Using Knowledge Networks To Develop Preschoolers' Content Vocabulary

Using Knowledge Networks To Develop Preschoolers' Content Vocabulary

    This article talks about the process that is used to integrate vocabulary instruction within the context of reading books that build multiple words in young children. The importance of content vocabulary is to help children become successful with reading and comprehension throughout their schooling years.

    Shared book reading is an opportunity to accelerate content vocabulary. It provides struggling readers with the necessary support. It builds word knowledge and reading fluency. "Shared book reading is often used to promote young children's vocabulary acquisition" ( Ezell & Justice 2005) "and is a method that lends itself to the development of content related vocabulary. Hirsch (2006) suggest that "effective book reading builds contextual knowledge through topic immersion". Which means that the teacher or parents read a sequence of book with relevant topic within a week in a thematic form to approach the vocabulary.

    Research shows that children accrue vocabulary knowledge by understanding relationships between new words and their connected concepts. This article describes three principals teachers can use to design shared books reading lesson that accelerate vocabulary knowledge by helping children make connections between words and related science and social studies concepts. The National Council (NCSS, 1988) noted that "young children are capable of learning abstract social studies concepts early and that children as young as 5 years of age have a proclivity towards history and geography, work concepts, relationships of people and their environment, explaining their immediate environment, and civic understanding". These principles also guide teachers in building content vocabulary knowledge by making connections between words and world knowledge via informational texts. The article also talks about the extensive training that teachers need to properly expose children to vocabulary words to build contextual knowledge.

The three research-based principles to build vocabulary knowledge are:

• Build Content Vocabulary via Concepts That Align With Curricular Objectives
• Build Content Vocabulary by Integrating Informational and Narrative Texts to Increase Multiple Exposures to Words and Concepts
• Build Content Vocabulary through Opportunities to talk about Connections Between Words and Concepts

 When introducing words to children try to see what they know about that word first, to open engaging conversations. This will allow the teacher to see who have that word in their vocabulary bank and who doesn't. Then define the word and relate it to science, social studies etc to make a thematic approach to the word. Then give them a follow up question about what they now know about the new word.

"Preschool children benefit from instruction that organize large amounts of information into meaningful networks with plentiful opportunities for repeated practice and extended learning."

References

Fountas, Gay Su Pinnell & Irene C. Fountas (2011) Literacy Beginnings A Prekindergarten Handbook

Heinemann Publisher: Portsmouth, NH

Sharolyn D. Pollard-Durodola, Jorge E. Gonzalez, Deborah C. Simmons, Matthew J. Davis, Leslie Simmons, & Miranda Nava-Walichowski Using Knowledge Networks to Develop Preschoolers' Content Vocabulary (2011)