Teach vocabulary by varying contexts rather than repeating words within the same context¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

Because the evidence favors contextual diversity over repetition as the driver of lexical organization, the chapter argues that instructional approaches to vocabulary should modulate context rather than simply repeat words. It states that "repeating a word should be of limited use if the repetition is not also accompanied by a modulation in context, and repetitions within the same context should be largely irrelevant to lexical organization." The chapter explicitly connects this to practice, noting the distinction has important consequences for how we teach children vocabulary and meaning.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Access to multiple distinct contexts in which target words can be experienced during instruction

Constraints¶

• The chapter frames this as following from the CD evidence; the small predictive advantage of CD over frequency means the practical difference rests on the theoretical distinction between learning mechanisms

Target Learners¶

• children learning vocabulary
• students acquiring word meanings

Target Learning Goals¶

• vocabulary acquisition
• semantic learning

Affordances¶

• Likely Need Versus Repetition Principles

Related Strategies¶

• Vocabulary In Context
• Vocabulary Meaning Through Context

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Jones, M. N., Dye, M., & Johns, B. T. (2017). Context as an Organizing Principle of the Lexicon. Psychology of Learning and Motivation, Volume 67. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.plm.2017.03.008