FATICATI EDUCATION

The Power of Vocabulary – Reading Beyond Just Words!

We have learned from more than 100 years of research that teaching vocabulary is a key role in both language acquisition and reading comprehension (Westerber & Davison, 2016). Language Learners may not have access to a big repertoire of vocabulary words in the target language (Colorin Colorado, 2007), so it is imperative for us as teachers and educators to implement classrooms structures that promote vocabulary learning through methods that will help our students comprehend the texts they are reading and interact with them for higher engagement. Teaching strategies for vocabulary include pre-instruction activities for word acquisition, pronunciation, definition, and spelling before reading a story or a book. In order to increase the fluency of what students are reading we need to identify literature or books which have themes relating to their native history, culture, and traditions. The method that will be proposed is an effective tool to engage students, assist them in tapping into their background knowledge, and help them develop the tools they need to comprehend the text they have in front of them. This method helps teachers create language-rich environments in which they can target vocabulary development while targeting the cross-curricular requirements of effective instruction.