Enriching Vocabulary in Secondary Schools: A Practical Resource for Teachers and Speech and Language Therapists

Enriching Vocabulary in Secondary Schools explores the importance of vocabulary for academic, social, emotional, and employment outcomes. It describes the vulnerability of vocabulary skills in children and adolescents with speech, language, and communication needs (SLCN), and suggests practical ways to support them as they learn.

The book contains a theoretical overview of vocabulary development in children and adolescents, highlighting its impact on both learning and psychosocial functioning, and profiles the vocabulary learning of children with SLCN. It includes a range of programmes, strategies, and resources for vocabulary learning, together with the evidence base and key research underpinning them. Chapters offer a plethora of word-learning activities, ideas, and downloadable resources for implementation in the classroom, small groups, and individually to meet the needs of pupils with differing levels of language and cognitive ability.

An essential resource for speech and language therapists, secondary school teachers, and support staff, this book will give readers a deeper understanding of the significance of language, along with an extensive practical toolkit to help teach and enhance the vocabulary learning of older children and young people.

Table of Contents

Preface

Acknowledgements

1. What is vocabulary? - How vocabulary fits into a model of language, and how words are represented in our vocabulary store.
2. Why is vocabulary support important? - The relationship between vocabulary knowledge and long-term academic and psychosocial outcomes, and an introduction to speech, language and communication needs.
3. Word learning and its challenges - How word learning typically develops across the life span, and the processes that make word learning a challenge for adolescents with speech, language, and communication needs.
4. Evidenced vocabulary intervention at all levels of input - The evidence for vocabulary intervention in whole-class, small-group and individual models of delivery.
5. The Vocabulary Enrichment Intervention Programme - Activities from a small-group vocabulary enhancement intervention programme for adolescents in mainstream secondary schools.
6. Word Discovery - Activities from a whole-class vocabulary intervention programme for mainstream secondary school classrooms.
7. More for your toolbox - Additional activities and signposts to further resources for enhancing vocabulary.

Afterword

Index

References

"An evidence-based approach to language instruction or language intervention, this book offers a wealth of unique and innovative ideas and activities for building vocabulary and word-learning skills in students… [and] will be a welcomed addition to the library of any school-based speech-language pathologist, classroom teacher, or other professional who works with adolescents. I heartily recommend this new resource for those who wish to carry out state-of-the-art practice."
- Marilyn A. Nippold, PhD, Professor, Communication Disorders & Sciences, University of Oregon

"I have been eagerly awaiting this book. As a specialist language teacher, with an interest in enriching vocabulary for all, the combination of clinical knowledge and evidence-based strategies for whole class teaching is second to none. Chapter six describes a package of vocabulary intervention designed for whole class teaching and includes a sample schedule of how to incorporate it into your classroom practice. This readable book is a must for all secondary school staff!"
- Trish Hicken, Specialist Language Teacher Lincolnshire County Council, NAPLIC