Response: A Focus on Vocabulary
In the article A Focus on Vocabulary by Lehr, Osborn and Hiebert, I was particularly interested in the concept of “knowing” and acquiring “ownership” of words. I have found myself pondering my own vocabulary bank and how it came to be, as explained “[k]nowing a word by sight and sound and knowing its dictionary definition are not the same as knowing how to use the word correctly and understanding it when it is heard or seen in various contexts” (3). My own incidental word learning was brought to my attention recently in my volunteer classroom experience. While in the process of contributing to some class conversation on their discussion topic, the teacher interrupted me and asked if I could please explain what the word “rationalize” means to the class. I knew the purpose of this was to have the students understand this potentially new word in the context of my conversation. However, I was surprised at my awkward attempt to be able to define the word in a way that would make sense to the students! This was certainly a word that I understood and could use in a specific context, but I had a difficult time defining it in a simplistic way. In my first attempt, I had used a few synonyms to give meaning. While this method does work and is usually my go-to tool in my own learning, I quickly realized that I had just given them a bunch of other words that perhaps were just as new as “rationalize.” To my relief, the teacher stepped in to help with a couple examples of how a person might “rationalize something.” I will remember this method in my own teaching of new vocabulary. I think that teaching vocabulary by giving examples either through lessons, discussion and/or activities is a powerful way to develop understanding and accumulation of words.
Sara Martens