Words in the Wild

Brett Vogelsinger

A marine biologist will learn far more from observing sharks in the wild than in an aquarium. Likewise, to truly absorb new vocabulary and make it their own, students need repeated practice observing words in real-world contexts and then using words repeatedly in contexts they create themselves. Worksheets and bullet lists are like aquariums, not quite allowing words to exist as indigenous species. Donalyn Miller's book Reading in the Wild encourages teachers to see students as "wild readers" and design instruction that respects their freedom. So how can teachers structure learning so that students experience the joys and challenges of working with words "in the wild"? I've found a combination of two strategies makes this possible.

"Webstalking the Word"

Google News is an invaluable source for discovering vocabulary words in their native environment. Searching within Google News for a vocabulary word turns up abundant results in the headlines that demonstrate current usage of the word connected to current events. The "Ctrl+F" command can be used to dig deeper and find examples of how the word is used within the article beyond the headlines.

Here's how I would structure learning so that students can share their discoveries about new terms observed in their native environment: On individual devices, or in a computer lab, students search for selected or assigned words in Google News. Taking screenshots of headlines and sentences, students collect examples of how the word is used in news items. These examples are added to and shared on Slideshow in Google Drive. (In your Google account, select Google Drive and then click on Create and select Presentation.) These slideshows quickly become powerful study guides, with all students benefitting from one another's hard work. As a class, we affectionately call this collaborative investigation and discovery "webstalking the word."

In a recent adventure webstalking the word prodigious, a student discovered, collected, and shared these headlines and quotes:

• "Prodigious CEOs Who Died in 2013 Leave Legacies"
• "As a writer, his output was prodigious"
• "At 6–3, with a wingspan of 32-inch wingspan, he is long, lean, and a prodigious leaper who employs a strategy of backing off just a little to bait quarterbacks."

These three lines alone—and he found several more—demonstrate how this strategy can provide greater nuance for word definitions, pulling in various meanings and uses. Some of the best learning happens when students think they know a word and then find an example where a professional writer uses the word in a surprising way that challenges existing schemas. This strategy invites students to grapple with vocabulary in profound and authentic ways.

Vocab Vouchers

Once students have observed and compiled examples of how a word is used, they are ready to practice using the word themselves. To get students to use the words we've studied, I provide motivational "vocab voucher opportunities" on a weekly basis. In my classroom, students compile lists of vocabulary words that we study throughout the year. At the end of the year, there is a test on all of these words. However, students know that I value actual usage of the word far more than I value their ability to answer questions about a word. Ultimately, the world will judge students by how well they can use vocabulary, not whether they can label the part of speech for each word they speak. That's where vocab vouchers come in. Throughout the year, I offer opportunities to earn vouchers, little coupons that can later be traded in for exemptions from questions on the end-of-year vocabulary test. For example, if a student earns 18 vocab vouchers throughout the year, they get to skip 18 questions on the end-of-year test.

To initiate a vocab voucher opportunity, I offer a surprising or challenging prompt like, "Who can tell me something about an animal using our words for this week?" or "Talk to me about the saddest celebrity moments you've ever seen using the vocab words from this week." The hands fly up. The kids seize the opportunity to ease the pressure of the big test. But more importantly, by listening to one another's ideas, they are exposed to an even greater diversity of contexts in which the words can be used.

Whether you have the opportunity to try these two strategies in a classroom or not, never forget the underlying principles: learning new academic vocabulary requires repeated exposure to the words, and all vocabulary study should involve a measure of play and creativity. If we want words to stick, let kids be marine biologists for a while and swim with the sharks in the wild. I guarantee you—they won't get hurt.

Brett Vogelsinger is a 9th grade English teacher at Holicong Middle School in Doylestown, Pa.

ASCD Express, Vol. 9, No. 17. Copyright 2014 by ASCD. All rights reserved. Visit www.ascd.org/ascdexpress.