Teaching vocabulary
Teach a word through meaning, use and retrieval.
A useful teaching sequence
- Introduce the word in a subject context with an example, object or visual.
- Distinguish its defining features from common but non-essential appearances.
- Practise a useful phrase or sentence, including pronunciation and related forms when relevant.
- Retrieve the word in a changed context, then check whether the meaning transfers accurately.
A rectangle is a quadrilateral with four right angles.
Opposite sides are parallel and equal; adjacent sides can be equal.
A non-square rectangle and a square.
A parallelogram without four right angles.
Try it in the next lesson
Model a word in a sentence before asking for a definition. Build a four-part organiser, then test a near miss. Follow with a delayed retrieval task in a new context.
Notice and respond to a common difficulty
The learner memorises a definition but cannot identify an example. Return to defining features and a near miss. A longer word list alone does not create deeper knowledge.
Language support and independent evidence
Use a small word bank, a brief model, visual support and rehearsal where needed. Learners can demonstrate subject knowledge through a home language or another mode. Review fresh task evidence in this skill before adjusting a proficiency judgment.
Choose age-appropriate language support →