Words, words, words

empowering pupils with vocabulary.

Thoughts and musings

This week, I have been thinking about words. Vocabulary. Language. Within a school-based context but also within my personal life. When I moved to Spain, over 11 years ago, I could speak very little Spanish. I was incredibly naive in thinking that I would be able to get by with English alone. There hadn’t been an intentional reluctance to learn Spanish, I was just left with very little time between being offered the role and packing my life up to move abroad.

I have always found learning new languages challenging. Partly, the confidence to ‘give it a go’, even if my accent isn’t quite right or the shade of the word is not perfect. Yet mainly because languages can come with so many rules and I found these overwhelming. The conjugating of verbs and the array of tenses. However, after my initial panic that I was unable to communicate with the wonderful people of Valencia, I very slowly began to acquire…words.

To begin with, these were few and far between and I would use them tentatively. One of the first? Bolsa, meaning carrier bag (yes please I would like one of those for my shopping). Little by little words turned into phrases and I particularly enjoyed the ones that were informal and made me sound like I fit in (que tengas un buen dia - I hope you have a great day!) I also began to collect some favourite words. Ones that felt fun to say (la libélula - which means dragonfly. How wonderful!)

Having just returned from Ibiza, where I celebrated my 40th birthday with friends and family, I am feeling freshly immersed from a number of days speaking a language which holds such dear memories and proud accomplishments for me. As I chatted to the hotel staff and waiters in Spanish, I was so pleased to recognise the muscle memory which had remained, and the delight in the faces of the locals which was expressed when I tried to speak in their mother tongue.

So, of course, this got me thinking. When do words and language actually begin to really mean something to the speaker? Can we recognise in ourselves (and of course the pupils who we teach) when landing on the “right word” really has an impact? Are we able to reflect on times where language has felt empowering (and perhaps also those occasions where it has felt the opposite)?

Ideas and practical suggestions

So, what can taking a moment to deliberately reflect on words and language reveal when thinking about the opportunities we present to the children who we teach? Below are two suggestions which I hope can be actioned with minimal time spent preparing. Think of these as considerations for sharing ambitious and technical vocabulary with your pupils, particularly when evaluating how these words and phrases will empower them.

1. Start with the ‘why’

I would hazard a guess that many of you working in schools will have a line (or perhaps a dedicated focus point) on your school development plan which is linked to increasing the use of ambitious and/or technical vocabulary for your pupils. It is a wonderful aim to have. And incredibly important, particularly as for many pupils they may not have the opportunities to experience wide ranges of language beyond the school gate. There will be many reasons for this, and these will be incredibly contextual.

This is where the ‘why’ is important. Yes, there are feelings of accountability in place that may leave teachers and leaders with the pressure that certain word lists have to be taught and in some way ‘assessed’. Accountability is not always a bad thing in this respect, if it draws your attention to words which can support pupils in acquiring a more sophisticated grasp of language which they may not otherwise be exposed to. Yet, if these lists of words become a ‘tick list’ in terms of how they are taught, displayed and/or “checked up on”, then the power that they present for pupils to use these, to own them, is diminished.

• So, how can starting with the ‘why’ ensure that words are rooted in power rather than compliance?

  • Talk about word lists with your teaching teams. Make this an exercise which sits at the forefront of team meetings and lesson planning sessions. Which words do we want our pupils to know and why do we think these are important for them? When word lists remain generic, they can feel heavy and burdensome. When they are lifted off the page and placed into a real-life context, they become purposeful and empowering. The words may be topic based or technical. They may be words associated with a subject discipline. You may feel it important to plan a progression of these words and consider how they are built on or embedded. As these exercises are completed - keep returning to the ‘why’.

  • Speak to the children openly about the choice of these words. Once again, if words are presented on laminated cards and placed into pots on tables, or printed out and stuck up with no real intention on displays, these often rather intimidating lists quickly lose any meaning or value. Talk to pupils about why we are introducing words at particular points of learning. How words relate to each other. How each particular word can hold power - and why. Make the words fluid and changeable. If you are a regular ‘glimmer’ reader you will know my love of sticky back plastic to make updating words easy. Think about the interactive nature of how these words are taught, captured, displayed, built on. Consider how they can be made personal. Do children have their own jotter where they can take note of any words which they particularly enjoyed when reading a book, or within class or group discussions? Hand the power (and choice) over to the pupils.

For more ideas on how vocabulary can be purposefully (and creatively) embedded into your classrooms, I would recommend reading:

Claire Gadsby’s ‘Dynamically Different Classrooms’

If you have been considering how to develop purposeful, disciplinary language within, and across, your curriculum a must-read is:

Shareen Wilkinson’s ‘Disciplinary literacy in primary schools’

2. Then plan the ‘how’

Once you are clear on your intentions for the words you have chosen to share with your pupils (where conversations have been had with team members and the children) how you use words to inspire and empower is the next consideration. For a moment, let’s return to my time in Spain, where initially language felt intimidating and overwhelming. It was certainly a barrier to me and often left me speechless and feeling underconfident. Yet, when I could see that the words unlocked something (be that transactional or in an expression or acknowledgement) suddenly they became a little more appealing.

One thing that I attribute my successful language acquisition to was the supportive friends who I met in Spain. They let me practice quietly but also encouraged me to have a go. They were on hand if it all got too much, but would never step in unless necessary. As educators, creating positive conditions for learning for our pupils is integral. Just as much so, is a feeling of productive struggle. And of course, the celebrations which are unleashed when a chosen word is used in a correct context or has achieved an intended impact.

• So, how can opportunities for pupils to feel successful with language be curated and implemented?

  • Make words fun. Play with them! I was so pleased to hear that the theme of this year’s National Poetry Day was play. When the biggest and most complex of words can be enjoyed and “messed about with” a barrier is broken. The value of oracy is of course integral here. Speaking words out loud in different voices (whisper, grumpy, high-pitched) to yourself, a partner, the class. Breaking the word down into parts. Putting it into a funny sentence. Seeing how many times you can get the word into conversation during the day. Playing with words encourages lightness and accessibility - for all.

  • Encourage the children to measure the impact of their chosen words. Whether this is through the medium of speech or writing - ideally, both! When reading texts from accomplished writers, stop and take deliberate pauses to consider how a particular word or phrase makes you feel. And ensure that the pupils know that this effect has been intentionally achieved by the author who chose that word. Get curious. Replace words for another with a similar shade of meaning - or in fact the total opposite. Use the editing process to allow pupils valuable time to make changes and evaluate these.

  • Play with language. Slightly different to playing with words. Instead this allows children to delve into the world of puns and jokes. I have seen children of all ages and abilities roll around with laughter when a punchline finally makes sense to them. No matter their “reading age” or where they are sitting on your formative or summative assessment data grids. Then,

  • listen as they repeat this pun or joke to a friend, staff member or parent. As they show enthusiasm for writing their own. This is the power of words and language in full force! Marie Zarro on LinkedIn recently shared a wonderful post about the power of jokes, she is even thinking of creating a “joke wall” to support with brain breaks. Just wonderful - do take a look!

One of the best poets for manipulating language to create jokes and word play that really do land with the children is Joshua Seigal. Take a look at his book:

‘Who Let the Words Out’

Bob Cox talks about ‘curious explorations for close reading’ and brings words off the page and to life, have a watch:

Bob Cox’s ‘Curious Explorations’