Vocabulary: Deep Processing

From Teaching Academic Content and Literacy to English Learners

What should I use it for?

• Helping students deepen their knowledge of new vocabulary words

What does it look like?

Integrate one or more of the following activities into instruction:

Provide opportunities for students to respond to questions where they have to show their understanding of subtle differences in usage and meaning.

Facilitate structured discussions to increase opportunities for students to talk about academic words.

Anchor these discussions around the topics that are present in the text and that do not have a clear-cut right or wrong answer. The goal is for students to learn to articulate a position or point of view and learn to defend their perspective or analysis. When students develop support for their position or perspective, always encourage them to find evidence in the text.

For example, with the sample text, hold a structured discussion about the pros and cons of zoos, in which students are encouraged to use the target academic words they have just learned. Students could discuss the pros and cons of different options that could make zoos more or less restrictive for animals. Another way to facilitate students’ use of the target academic words is by having them share relevant personal experiences related to these words (e.g., describe the type of exhibit that you think will make the animals happier; describe a time when you were given an option to do something; describe other environments in which animals live). 

Require students to use the target academic words in their writing activities.

Writing activities can and should be of different lengths and levels of specificity. They can range from a one-sentence response to a brief paragraph summarizing what students read, or even to an essay comparing zoo environments with environments where pets live. For example, when teaching the zoo text to younger students, give short writing tasks that require students to respond in one to two sentences to a given prompt, such as “Which type of zoo would you rather visit and why?” For older and/or more sophisticated students, an example of an appropriate prompt might be as follows: “If you were visiting a zoo, would you rather see animals exhibited in a natural environment or in a caged environment?” In this way, the target academic words will become a part of the students’ writing vocabulary. 

Engage students in activities that will increase exposure to and experiences with the word. 

Activities such as charades, and drawing to represent word meanings can help increase exposure to and experience with target academic words. These vocabulary activities are also useful for cumulative review of words that were previously taught.