate and enhance learning (Graves 2000).

            Individuals have various types of vocabulary that they use for different purposes (Kamil & Hiebert 2005).  Words themselves are encountered in two forms: oral and print.  Oral vocabulary is the set of words for which students know the meanings when others speak or read aloud to them, or when they speak to others.  Print vocabulary is the set of words for which students know the meanings when they read or write silently.  Ultimately print vocabulary is much more extensive and diverse than oral vocabulary (Hayes, Wolfer, and Wolf 1996).  The knowledge of word meanings, or vocabulary, can also be divided according to whether it is receptive or productive.  Receptive vocabulary is the set of words to which a student can assign some meaning when listening or reading.  Productive vocabulary is the set of words students use frequently in their speaking and writing.  Receptive vocabulary (listening or reading) is generally larger than productive vocabulary (speaking or writing) because people usually recognize more words than they regularly use (Diamond and Gutlohn 2006).

            Word learning is incremental; that is, it proceeds in a series of steps (Graves and Watts-Taffe 2002).  Four levels can be used to describe the extent of a person’s word knowledge: 1) have never seen or heard the word before, 2) have seen or heard the word before, but don’t know what it means, 3) vaguely know the meaning of the word; can associate it with a concept or context, and 4) know the word well; can explain it and use it (Diamond and Gutlohn 2006).