Expanding Vocabulary

The podcast for this week featuring Dr. Susan Neuman from the University of Michigan discussed strategies for successful interventions for young children. Dr. Neuman suggests that teachers using interventions make sure to have a focus on vocabulary in order for the students to learn at an accelerated rate.

As Dr. Neuman discusses, it is all too often that educators mistake young children’s lack of readiness in relation to learning. Teachers can underestimate how much a child can learn and retain. It is not simply a matter of readiness, but providing the right type of intervention to help each student realize their potential. For instance, children as young as preschool age, can learn self-teaching and learn how to use multimedia with vocabulary. Furthermore, Dr. Neuman mentions that preschoolers learn at an accelerated rate when they have different strategies at play instead of just one. Students can learn faster when learning a vocabulary word if the can hear the word, see the word and see an image that goes along with the word all at the same time. Through this multimedia practice and many others, children can learn the concepts of certain words and make meaning of them as well.

Not only does this strategy work for children, it is used to help adults as well. For instance, the Rosetta Stone Language Program is designed the same way. Instead of teaching direct translation, learners see the written word, hear the word, and are able to see the image that goes along with the word. This is similar to when their first language was taught. Both systems also utilize a repeated vocabulary and multimedia, simultaneously.

Parents can also help by answering children’s questions and responding to inferences that they make about vocabulary. It is important to keep students curious about their learning process because it will help them retain more information. Dr. Neuman also mentions that adults could talk to small children while using interesting words. Children love to hear long and interesting words. If they have the chance to learn it and become exposed to different vocabulary, they will learn form this practice and use the words in speech. For example, in my field experience classroom that is combined with first and second graders, the students were reluctant to say my last name because it was different and it “looked hard”. Not only did the students underestimate their abilities, but we did as well. We decided that we would teach them and they could practice. We believed that they could do it and they began to believe it as well. A name that we thought they would not be able to learn has become common use only after my second day in the classroom. It seems as though we never had this discussion about how difficult my name would be. Another way to help with interesting words is to make sure the students read books that allow them to stretch their vocabulary.

Although these strategies are helpful, it is important to think about learning to implement other multimedia strategies for inclusive classrooms or students that have hearing or sight impairments. Educators should remember that we need to help each student find a way to stretch and retain their vocabulary. In order to do this, teachers can get to know their students and meet them where they are in terms of initial ability. From there, using strategies to enhance or stretch those abilities will be beneficial.