It is very interesting to think about vocabulary development as being part of the Matthews effect, being that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Children with professional parents are more likely to hear more words than those from lower-class families, which means they will learn more words in a given amount of time. I have seen this from comparing schools from my hometown with schools in Lansing that I have been in. The school I attended promoted specific vocabulary instruction, along with the assumption that parents worked with their children also. However, in Lansing I did not see any vocabulary instruction nor heard/saw them use a wide range of words in their oral or written language.
I believe that increasing exposure can significantly help a student’s vocabulary, even if it’s just reading aloud to the class. They also need multiple opportunities to connect new words to previous knowledge. This is the best way to further the vocabulary development, even if they aren’t exposed to large amounts of language at home.
I never thought about this before, but the Matthews effect really exposes a horrible truth about reality. When you said, "Children with professional parents are more likely to hear more words than those from lower-class families..." I couldn't help but think, What would I know if my parents weren't both teachers?
ReplyDeleteDo you think lower-class families can find a way to learn and develop the same vocabulary as professional families? I feel like it depends on the attempt of the family rather than their status, but then again where do they have the opportunity to build their vocabulary?
I too have seen a drastic change from my placement at Bingham to working with the Okemos Public Montessori. Bingham struggled for parent involvement, and rarely received completed homework as the students have so much going on at home. In the Montessori the parents are incredibly involved, and the students themselves are incredibly focused on 'researching' more than what is required for class.
Increasing exposure can definitely help, and I think working with a dictionary can really benefit students. Do you feel like dictionaries are limiting or can really help? I know that they are important, but I haven't decided how helpful they are.
Opportunities to connect new words with previous knowledge is certainly a great way to build vocabulary, but why do you think it is the best way?
I think any and all exposure is incredibly imoprtant!