Enhancing Vocabulary Intervention for Kindergarten Students: Strategic Integration of Semantically Related and Embedded Word Review

Abstract

Two approaches to systematic word review were integrated into an 18-week program of extended vocabulary instruction with kindergarten students from three high-need urban schools. Words in the embedded and semantically related review conditions received systematic and distributed review. In the embedded review condition, brief word definitions were integrated into the narratives of multiple storybooks. In the semantically related review condition, in-depth word review with explicit emphasis on semantic features and associations was provided during extension activities. Systematic review resulted in an almost twofold increase in target word learning. Embedded review was effective and time efficient, whereas semantically related review was time intensive but resulted in higher levels of word learning. There was a significant gain in Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test—III standard scores following the intervention.

English Language Learners and English-Only Learners' Response to Direct Vocabulary Instruction

“…The girl's parents were boiling dinner in the scalding water." For a more complete description of the intervention, see Coyne et al (2010) and Zipoli, Coyne, and McCoach (2011).…”

The ‘robustness’ of vocabulary intervention in the public schools: targets and techniques employed in speech–language therapy

“…Consequently, in the last two decades, a large volume of experimental work has explored the effectiveness of various methods for improving the vocabulary skills of children with vocabulary deficits (e.g., Biemiller and Boote , Zipoli et al . ; for meta‐analyses, see Jitendra et al . , Marulis and Neuman ), some focused specifically on children with LI or low verbal skills (Clarke et al .…”

Classroom-Based Narrative and Vocabulary Instruction: Results of an Early-Stage, Nonrandomized Comparison Study

“…Vocabulary was taught by placing words into contextually relevant sentences and passages, by highlighting the words explicitly, and by reviewing them repeatedly. This approach has been shown to be instructionally time efficient and effective for teaching words to young children (Nelson & Stage, 2007;Zipoli et al, 2011). Although this was beneficial for the experimental classroom as a whole, the children designated as low risk demonstrated greater benefit than the high-risk children.…”

“…Can you tell me what it means?" Consistent with previous studies investigating approaches to improving vocabulary in young children, each response was awarded a score depending on its accuracy (Zipoli, Coyne, & McCoach, 2011). A score of 0 was awarded when a child produced a definition that was wrong, replied with "I don't know," or did not respond.…”

“…Children were encouraged to repeat the target words when they were presented in hopes of reinforcing their phonological representations as in Brackenbury and Pye (2005) and Zipoli et al (2011). Students were asked to repeat or paraphrase definitions provided by teachers, or to create their own version of definitions.…”