Bringing Words to Life: Robust Vocabulary Instruction

By Isabel L. Beck, Linda Kucan, Margaret G. McKeown

Book Overview

Hundreds of thousands of teachers have used this highly practical guide to help K-12 students enlarge their vocabulary and get involved in noticing, understanding, and using new words. Grounded in research, the book explains how to select words for instruction, introduce their meanings, and create engaging learning activities that promote both word knowledge and reading comprehension. The authors are trusted experts who draw on extensive experience in diverse classrooms and schools. Sample lessons and vignettes, children's literature suggestions, "Your Turn" learning activities, and a Study Guide for teachers enhance the book's utility as a classroom resource, professional development tool, or course text. The Study Guide can also be downloaded and printed for ease of use (www.guilford.com/beck-studyguide).

New to This Edition Reflects over a decade of advances in research-based vocabulary instruction. Chapters on vocabulary and writing; assessment; and differentiating instruction for struggling readers and English language learners, including coverage of response to intervention (RTI). Expanded discussions of content-area vocabulary and multiple-meaning words. Many additional examples showing what robust instruction looks like in action. Appendix with a useful menu of instructional activities. See also the authors' Creating Robust Vocabulary: Frequently Asked Questions and Extended Examples, which includes specific instructional sequences for different grade ranges, as well as Making Sense of Phonics, Second Edition: The Hows and Whys, by Isabel L. Beck and Mark E. Beck, an invaluable resource for K-3.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1462508162
• ISBN13: 9781462508167
• Release Date: March 2013
• Publisher: Guilford Publications
• Length: 210 Pages
• Weight: 0.97 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 7.0" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Awesome Suggestions

This book has provided the opportunity for my students to continue to increase their vocabulary, apply their vocabulary to speech as well as writing. Fantastic resource.

A Refreshing Solution to Dry Vocabulary Instruction

I still remember when my high school teachers would assign the dreaded weekly vocabulary homework. We would painstakingly look up each word in the dictionary, write down what was usually the shortest definition, and then take a wild stab at writing the word in a sentence. I'm not sure how many of those words I actually learned, but I do remember being bored, frustrated and confused. Dictionaries are not necessarily the only tool for deriving meaning of new words. Thankfully, this book helps educators to realize the importance of meaningful vocabulary instruction. It outlines various techniques for robust instruction in both primary and secondary grade levels. If you teach vocabulary, you should consider this book for your collection.

Lifesaver

This book came during my summer vacation when my motivation to read was quite low........I read it in one sitting and got so many ideas for my work with language impaired elementary school students. It is timely and appropriate for all age levels. Many educators are looking for research based best practices and this is a great reference!

Bringing Words to Life in the classroom!

Being a teacher, I found "Bringing Words To Life" very helpful. I've gotten so many good ideas to bring to the classroom. Today, we have so many children who sit in front of the television or are focused on video games that they don't have enough real life experience to relate to vocabulary. Having necessary vocabulary skills is very important in reading comprehension. If a child doesn't understand what they're reading then they won't be able to comprehend the story. Reading the story has given my not only ideas to enhance vocabulary but it's given me the inspiration to be creative. I would suggest any teacher read this book to become inspired!

Outstanding resource!

This book is by far the best resource on vocabulary instruction available today. In my work with teachers, this book has had the best reception with practicing teachers of any book I have used. I has been a very popular selection for professional book clubs. The authors use common-sense language to explain how to make vocabulary instruction meaningful--and why many commonly used techniques are ineffective. Of the essential elements of reading instruction, vocabulary has easily been the most neglected, despite its clear connection with reading comprehensioin. This book provides teachers with real, usable methods that have been proven effective. Every teacher should read this book. I cannot recommend it highly enough.