Fall conference – October 7, 2023 8:30 am – 3:30 pm
Vocabulary Development Across Subject Areas
I had such a wonderful time presenting to the Ohio Valley Branch – IDA for their annual fall conference. What a gift to spend a whole day talking about what I love with fellow scholars. Have a peek at some of the topics we explored – we certainly went beyond phonics! Thank you for inviting me 
SESSION SUMMARY: Research tells us that vocabulary is important both in learning to read and in comprehending text. In fact, studies show that by grade one, vocabulary predicts much of the variation in reading comprehension as late as grade eleven. So how do we best support its development? How do we choose which words to teach? Although morphology is often regarded as something to be taught in language lessons to older students, teachers of all ages and subjects can harness the power of exploring word structure to teach vocabulary and a deeper understanding of concepts for all students which can transfer across subject areas, thereby reducing cognitive load.This session will use a variety of students’ work samples to guide participants through the process of word study, looking at the connections between morphology, etymology, and phonology, to show how it can support rich vocabulary development. We will also explore how a focus on meaning and structure impacts positively on other literacy skills in reading and writing, including how it helps to anchor learning about phonology, which can be challenging for many.
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