Great teaching techniques: Deliberate vocabulary development

Build students’ confidence and fluency when using technical, subject specialist or new vocabulary through explicit teaching and practice. What does it mean? Learning new content almost always means introducing new vocabulary. It is not enough to note unfamiliar words, explain them and move on, however. If you want to support long-term mastery, each new word must be taught discretely and deliberately through repetition and practice. This approach ensures that students go beyond simply reading new words aloud; they can spell and pronounce them, use them appropriately in their writing and – crucially – store and recall them for future learning. Once mastered, specialist vocabulary helps students to articulate sophisticated ideas and concepts, which can dramatically enhance outcomes. What are the implications for teachers? Here are four steps which should ensure that new words become fully embedded: Reading: Start with choral repetition by saying the new word together as