April 2006
Literacy Tutoring Tip:
Building Vocabulary
This month we were lucky to have Marlyn Katz Levinson present on best ways to support English Language Learners. For those of you who were unable to attend, here is a tip to help increase your student’s vocabulary.
First, be sure to introduce all vocabulary terms before they are asked to interpret the words in context. Then show your student a photograph or picture that may have some interesting things happening in it (advertisements are great for this, because they often have interesting imagery and tell a complete story with just one picture). Show the picture to your child, and then ask them open ended questions about who is in the picture, what is happening and to identify all the vocabulary words (including objects, places and emotions). Keep a list together, and ask questions that compare what they are learning to their own lives to help reinforce the new words and concepts.
Variations: For more experienced learners, ask them to tell a story about the picture rather than just listing vocabulary, and then turn the story into a homemade book!
