A Literature Review of

Effective Strategies and Methods for Implementing Academic Vocabulary

Kandyce Wood

Department of Education, North Carolina State University

ECI 523: Teacher as a Researcher

Dr. Michelle Falter

June 6th, 2021

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A Literature Review on Academic Vocabulary

Currently, I teach second grade at a dual language elementary school in Chatham County. My colleagues

and I are noticing severe gaps amongst English and English as a Second Language Learners due to the limited

recognition of letters, sounds, and vocabulary. An estimated 1,518 English Language Learners make up the 8,900

student population in Chatham County, N.C. (Chatham County Public Schools System). English language learners

are not distributed equally across the 18 public schools in Chatham County resulting in two schools offering Dual

Language while other schools remain traditional with lower enrollments of English Language Learners. Dual

Language is designed for immersing students in cultural environments where they can thrive using Spanish and

English. The goal of dual immersion is written beautifully; however, concerns in achievement gaps only increase as

educators face new challenges where testing expectations climb alongside limited funding, resources, materials,

programs, and professional development. Some teachers fear change and want to continue techniques that are

familiar, yet educators such as myself are in need of effective methods and strategies to implement academic

vocabulary throughout whole and small group settings, as these tier words hold the key to longitudinal academic

achievement (Roessingh, 2020). Roessingh addresses academic vocabulary as words that are associated with

informational texts and expository modes of writing, and with literary genres such as poetry (2020).

When selecting academic vocabulary for small and whole group lessons, it is recommended that educators

collaboratively determine if the word meets the criteria of tier one, tier two, or tier three instruction. Scanlon,

Anderson, Sweeney reiterate Beck et al. (2002) the importance of tier two words as these words are classified useful

in a variety of contexts (2017). When designing lists of words for the tier columns, teachers of English Language

Learners can take advantage of how academic words transfer across curricular boundaries, along with sharing

semantic attributes (Fitzgerald, J., Elmore, J., & Relyea, J.E. (2021). Other accounts of research propose

incorporating ‘core’ academic vocabulary lists such as the reconstructed AWL (Academic Word List), since originals

such as GSL (General Service List) were based on insufficient data and language (Gardner, Davies, 2013). While

research supports academic vocabulary lists making a significant contribution to academic achievement, one should

note that these lists have been classified as undifferentiated, disengaging, and limited since students will require

different ways of using language inferring that we cannot solely depend on a list of academic vocabulary (Hyland,

TSE, 2007).
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I found it insightful to reflect how academic vocabulary can support phonics instruction, as words require

decoding in order to make reliable connections. Flanigan, Templeton, Hayes defines generative vocabulary as an

effective strategy for correlating the relationship between spelling and meaning. It is stressed for students to focus

on one word or root at a time before discovering how this word relates to numerous other words (Flanigan, K.,

Templeton, S. & Hayes, L. (2012). English language learners can benefit from extensive conversations where words

or roots are connected in spanish and english. On the contrary, research points out where connecting members of an

extensive word family like react may not share the same core meaning (Gardner, Davies, 2013) creating arguments

that generative vocabulary is an ineffective strategy caused by the fact that ‘word family’ does not consider

grammatical parts of speech (Gardner, Davies, 2013).

Along with tier words, research shows growth in academic vocabulary utilizing methods or frameworks in

which vocabulary is integrated through accessing prior knowledge before creating new connections. In an article

entitled Promoting Vocabulary Learning for English Learners, Stephanie Wessels discusses effective vocabulary

instruction. She states,

The purpose of the before-reading phase is to prepare students for what they will encounter in the text and

to develop domain knowledge. In the before-reading phase, two characteristics of effective vocabulary

instruction are emphasized: accessing background knowledge and connecting unknown vocabulary to

known knowledge. (pg. 47)

Working with English Language students can be challenging, because we do not always know their prior

background knowledge. Sometimes students have background knowledge but are unable to communicate what they

know in English with their peers. Research suggests teachers to activate prior knowledge and provide our students

opportunities to share their initial connections (Wessels, pg. 47). This provides us with what they know and fill in

the gaps of what they need to know.

These investigations motivated me to reflect standards pertaining to life cycles, informational texts, and

informative writing which guided me to start designing explicit lessons following the Before Reading, During

Reading, and After Reading (BDA) framework. Scanlon, Anderson, Sweeney recommend educators to determine

words that will require detailed discussions, along with instructional activities before the book is read to the group

(p.329). This strategy aligning with the work of Szpunar, Chan, and McDermott mentioned in 101 Strategies to

Make Academic Vocabulary Stick, “Students can improve their semantic and episodic memory through the recoding
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process— that is, by putting information into their own words (Sprenger, 2017, p.14). The study, Improving

Reading Comprehension, Science Domain Knowledge, and Reading Engagement Through a First-Grade Content

Literacy Intervention designed the framework MORE, a ten day unit seeking to connect with students’ prior

knowledge before exposing new content. This framework provided educators with afterschool training, materials,

and resources which resulted in students obtaining a positive and significant effect on science domain knowledge, as

measured by vocabulary knowledge depth (effect size [ES] .30), listening comprehension (ES .40), and

argumentative writing (ES .24) (Kim, J. S., Burkhauser, M. A., Mesite, L. M., Asher, C. A., Relyea, J. E.,

Fitzgerald, J., & Elmore, J., 2020). This study notes the positive effects through offering educators with support and

resources which resulted in teachers feeling confident in the material rather than unmotivated or unsupported.

