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Vocabulary SelfAwareness
Erin Edmonds, Julia Dimarco, Laura Bionde

What is Vocabulary SelfAwareness?

Actively assessing students before reading

Highlights understanding of what they already know

Makes students aware of what they still need to learn

Overall, this method helps with reading comprehension and to

retain information in content area learning

Step One

1. Teacher identifies target vocabulary

Give students a list of terms

Students may also add terms as they read

Terms:

Matter

Atom

Substance

Element

Step Two

2. Students rate each vocabulary word based on current

understanding

Rate in pencilyou will be revising!

Put a + if you know the word well and can write a definition
and example

Definitions must relate to the area of study

Put a if you know only an example OR a definition

Put a - if you do not recognize the word or do not know both

an example and definition

Discussion

Take this time in class to discuss with your table groups the
effectiveness of rating words prior to reading

Why is this effective?

Step Three

Over the course of the unit, students add new information and
revise existing information on the chart

Goal is to replace all checks and minus signs with plus signs

Remember, always write in pencil!

Final Step

Students will add new information and revise previous

definitions and examples throughout the unit or reading

Always write in pencilcontinuous revising is key!

Continual editing and adding will help extend understanding

and memorization of the terms

Final Example

A study was conducted with three middle school classes,

exploring vocabulary development using a Vocabulary SelfCollection Strategy

Study revealed that higher scores were achieved from using an

alternative method of vocabulary learning

Although this method differs, it focuses on the idea that

students gain from self-created word lists, versus the traditional
Language Arts method

Conclusions

Vocabulary Self-Awareness increases breadth and depth of

word knowledge in content areas

Increases students capacity to be independent learners

Rating system allows students to enter their own Zone of

Proximal Development in vocabulary acquisition

Citations

Ruddell, M.R., & Shearer, B.A. (2002). Extraordinary,

tremendous, exhilarating, magnificent: Middle school at-risk
students become avid word learners with the vocabulary selfcollection Strategy (VSS). Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy,
45, 352-363.

50 Instructional Routines to Develop Content Literacy Fisher,

Brozo, Frey, and Ivey (Prentice Hall, 2010)

A Tool for Learning: Vocabulary Self-Awareness, by L. Goodman,

in Creative Vocabulary: Strategies for Teaching Vocabulary in
Grades K-12 (p. 46), by C. Blanchfield (Ed.), 2001, Fresno, CA:
San Joaquin Valley Writing Project

Glencoe/McGraw-Hill. "Scientific Problem Solving." Physical

IScience Virginia Student Edition. N.p.: School Education Group, a
Division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, n.d. 11-12. Print.