EDEL 501 - Own Your Words: Effective Vocabulary Instruction

Regardless of the subject you teach, vocabulary terms and their meanings act as essential building blocks that support the rest of your instructional content. But how can you teach vocabulary to students in a way that goes beyond providing a list of words and their definitions? In this course, you will learn how to select appropriate vocabulary terms and create meaningful activities and games based on them. In addition, you will learn how to address the needs of English language learners (ELLs) and plan differentiated vocabulary instruction for students of all levels. You will come out of this course with a vocabulary program that combines direct instruction with rich, research-based practices to help students interact with words in a meaningful way.

When we “own” our words, we become effective speakers, listeners, readers, and writers. Good vocabulary instruction not only promotes academic success but also increases students’ ability to learn and express themselves across content areas.