Two Ways That Can "Prep" Students for New Vocabulary Before They Read a Nonfiction Piece

 

Two Ways That Can "Prep" Students for New Vocabulary Before They Read a Nonfiction Piece

Author: Santosh Kumar Biswa, Sr. Teacher, Damphu CS, Tsirang, Bhutan

 

Reading nonfiction is one of the finest strategies to keep students interested in reading because comprehension is the primary goal of reading. Nonfiction reading frequently presents unfamiliar words or concepts that students may find difficult to comprehend, rendering their reading useless. Learning via nonfiction reading involves naturally coming across new terms and ideas, but teachers should make sure that their students are assisted by employing specific strategies to help them increase their knowledge and comprehension of a subject. Before reading a nonfiction article, teachers should introduce children to a new language to help them comprehend and engage with the content. I will be talking about two tactics I use to "prepare" students for new vocabulary before they read a nonfiction piece in this conversation, among other strategies I use in my classroom, and their advantages.

Pre-teaching vocabulary

Teachers can employ pre-teaching vocabulary to help students comprehend and interact with nonfiction materials that contain unfamiliar or challenging words. This strategy teaches students that words can have varied meanings based on their context and how they are utilized in everyday life (Lyon, 2023). Before reading the book, comprises introducing and teaching students important vocabulary words. Teachers can pre-teach or introduce any new terminology from the nonfiction text students will read in the classroom before they begin reading the nonfiction piece. To do this, students will be better prepared for nonfiction reading if teachers first identify the key vocabulary words in the text that might be difficult for them to understand or unfamiliar to them, after which they can provide a list of key vocabulary words and their definitions, and have students practice using the words in sentences or discussing their meanings in groups. To help students understand the meanings of the phrases, they might also offer instances of how the words are used in context. Also, they should point out the words' appearances and uses in the text to assist students in making the connection between the new words and the text. Teachers should make sure to go over the new words and their definitions with students to help them grasp them better. This can assist students in comprehending the text and how the new words relate to the subject.

Why will pre-teaching vocabulary be effective?

This strategy will be effective because teachers can help students comprehend nonfiction materials and enhance their overall comprehension and vocabulary skills by pre-teaching terminology. When students come across the words in context and can draw connections between the words and concepts, it helps them develop a foundation of knowledge about the subject and makes it simpler for them to understand the nonfiction article. It enables pupils to understand that some terms have academic definitions that are distinct from their common usage (Pre-Teaching Vocabulary, n.d.). Also, it supports diverse learners in the classroom by increasing classroom engagement and motivation through vocabulary growth and word knowledge, where students will feel more secure in their ability to understand the text and are more likely to be engaged and driven to read. This might result in more enthusiasm for the subject and better reading comprehension. To increase reading comprehension, vocabulary growth, and engagement with nonfiction materials, pre-teaching vocabulary is a useful method.

Activating prior knowledge

Another practical strategy teachers can employ to assist students in getting ready for nonfiction reading and improving their comprehension of new ideas and terminology is activating prior knowledge. By connecting both prior knowledge and current learning, this technique entails getting students to think back on what they already know about a topic before they start reading about it (Activating Prior Knowledge, n.d.). For students to connect their existing knowledge when using this method in the classroom, teachers should first introduce the subject of the nonfiction reading to the class and give some background information about it. Following the topic introduction, the teacher will ask the class to list all of the information they already know about it through conversation or other interactive exercises that encourage them to recollect their earlier learning. Teachers will then assist students with organizing their prior knowledge by having them select key concepts linked to the topic and create a visual depiction of how they are related to one another, or by having them watch a brief video or read a brief article that introduces the topic. Finally, the teacher can help the students in making connections between their existing knowledge and the new vocabulary and concepts they are learning as they read. This can enhance their cognition in general and help them understand the subject matter better.

Why will activating prior knowledge be effective?

This strategy will be effective because it can assist students in drawing connections between their prior knowledge and the new vocabulary words they will meet in the nonfiction article, which will deepen their grasp of the text and enhance their overall comprehension (Ferlazzo, 2018). Students are better able to understand new material and retain it for extended periods by activating existing knowledge. Additionally, it helps different learners with improved memory and retention and raises engagement in the classroom through increased motivation and enthusiasm for the subject.

In conclusion, because they lay a foundation of knowledge, encourage engagement, boost comprehension, increase retention, and nurture critical thinking abilities, both of the aforementioned strategies are successful at preparing children for new terminology in nonfiction reading. They are successful because they give students a conceptual framework before they meet unfamiliar words in a nonfiction text. Students are more likely to connect with the topic, understand new vocabulary words they come across, and retain the knowledge they acquire if this foundational knowledge is established for them.

 

References

Activating Prior Knowledge. (n.d.). Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning | Virginia Tech. https://teaching.vt.edu/teachingresources/adjustinginstruction/priorknowledge.html#:~:text=Activating%20prior%20knowledge%20helps%20students,assessment%20information%20to%20adapt%20instruction.

Einstein, C. (2003). Activating comprehension: Non-fiction in the classroom. Educators Publishing Service. https://eps.schoolspecialty.com/EPS/media/Site-Resources/Downloads/articles/Nonfiction.pdf

Ferlazzo, L. (2018, March 29). Activating Prior Knowledge with English Language Learners. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/activating-prior-knowledge-english-language-learners

Lyon, C. (2023, February 6). Vocabulary words: An evidence-based literacy strategy. https://www.understood.org/en/articles/how-to-teach-vocabulary-words

Pre-Teaching Vocabulary. (n.d.). Vocab Strategies. http://tabethadawkins.weebly.com/pre-teaching-vocabulary.html