Building Academic Vocabulary: Teacher’s Manual (Professional Development)

In Building Academic Vocabulary: Teacher s Manual, Robert J. Marzano and Debra J. Pickering give teachers a practical way to help students master academic vocabulary. Research has shown that when teachers, schools, and districts take a systematic approach to helping students identify and master essential vocabulary and concepts of a given subject area, student comprehension and achievement rises.

In the manual, readers will find the following tools:

A method to help teachers, schools, and districts determine which academic vocabulary terms are most essential for their needs

A six-step process for direct instruction in subject area vocabulary

A how-to to help students use the Building Academic Vocabulary: Student Notebook. The six-step method encourages students to learn critical academic vocabulary by connecting these terms to prior knowledge using linguistic and non-linguistic means that further encourage the refinement and deepening of their understanding.

Suggestions for tailoring academic vocabulary procedures for English Language Learners.

Samples and blackline masters for a variety of review activities and games that reinforce and refine student understanding of the academic terms and concepts they learn.

The book also includes a list of 7, 923 vocabulary terms culled from the national standards documents and other publications, organized into 11 subject areas and 4 grade-level categories.
Building Academic Vocabulary: Teacher s Manual puts into practice the research and ideas outlined in Marzano s previous book Building Background Knowledge for Academic Achievement. Using the teacher s manual and vocabulary notebooks, educators can guide students in using tools and activities that will help them deepen their own understanding of critical academic vocabulary--the building blocks for achievement in each discipline.