What Is a Key Routine for Teaching Tier 2 Vocabulary Words?

According to adult literacy experts: “Instruction that can lead to increased vocabulary achievement provides opportunities for adult learners to (1) use new vocabulary words multiple times and (2) process them deeply by relating them to other concepts in a text and to prior knowledge” (Kruidenier, MacArthur, & Wrigley, 2010).

In order to provide explicit instruction for teaching Tier 2 words to any adult learner reading below 9 GLE and managing everyday conversation, here are word lists and an effective method to use in teaching, even with a mixed group of native English and multilingual learners.

Academic Word List - Developed by Averil Coxhead in 1998, this list includes 570 English words that appear with great frequency in a broad range of academic texts. This original list was intended to target ELs and teachers of ELs to help with preparation for higher education. The original Academic Word List is the list we have incorporated into professional development in MN since the onset of STAR (and eventually EBRI training) in 2008.
New Academic Word List - This list updates the collection of academic vocabulary to include 963 high-frequency words that appear in academic text and oral discourse. The new list shares approximately 21% of the word families with the previous Academic Word List.

STEP 1 Leveraging Oral Language Skills

Select 3-5 Tier 2 words.
Explain the purpose of vocabulary instruction, e.g., "By increasing your knowledge of Tier Two words - which appear frequently in written text - you will improve your understanding of academic vocabulary and content materials."
Write one word at a time on the board and tell (don’t ask) the pronunciation, meaning, and if appropriate, part of speech. Students can fill in a word map or quadrant chart as information is presented OR pre-fill in the map or chart if copying is challenging.
Share several contexts from your life and experiences one word at a time. Elaborate and clarify your sentences as needed.
Prompt students to share sentences from their lives one word at a time; gently correct or clarify usage and sentence structure as needed.
When students are ready (probably not on the first day), tell antonyms, synonyms, and/or members of the word family: relatives or related words with added prefixes or suffixes.

Quadrant Chart Examples

STEP 2 Written Guided Practice

Provide additional exposure to orally presented words with written guided practice. Scaffold carefully from simple, closed activities (like matching & fill-in-the-blank) to open and complex (like sentence completion & sentence composition). Always guide students through enough items to ensure readiness for independent work, remain available to assist, and check answers to clarify usage.

STEP 3 Oral & Written Application

Select an interesting passage at or just below students’ reading GLE or range of levels. Prepare a "Read & Respond" activity: 2-4 questions about the selected text using taught Tier Two words. Read the passage aloud or have students read it silently. Then ask the prepared vocabulary questions and discuss answers and explanations.

STEP 4 Recycle & Review!

Incorporate activities frequently to recycle and review taught Tier 2 words.

Make a word wall of taught Tier Two words, such as the one below from the Robbinsdale Adult Academic Program. Intentionally refer to and use these words in class. Encourage students to also use them in class. Assign them to look for, listen to, and report back on the use of taught Tier Two words outside of class.

Watch the following video to walk through an example of activities listed in the steps above. All examples shown in the video are included below.

Example Vocabulary Unit Vocabulary Unit 12-1.docx

Example Read & Respond Activity Read & Respond Baptiste.pdf

Example Cloze Activity Cloze Activity.docx

Knowledge Rating Charts Knowledge Rating Chart Examples.docx

Vocabulary Play & Recycle Ideas Vocabulary Play_Recycle Ideas.pdf

Click "Next" to learn about FREE Tier 2 vocabulary teaching resources!