Vocabulary Development

Although children begin school with years of listening and speaking experience, the quality of that experience differs greatly. By using a few different assessments, the teacher can determine a student's strengths and needs in the area of vocabulary.

CREVT
The Comprehensive Receptive and Expressive Vocabulary Test is a formal assessment that can determine if a child needs more specialized instruction in the area of vocabulary development or word retrieval. This test is individually administered and has student's point to and use language to describe a picture or a written prompt. This assessment is useful in monitoring yearly progress.

Quick Oral Check-Ins
This is a more informal type of assessment that a teacher can use to monitor children's vocabulary growth. To use this assessment you would use a word that the child has been studying in a sentence or maybe to ask the child a question. For example, the child had been studying the word "contrast" the teacher may ask, "How would you compare and contrast summer and winter?" This will help the teacher to determine if the child has an understanding of the word and can use it in context.

Instructional Approaches for Teaching Vocabulary Development
Expose children to rich language every day. Start by filling your classroom library with a variety of books. If you as a teacher demonstrate an interest in learning new words, your students likely will as well. Sometimes, especially for older students, it is not always easy to unlock the meaning of a word simply by using context. Therefore, when you come across a new word pause and identify the meaning as you are reading aloud. Students also need repeated practice saying new words so that they not only feel comfortable with the meaning, but with using the word in language and writing. Personal dictionaries can be very useful for students as they are learning new words.