1. According to Beck & McKeown (2007) and Neuman & Dwyer (2011), vocabulary plays a major role in our general success in life.

2. Between 1925 and 2007 multiple research studies, including the National Reading Panel (2000) showed evidence of a strong link between academic vocabulary knowledge and learning to read.  Additionally, vocabulary knowledge has been strongly linked with reading comprehension. [Teaching Basic, Advanced, and Academic Vocabulary: A Comprehensive Framework for Elementary Instruction, Marzano 2020]

3. After reviewing a number of meta-analytic studies on direct vocabulary instruction, Researchers Marzano et al. (2015) found strong and consistent evidence that direct vocabulary instruction has positive effects.

MARZANO STEP 3 & TTT VOCABULARY MODEL (BOTTOM HALF-SHOW IT!): ASK STUDENTS TO CONSTRUCT A PICTURE, SYMBOL, OR GRAPHIC REPRESENTATION OF THE VOCABULARY TERM & ADD IT TO THE DEFINE & SHOW IT! BOX

Just as in step 2, students will construct their own version, only this time as a nonlinguistic representation.      

Here are five ways a student can approach step 3 on PowerPoint using stock images, icons, cutout people, illustrations, stickers and cartoon people (See image below):

1. Add a PICTURE of an actual object as a visual representation of the vocabulary term.

2. Add a SYMBOL as a visual representation of the vocabulary term.

3. Add an example as a visual representation of the vocabulary term.

4. Add a cartoon with a character using the vocabulary term in a thought bubble or quote box.

5. Add a GRAPHIC that visually represents the vocabulary term.

After completing step 3, remind students to return to the top part of TTT Vocabulary Model and add two tallies for constructing a personal definition and nonlinguistic representation.

After students obtain an initial understanding of a vocabulary word in steps one to three, steps four, five and six are intended to provide students with multiple exposures to the word.  In his book Teaching Basic, Advanced and Academic Vocabulary: A Comprehensive Framework for Elementary Instruction, Marzano explains, "Each of these steps involves the teachers introducing multiple terms to students. Each new exposure to previously introduced terms provides an opportunity for students to deepen their knowledge of the terms. I recommend students have an opportunity to engage in at least one of these steps at least once per week. Of the three, step 4 is the most diverse and robust.  The various ways students can engage in step 4 include comparing and contrasting, classifying, creating metaphors, creating analogies, and examining root words and affixes" (p.45).  Let's dive a little deeper into step 4.          

MARZANO STEP 4 & TTT VOCABULARY MODEL: TEACHERS PERIODICALLY ENGAGE STUDENTS IN ACTIVITIES THAT HELP THEM ADD TO THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF PREVIOUSLY TAUGHT VOCABULARY TERMS

Here are 6 ways teachers can engage students in activities for step 4: 

1. The Teacher Tutor Vocabulary Model:  Students complete the bottom half of the TTT Vocabulary Model, adding FAMILIAR synonyms and antonyms, as well as examples, nonexamples and a cloze sentence.  [Detailed instructions for completing the TTT Vocabulary Model are included in the PowerPoint notes and a video tutorial can be found at the bottom of this blog page.]  After completing this activity, students should tally their interactions on the TTT Vocabulary Model (usually one tally for each box completed) and reassess their understanding of the word on the rating scale.

2. Comparing & Contrasting: Students use sentence stems to write sentences comparing and contrasting vocabulary terms.  Students can also construct a Venn diagram, double bubble or comparison matrix to compare and contrast vocabulary terms.   

3. Classifying: Students group vocabulary terms into categories and explain their reasoning.  Teachers can structure this activity by selecting appropriate vocabulary words and providing categories for students to sort them into.  In a less structured approach, teachers present a list of vocabulary terms, then students identify, create and explain the categories they chose.

4. Creating Metaphors: This activity requires students to think more abstractly about vocabulary words.  Students use vocabulary terms to create metaphors that show a figurative, or nonliteral, relationship between two terms, and explain their reasoning.  Explaining one's reasoning is undoubtably the most important aspect of creating metaphors.

5. Creating Analogies: Students use vocabulary words to create analogies that show a common relationship between pairs of words.  Like most of the other activities in this list, teachers should model creating analogies and can provide sentence stems for students, if scaffolding is needed. 

6. Examining Root Words & Affixes (Morphology): Marzano recommends that students "address all prefixes, suffixes and root words."  Marzano packed a number of valuable resources in his book, Teaching Basic, Advanced, and Academic Vocabulary, to help teachers and students examine root words and affixes of vocabulary words.  Two of these must-have resources are (1) a table of frequently occurring prefixes and suffixes, and (2) a table of recommended sequences for teaching affixes.