Literacy 

Vocabulary matters

Every subject at high school relies on vocabulary. Whether it’s analysing a text in English, or interpreting graphs in Maths, the words that students know shape their ability to understand, communicate, and succeed. A strong vocabulary is also incredibly important to give our young people confidence. When they have the words to express their ideas, ask questions and participate in discussions, they are more likely to engage in their learning and in the world around them.

There has been extensive research into this area of literacy, and it confirms that there is a ‘robust, direct correlation between a student’s vocabulary size and their academic success.’ (Alsahafi, 2023). 

Researchers agree that improving the size of a child’s vocabulary is important, but they should not merely be ‘bombarded with millions of words’ (Gunning, 2019). The quantity of words that children are exposed to are important, but the quality of those words matters just as much. According to many studies, memorising words and their definitions rarely leads to their active use, which is why it is so important to use words meaningfully in a variety of contexts.

At Warrandyte High School our VCE classes are explicitly taught the command words (verbs) across the curriculum. It is school policy that these command terms are included on all SACs and the Year 11 Exams, to encourage our students to think critically about what the question is asking before they begin their response.

Many of our junior classes are explicitly taught ‘Tier 2’ words through our Robust Vocabulary approach. These are high utility words that might appear across many different subjects and situations (such as ‘abolish’, ‘acquire’ and ‘incessant’). Ensuring our students know these words helps them access their learning in all areas of the curriculum.

So how can you help your teenager with their vocabulary?

• Regularly immerse your young person in quality words in meaningful ways.
• Discuss current events with your child, and give them the vocabulary to have these conversations.
• Watch movies and TV shows with your young person, and point out really interesting vocab choices.
• Play word based games with your teenager. Things like Scrabble, Boggle, Scattergories, Bananagrams or Apples to Apples can encourage kids to naturally stretch their expressive language skills.
• Challenge them to beat their own high score on games like Freerice.com, a quiz site where the player earns grains of rice which are then donated to the World Food Programme.
• Make sure books, magazines and newspapers are available at home.
• Use rich vocabulary yourself around your young person.
• Read and write poetry and song lyrics, as they often include a wealth of figurative language.
• Encourage your young person to ask questions.

• Listen to podcasts together and discuss unfamiliar words.

   

The most important thing for our young people is natural, repeated exposure to rich vocabulary in a variety of contexts. When students regularly hear, read, discuss, and use new words, they build not only their vocabulary but also the confidence to express themselves and engage with the world around them. After all, as parents, carers, and educators, we share the same goal: to give our young people the best possible foundation for a successful and fulfilling future.

1 Alsahafi, Morad (2023). “The Relationship Between Depth of Academic English Vocabulary and Academic Success of Second Language University Students” Sage Journals.

2 Gunning, T. G. (2019). “Creating Literacy Instruction for all Students.” Pearson Education Inc.: Boston.