Another effective quality that I noticed to benefit implementing academic vocabulary was utilizing charts

or concept maps that require students to follow through with their inquiry, meaning, and application. Interactive

word walls support students’ concept learning by allowing them to explore, evaluate, reflect on, and apply word

meanings (Vacca, Vacca, and Mraz, 2016. p.75). This form of graphic organizer can provide students with

clarification and confirmation (Vacca, Vacca, and Mraz, 2016. p.77). Sprenger suggests utilizing graphic organizers

for introducing, rehearsing, and reviewing vocabulary. Sprenger brings into perspective that concept maps such as

Venn diagrams and the Frayer Model help students organize their thinking and show you what they know. With a

Venn diagram, students can compare and contrast two words from their vocabulary list (2017, p.84)

Effective vocabulary instruction urges small group instruction, along with group collaboration as crucial for

incorporation of academic vocabulary. Vacca, Vacca, and Mraz share how group work over independent activities

provides further opportunities for both the English learners and mainstream students to exchange ideas about what

they thought and understood (2016, p.79). Research suggests utilizing informative texts that will allow students to

apply new knowledge of academic vocabulary, along with enhancing global awareness. Recommendations such as

Scholastic News, TIME Magazine for Kids, National Geographic Kids provide in-depth content; however, are

considered expensive for some schools. National and local newspapers are noted as affordable options that engage

students in choosing what they want to learn about. Roessingh shares experience from working with English

Language Learners how their favorite tasks involved exploring the stack of newspaper articles resulting in engaging

young students in critical thinking, understanding opposing perspectives, and problem solving (2020).
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When inquiring how to obtain sufficient data of implemented academic vocabulary, it is recommended to

create assessments that reflect the activities created throughout whole and small group instruction. If students are

actively communicating and creating word webs or posters to reflect vocabulary definitions, then an assessment on

paper could skew your findings as an educator due to students creating undesired stress of unknown materials

(Sprenger, 2017, p. 81).

Academic Vocabulary being a broad topic could intimidate or overwhelm educators as they seek how to

implement and incorporate the language throughout content areas. Sprenger recommends that “teachers should be

teaching about 300 academic words through direct instruction (2017, p. 2).” This number is based on the concept of

academic vocabulary overlapping, along with academic vocabulary incorporated throughout all content. This

number raises questions for educators who wish for time designated to learn and observe the research deemed as

effective and successful for whole and small group instruction. Taylor and Duke suggest that professional

development begins with building an understanding of how vocabulary research informs such principled

instructional approaches (2013). p.279).

Before research, I thought I was progressing with incorporating academic vocabulary into my daily

instruction. Research has helped me to recognize the need for explicit instruction of academic vocabulary classified

in the three tiers. This growing area of concern continues to create gaps amongst learners and should be addressed

collaboratively amongst educators. Our students are in need of strategies to help them apply word meaning to

context, while our educators are in need of professional development for integrating academic vocabulary. This

propels me to further my inquiries and understanding of academic vocabulary in hopes of sharing effective strategies

to help prevent gaps amongst English and Dual Language Learners.

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References

Chatham County Public Schools System. (n.d.). About the district.

https://www.chatham.k12.nc.us/Page/20875

Flanigan, K., Templeton, S. & Hayes, L. (2012). What's in a Word? Using Content Vocabulary to

Generate Growth in General Academic Vocabulary Knowledge. Journal of Adolescent &

Adult Literacy, 56( 2), 132– 140. doi: 10.1002/jaal.00114

Fitzgerald, J., Elmore, J., & Relyea, J.E. (2021).

Academic Vocabulary Networks Matter for Students’ Disciplinary Learning. Read Teach, 74(5), 569– 579.

https://doi-org.prox.lib.ncsu.edu/10.1002/trtr.1976

Gardner, D., Davies, M., A New Academic Vocabulary List, Applied Linguistics, Volume 35, Issue

3, July 2014, Pages 305–327,https://doi-org.prox.lib.ncsu.edu/10.1093/applin/amt015

Hyland, K. and TSE, P. (2007), Is There an “Academic Vocabulary”?. TESOL Quarterly, 41:

235-253. https://doi-org.prox.lib.ncsu.edu/10.1002/j.1545-7249.2007.tb00058.x

Kim, J. S., Burkhauser, M. A., Mesite, L. M., Asher, C. A., Relyea, J. E., Fitzgerald, J., & Elmore, J.

(2020, March 19). Improving Reading Comprehension, Science Domain Knowledge, and

Reading Engagement Through a First-Grade Content Literacy Intervention. Journal of Educational

Psychology. Advance online publication. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/edu0000465

Roessingh, H. Read-alouds in the upper elementary classroom: Developing academic

vocabulary. TESOL J. 2020; 11:e445. https://doi-org.prox.lib.ncsu.edu/10.1002/tesj.445

Scanlon D., Anderson, K., & Sweeney, J.,Early Intervention for Reading Difficulties: The

Interactive Strategies Approach, 2nd Edition (2017, Guilford Press)

Sprenger, Marilee. 101 Strategies to Make Academic Vocabulary Stick,

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Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development, 2017. ProQuest Ebook Central,

http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ncsu/detail.action?docID=4788903.

Taylor, B. M., & Duke, N. (2013). Handbook of effective literacy instruction: Research-based

practices, K–8. New York, NY: Guilford Press.

Vacca Richard T., Vacca Jo Anne L.; Mraz Maryann E.. Content Area Reading

(What's New in Literacy) 2017.Pearson Education. Kindle Edition.