Building Academic Vocabulary

In Building Academic Vocabulary: Teacher's Manual, Robert J. Marzano and Debra J. Pickering give teachers a practical way to help students master academic vocabulary. Research has shown that when teachers, schools, and districts take a systematic approach to helping students identify and master essential vocabulary and concepts of a given subject area, student comprehension and achievement rises.

In the manual, readers will find the following tools:

• A method to help teachers, schools, and districts determine which academic vocabulary terms are most essential for their needs.
• A six-step process for direct instruction in subject area vocabulary.
• A how-to to help students use the Building Academic Vocabulary: Student Notebook. The six-step method encourages students to learn critical academic vocabulary by connecting these terms to prior knowledge using linguistic and non-linguistic means that further encourage the refinement and deepening of their understanding..
• Suggestions for tailoring academic vocabulary procedures for English Language Learners..
• Samples and blackline masters for a variety of review activities and games that reinforce and refine student understanding of the academic terms and concepts they learn.

The book also includes a list of 7,923 vocabulary terms culled from the national standards documents and other publications, organized into 11 subject areas and 4 grade-level categories. It puts into practice the research and ideas outlined in Marzano's previous book Building Background Knowledge for Academic Achievement. Using the teacher's manual and vocabulary notebooks, educators can guide students in using tools and activities that will help them deepen their own understanding of critical academic vocabulary, the building blocks for achievement in each discipline.