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Expand Vocabulary STRATEGY

Tune in to interesting words

Readers build word awareness and understanding by focusing on words that are interesting and unique in the text.

Get to know this strategy

Definition

Readers build word awareness and understanding by focusing on words that are interesting and unique in the text.

When to teach this strategy

If you see readers who . . .

  • don't inquire about unknown words.
  • skip words they don't know the meaning of, causing comprehension to break down.

Why we teach it

Readers who tune in to new and interesting words begin to recognize and remember them, thus expanding their vocabulary, which enhances comprehension.

Secret to success

Search for and take note of words that you are curious about in your own reading and when someone is reading to you.

How we teach it

We start by tuning in to interesting words as a class and adding them to a whole-group word collector. The word collector is a way to gather new and interesting words and is organized in alphabetical order. We make a grid or boxes on a large piece of paper and write each letter of the alphabet in a different box (see Appendix O). Readers will also have their own word collectors to build their individual vocabularies, and this process serves as a model for that as well. We choose two or three words from our read-aloud that we think the children will encounter in their own reading or writing and that we believe are interesting.

  • While we are reading, we stop and say how much we love the word or how important it is to the text.
  • We write the word on the word collector in the appropriate box (e.g., deluge, d).
  • We continue reading and leave the group word collector as an ongoing activity, collecting two or three words each day. At the beginning of each literacy block, we review the words on the collector and discuss how students are using them in their conversations or writing.

Suggested language:

  • We love discovering words by really paying attention to the ones authors use. It is one of the best ways to increase the number of words we can use in our everyday speaking, writing, and understanding.
  • What words did you find that are interesting?
  • Ooh . . . that's an interesting word, for sure. Let's put it on our word collector so we can keep thinking about it.

Instructional Pivots

Possible ways to differentiate instruction:

  • When we meet with children in a one-on-one conference, we often discuss the words they are learning and using. This conversation helps deepen their understanding of words while supporting comprehension when they are reading.
  • Ask students to use two or three words each week in their writing and circle them for easy reference during their next conferring session.
  • Use a word collector (Appendix O) for both whole-group lessons and individual conferences to record and remember the new words.

Reconsider materials, setting, instruction, and cognitive processes.

Partner Strategies

These strategies may provide support before, during, and after teaching this strategy:

  • Read Text That Is a Good Fit
  • Check for Understanding; Monitor and Self-Correct
  • Use Prior Knowledge and Context Clues
  • Back Up and Reread

Common Core Alignment

K
1stL.1.6
2ndL.2.4
3rdRL.3.4, L.3.4
4thRI.4.4, L.4.5
5thRI.5.4, L.5.6
6thL.6.4, L.6.6
7thRL.7.4, RI.7.4, L.7.4
8thRL.8.4, RI.8.4, L.8.6
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Printable Resources

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parent letter iconCaretaker Letter?PRINT
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strategy downloadAssessment Form: Word CollectorDownload

VIDEOS

How to introduce this strategy

From Hadley’s Perspective aka Kid Teacher

Want to hear about this strategy from a student's perspective? Let Kid Teacher, Miss Hadley, tell you—in her own words—how this strategy helps her grow as a reader. We think it will help your students too!

From Gail's Perspective

In this video, Gail introduces the strategy. Share this with your class, and then continue instruction with a text and content that meets the needs of your students and your grade level standards.

ARTICLES

Articles That Support This Strategy

A Word Collector: A Tool to Increase Vocabulary

This chart is easy to make and a wonderful way to build new vocabulary together.

5

Tune In to Interesting Words with a Word Collector

This video contains much more than just teaching a child how to use a word collector to work with his Vocabulary goal.  

1

Expanding Vocabulary: Falling in Love with Words

Chandra Reiners and her sixth-grade students are falling in love with their word wall words.

Word Walls: Including Content Words

We've found word walls to be tremendously valuable to students of all ages. 

Hollie Gebhardt Models Tune In to Interesting Words

Learn how to keep your lessons short and focused.

1

Words, Wonderful Words

We are all about choice, so we love that there are a variety of ways in which students can choose to expand their vocabulary.

1

Tune in to Interesting Words: Model Lesson!

Lessons

When teaching this strategy, use the Ready Reference Guide and review required standards to see the depth of instruction needed. What do students need to be able to do? Then, use the instruction protocol along with a chosen book to teach the strategy in the desired setting. Download a model lesson to get you started here. 

2

Conferring with Our Strongest Readers

Conferring

How do we use assessments to guide our above-grade-level students? 

1

Two Page Word Collectors

EnvironmentTeaching Ideas

Rethinking your system for how and when you collect interesting words may help turn your students into Word Wizards. Trish shares six ideas.

Building Vocabulary and Sight Words

This small group works on sight words with a long i sound within text, and builds vocabulary at the same time.

1

Expanding Vocabulary Together: Collecting Words

Reading

This chart is easy to make and a wonderful way to build new vocabulary together.

2

Expanding Vocabulary with a 5th Grader

Intermediate Grades

Gail and Rachel Stephens come up with a plan to help Sinclair continue expanding her vocabulary.

2

Deepen Comprehension with Cause and Effect

This one-on-one conference pays particular attention to cause and effect.

15

Interactive Word Wall: Replacing Tired Words

Teaching IdeasWriting

This easy and accessible tool helps inspire writers and enrich vocabulary.

2

2 Strategies for Expanding Vocabulary in Writing and Speaking

This video models supporting children as they make the leap from collecting words to using them in their every day talking and writing.

1

Writing and Word Choice by Tuning In to Interesting Words

Brief LessonsSmall GroupsWriting

The vocabulary strategy of Tune In to interesting words is also a great strategy for Word Choice is writing  Listen in as Gail works on both of these strategies.

1

Setting a Goal to Expand Vocabulary

ConferringGoal Setting

This three-part video shows how Gail and Rachel move a very strong fifth-grade reader to expand his vocabulary.

3

Activity for Tune In to Interesting Words

Beth Lawson and her class share words to describe how they felt while reading, as well as words on the board they are always on the lookout for.

1

Using 3 Strategies at One Time: Author's Purpose, Text Features and Tune In to Interesting Words

Using multiple strategies at once is what most good readers do.  In this video, you will see how Janet introduces and models the use of multiple strategies.

2

6 Ways to Practice Words to Expand Vocabulary

Listen in and learn how these students are held accountable for expanding their vocabulary.

1

Tune In to Interesting Words During Read Alouds

Whole Group

We are never too young or too old to expand our vocabularies. This strategy works for everyone. 

Expanding Vocabulary: Can We Talk About These Words?

This simple technique keeps everyone ready to tune in to interesting words and helps promote the idea that it really is fun to expand our vocabularies.

BOOKS

Books with Lessons to Help Teach This Strategy

Each book below has a coordinating lesson with an explicit example to teach this strategy. Select a book cover below, then download the lesson to see for yourself. At The Daily CAFE these were called Lit Lessons.

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