Every Child Deserves to Read with Confidence 

Tuesday, August 20, 2024 by Demitra Bryant | Vocabulary

Vocabulary is more than just a collection of words; it’s the foundation of a student’s academic success. At My Tutor Helps Me Educational Services, we understand that a rich vocabulary is crucial for reading comprehension, critical thinking, and effective communication. That’s why vocabulary words and strategies are infused throughout our tutoring sessions, tailored to various learning styles to ensure every scholar benefits.

Understanding new or unfamiliar words is key to understanding the text. That’s why we focus on strategies that move information from short-term to long-term memory. Recently, our scholars were introduced to the word bloodshot. None of them had heard it before, making it a perfect teaching moment. We explored how bloodshot is a compound word and had a fun discussion about how many of them had bloodshot eyes on the first day of school due to excitement and nerves. These are the kind of memorable learning experiences we aim to create.

Assessing and Tailoring Vocabulary Development Our approach begins with thorough initial assessments to determine each scholar’s instructional reading levels, covering word recognition, oral reading fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary development. By introducing words based on instructional levels rather than grade levels, we help close any learning gaps. One effective strategy we use is previewing the text to identify new and unfamiliar words. We encourage scholars to be honest with themselves, recognizing when to stop, pause, and research word meanings. This not only builds their vocabulary but also strengthens their reading comprehension and critical thinking skills.

Addressing Common Vocabulary Challenges Over the years, I’ve noticed three common trends in vocabulary challenges. First, students are increasingly less motivated or interested in building their vocabulary. Often, instead of acknowledging that they can pronounce a word but are unfamiliar with its meaning, they simply skip over it, pretending it’s not there. This avoidance prevents true comprehension.

Second, students tend to repetitively use the same basic words, even when more varied synonyms could be used. For instance, instead of just saying big, they could use gigantic or enormous. Technology has simplified the process of finding synonyms, making it almost effortless compared to flipping through a thesaurus.

Finally, context clues are an area where many students struggle. Explicit instruction on using context clues can significantly improve comprehension, and this is something we focus on in our sessions.

Tracking and Sharing Progress Measuring students' progress in vocabulary is a vital part of our approach at My Tutor Helps Me Educational Services. We ensure that both scholars and their families have easy access to their child’s vocabulary data, which we practice and track at every session. Families are also encouraged to save work samples, turning them into valuable study guides for continued learning and review. This transparency and emphasis on ongoing improvement help our scholars build confidence and skill in vocabulary, setting them up for long-term academic success.

Vocabulary development is at the heart of what we do because we know how crucial it is for every aspect of a student's education. Through personalized instruction, engaging strategies, and consistent tracking of progress, we help our scholars not only learn new words but truly understand and use them effectively. At My Tutor Helps Me Educational Services, we’re committed to empowering our students with the vocabulary they need to succeed in school and beyond.

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