Explicit Intervention in Vocabulary

Intervention Overview

In an explicit intervention in vocabulary, teach high utility words and academic language, including instruction in morphology (the meanings of roots and combining forms, prefixes, and suffixes) using explicit instructional routines. Words should be taught in clusters and connected to texts. In addition, there should be judicious review with multiple exposures of previously taught words.

Why Does Vocabulary Matter to Reading?

Comprehension of written material depends upon vocabulary knowledge. To make meaning from print, students must be able to read the words accurately, as well as understand their meanings. Experts estimate that students need to know 90-95% of the word meanings in a text to comprehend it (Nagy & Scott, 2000). However, there can be considerable differences among students in the size of their vocabularies. Many students experience underlying weaknesses in vocabulary that make reading grade-level text challenging.

Explicit Intervention in Vocabulary

Explicit intervention in vocabulary is one way to build word knowledge and comprehension of complex, grade-level text. Learn more about planning and delivering explicit intervention in vocabulary in the video below.

RIMP Code Video Series

Explicit Intervention in Vocabulary-Reading Improvement and Monitoring Plan (RIMP) Series (YouTube; 6:49)

Preparing to Implement the Intervention

Before delivering an explicit intervention in vocabulary, identify words to teach from a text. Select words that are: (1) unknown to students, (2) critical to understanding a text, and (3) used in other contexts. Be sure to include Tier 2 words (academic language terms used in multiple content areas) and Tier 3 words (domain specific words critical to a specific content area). Plan explicit instructional routines that you will use to teach the words, such as the four-step routine presented in the video.

What Elements to Include in an Explicit Vocabulary Intervention

Intervention Flags

When designing an intervention plan, it’s important to consider characteristics of effective instruction. The green flags and red flags can also be used to evaluate intervention programs. Click the arrow to view the attributes of effective and ineffective instruction. Click on the hotspots below to read more.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why use an explicit instructional routine to teach new terms?

A well-designed instructional routine gives structure to the intervention time and facilitates dialogue and thinking about vocabulary that might not occur otherwise. For these reasons, teachers are encouraged to select a consistent instructional routine for vocabulary intervention.

Why should vocabulary intervention focus on Tier 2 words?

Students need to know high-utility (Tier 2) words that they are likely to meet often in academic texts across the content areas. The more Tier 2 words students know, the better students will access content in other subject areas. Furthermore, students will likely keep these words in their vocabularies because of their frequent use and the many opportunities to see them in context.

Is teaching a word once enough for it to be learned?

No. Multiple encounters are necessary for a word to be learned. Some researchers estimate that it takes up to 17 exposures to learn a word! Repeated, deliberate, and varied practice opportunities can help students retain vocabulary words introduced through a explicit instructional routine. Practice opportunities can also facilitate the transfer of vocabulary to reading proficiency.