Hey there! Can I share something that happened in a third-grade classroom last week? I was sitting with a teacher during her planning time, and I could see the frustration in her eyes. “I feel like I’m spinning my wheels with vocabulary,” she confided. “We have our word wall, we practice definitions, we do the whole routine… but the words just aren’t sticking.”
I bet that sounds familiar, right? So many of us struggle with how to develop vocabulary in a way that lasts beyond Friday’s quiz. It’s that moment when you hear a student use a word perfectly in your vocabulary lesson, only to completely blank on it while writing the very next day. Talk about disheartening!
But here’s what fascinates me: those same students who can’t remember our carefully selected vocabulary words can tell you absolutely everything about topics they love. I’m thinking about Jayden, who struggled with basic academic vocabulary but could explain Minecraft terminology with expert precision. Or Olivia, who mixed up common words but could name every structure in a coral reef system.
What’s Really Going On Here?
The truth about how to develop vocabulary is sitting right in front of us in these moments. Our students are showing us that words stick when they matter, when they’re connected to something meaningful.
When we sat down to problem-solve, we decided to try something different. Instead of starting with a vocabulary list for their human body unit, we immersed the kids in fascinating content about how our bodies work. The science of reading tells us this approach works, but seeing it in action still feels like magic.
Three weeks later, the teacher texted me: “You won’t believe this! Today during writing, Elijah used ‘digestion,’ ‘nutrients,’ AND ‘circulation’ correctly in his explanation. These were words we never ‘taught’ directly!”
That’s what happens when we rethink how to develop vocabulary through meaningful content. The words become tools students actually want to use, not items on a checklist they have to memorize.
Why Content-Rich Instruction Works Better Than Word Lists
Think about how you expanded your own vocabulary growing up. Did those words come from lists, or did they come from books, conversations, and experiences that mattered to you?
When we focus on how to develop vocabulary through content-rich instruction:
- Words have purpose (you try explaining how your stomach works without using “digestion”!)
- Students encounter words multiple times naturally
- The words become part of how they think about a topic
- They actually want to use these new words because they help express important ideas
I remember working with a second-grade team that was skeptical about shifting their approach to how to develop vocabulary. “We’ve always used vocabulary workbooks,” their team lead told me. “Our test scores are okay. Why change?”
Six weeks after diving into content-rich instruction about weather systems, one teacher pulled me aside during their team meeting. “I have to show you something,” she whispered, pulling out a stack of student writing samples. There they were – words like “precipitation,” “atmosphere,” and “condensation” woven naturally throughout their explanations. Not because they had to use them, but because they needed them.
“I never realized how to develop vocabulary could be this natural,” she admitted. “The depth of understanding is completely different.”
Small Steps You Can Take Tomorrow
I know what you’re thinking – it sounds great, but you’ve already got a full plate. The beauty of this approach to how to develop vocabulary is that it actually saves you time because you’re teaching words within content, not as a separate task.
Here’s how to start small:
- Think about your next unit. What fascinating topic will you explore?
- Instead of pre-teaching all the vocabulary, immerse students in the content through read-alouds, videos, discussions, and hands-on experiences
- Notice the words that naturally emerge as important, and highlight those
- Create opportunities for students to use these words in their talking and writing
Ana, a fifth-grade teacher I work with, described her realization about how to develop vocabulary this way: “I used to front-load all these words before we started a unit, and it felt like I was asking kids to build a house without seeing what one looks like. Now we explore the content first, and the words have meaning from the start.”
What About Those Word Lists?
Now, I’m not suggesting we abandon all direct vocabulary instruction. The science is clear that some explicit teaching is valuable – especially for our struggling readers who need more support. But understanding how to develop vocabulary effectively means recognizing that lists alone aren’t enough.
When students are immersed in meaningful content, they build the background knowledge that makes learning new words so much easier. As one of my students put it: “Before, when we had to write, I never knew what to say. Now I have so much to write about!”
That’s the real power of rethinking how to develop vocabulary through content. Students gain both the words AND the knowledge to use them well.
Let’s Try This Together
The next time you’re planning vocabulary instruction, I encourage you to start with the content rather than the word list. What fascinating topics will you explore? What words will students naturally need to discuss these topics?
Remember, building vocabulary isn’t separate from building knowledge – they grow together, supporting each other. When we understand how to develop vocabulary through rich content instruction, we’re not just helping students learn words; we’re helping them become confident, curious thinkers who have something to say and the words to say it with.
I’d love to know which topics get your students most excited to learn and use new words. In my experience, that enthusiasm is absolutely golden for vocabulary development!
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Additional Resources
For those days when you need a deeper dive, here are the professional books I’ve highlighted, sticky-noted, and revisited throughout my years of supporting young readers.
- Teaching Words and How They Work: Small Changes for Big Vocabulary Results by Elfrieda H. Hiebert
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