Choosing Target Vocabulary

We found that it is best to first select the unit books and then select target vocabulary words from the books. This way the teacher knows that the target vocabulary is presented in context within the books. However, books contain hundreds of words! How should the teacher select the words? Because DHH children have gaps in their vocabulary we cannot assume that they will know words that are familiar to their same-age hearing peers. At the same time it is important to target words that the child does not know so that we don’t spend time teaching words they already know.

In order to select target words appropriate for each child, we created three lists of words ranging from easy to difficult. The easiest words are on the Level 1 list, the next most difficult are on the Level 2 list, and the most difficult are on the Level 3 list.

The leveled lists we created were based on Tier 1, 2, and 3 words (Beck & McKeown, 2007; Biemiller & Slonim, 2001).

• Tier 1 words are high frequency words that children are likely to encounter in everyday interactions with teachers, parents, adults and peers. Most children learn these words without any need for instruction. However, DHH children may not encounter these words frequently enough to learn them. Examples of Tier 1 words from our units include teeth, shell, and roof. Level 1 lists should contain mostly Tier 1 words.

• Tier 2 words are moderate-to-high frequency words that are used less often during everyday conversations. They are often part of content area instruction but are not specific to a single content area. These words are most likely to be learned with instruction, and are also most likely to be used by the child within multiple contexts. Examples of Tier 2 words in our units include decay, protect, planets. Level 2 lists should contain mostly Tier 2 words.

• Tier 3 words are low-frequency words specific to a particular content area. They are often taught in the context of science or social studies instruction. Examples of Tier 3 words that we have used in our units include satellite, dentine, and plaque. Level 3 lists should contain mostly Tier 3 words.

To create a list of words for instruction the teacher should:

• Select Tier 1, 2 and 3 words from the books that are to be read focusing particularly on selecting Tier 2 words.
• Arrange these in leveled lists (see examples within units).