What do you think?
Rate this book
Words, Words, Words: Teaching Vocabulary in Grades 4-12
Do you spend hours creating word lists and weekly vocabulary tests only to find that your students have forgotten the words by the following week? Janet Allen and her students were frustrated with the same problem. Words, Words, Teaching Vocabulary in Grades 4-12' describes the research that changed the way she and many other teachers teach vocabulary. It offers educators practical, research-based solutions for helping students fall into new language, learn new words, and begin to use those words in their speaking and writing lives. This book offers teachers detailed strategy lessons in the following Activating and building background word knowledge Making word learning meaningful and lasting Building concept knowledge Using word and structural analysis to create meaning Using context as a text support Making reading the heart of vocabulary instructionWords, Words, Words provides educators with a strong research base, detailed classroom-based lessons, and graphic organizers to support the strategy lessons. At a time when teachers are struggling to meet content standards in reading across the curriculum, this book offers some practical solutions for meeting those standards in ways that are meaningful and lasting.
160 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
14 people are currently reading
253 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
March 16, 2020
Words, Words, Words: Teaching Vocabulary in Grades 4-12 was needed for my studies. Allen approaches teaching vocabulary in an uncommon way. The book provides many great activities and practices. Very useful.
June 4, 2013
This is an amazing book on teaching vocabulary that will change the way you teach!!!
August 19, 2013
My latest reading interest is delving into the literature on the explicit teaching of language. Words, Words, Words: Teaching Vocabulary in Grades 4-12 is a good balance of theory and practical examples. The theory is well supported with extensive references, but doesn't overtake the main focus of this book. That focus is on providing classroom-doable activities that effectively encourage vocabulary-rich learning environments and students more confident in their abilities to use and retain new words.
I found a number of the features of Words, Words, Words: Teaching Vocabulary in Grades 4-12 useful to me. Firstly, it isn't a long read. I read it in one evening, with note-taking, and still felt I gained a lot from it. A longer, more theoretical tome would have been less accessible to me - I want to read to learn new stuff, fast.
Secondly, the author provides several well-explained and demonstrated scaffolds that can be used not only for teaching new vocabulary in English/Language Arts, but other subjects as well. These scaffolds encourage deeper learning of classroom vocabulary by linking new words and concepts to background knowledge, various contexts and other members of that word's family. In short, making these new additions to the student's vocabulary meaningful.
In closing, Words, Words, Words: Teaching Vocabulary in Grades 4-12 is a worthy addition to your professional reading list. I really liked it - four stars.
I found a number of the features of Words, Words, Words: Teaching Vocabulary in Grades 4-12 useful to me. Firstly, it isn't a long read. I read it in one evening, with note-taking, and still felt I gained a lot from it. A longer, more theoretical tome would have been less accessible to me - I want to read to learn new stuff, fast.
Secondly, the author provides several well-explained and demonstrated scaffolds that can be used not only for teaching new vocabulary in English/Language Arts, but other subjects as well. These scaffolds encourage deeper learning of classroom vocabulary by linking new words and concepts to background knowledge, various contexts and other members of that word's family. In short, making these new additions to the student's vocabulary meaningful.
In closing, Words, Words, Words: Teaching Vocabulary in Grades 4-12 is a worthy addition to your professional reading list. I really liked it - four stars.
July 23, 2010
Janet Allen is my literacy hero. I found this book on the clearance rack in a used bookstore in Houston, where I was working as a Teach For America "literacy specialist", and I frenziedly read the sections that I could immediately weave into the workshop I was preparing on good high school vocabulary instruction. I've revisited and reread the whole book since then, and man! I can't help but wonder how much more my own students would have learned from me, had I stumbled upon this book four years ago. The graphic organizers printed in the appendix, all of which can be easily reproduced for use in your classroom, are alone worth this volume's cover price.
I mark four rather than five stars for two reasons: 1) Printed in 1999, the book shows its age. Many of Allen's examples and references to technology are archaic eleven years later, in the age of wireless internet. 2) Although the book's subtitle advertises it as relevant to grades 4-12, I think high school teachers need to do some significant retooling to make the graphic organizers rigorous enough for their more advanced students. That doesn't mean the exercises cannot be modified -- I intend to use a few of them this fall, with my university students -- but it does mean a bit more work for you and me. Really, 4.5 stars.
I mark four rather than five stars for two reasons: 1) Printed in 1999, the book shows its age. Many of Allen's examples and references to technology are archaic eleven years later, in the age of wireless internet. 2) Although the book's subtitle advertises it as relevant to grades 4-12, I think high school teachers need to do some significant retooling to make the graphic organizers rigorous enough for their more advanced students. That doesn't mean the exercises cannot be modified -- I intend to use a few of them this fall, with my university students -- but it does mean a bit more work for you and me. Really, 4.5 stars.
May 14, 2017
Vocabulary!
July 17, 2017
I liked that beyond having some helpful vocabulary charts, it also has useful examples.
September 21, 2018
This is a great review of some vocabulary best practices. I really liked the inclusion of the templates for the visual aids.
March 31, 2025
There were a handful of good ideas here to use in the classroom but, overall, the book was far too long and repetitive.
December 17, 2007
Allen does a good job of looking at vocabulary instruction as a dynamic process that should encourage exploration and discussion instead of memorization and regurgitation. For years, experts and researchers have argued that traditional vocabulary instruction is ineffective. But, when faced with so many curricular demands, teachers often fall back on the list approach which they were given in school.
Allen looks at vocabulary instruction in all content ares, summarizes research, and offers many welcome ideas for creating a word culture in the classroom. This book is not a program, just the opposite--it is a place to find ideas, graphic organizers, and suggested books to make vocabulary instruction come alive.
There is a glaring omission, discussion of teaching etymology and morphology. I look at this book as vocabulary instruction for beginners because she doesn't get into enough detail in order to design comprehensive vocabulary instruction.
Allen looks at vocabulary instruction in all content ares, summarizes research, and offers many welcome ideas for creating a word culture in the classroom. This book is not a program, just the opposite--it is a place to find ideas, graphic organizers, and suggested books to make vocabulary instruction come alive.
There is a glaring omission, discussion of teaching etymology and morphology. I look at this book as vocabulary instruction for beginners because she doesn't get into enough detail in order to design comprehensive vocabulary instruction.
July 21, 2016
This vocabulary resource provides so many strategies and graphic organizers! Our whole middle school staff is doing a book study on it and it's applicable in all content areas. This book caused me to reflect and realize I have been approaching vocab development all wrong! This books helps teachers learn how to make vocab intrinsic and lasting for their students!
April 26, 2013
A text I will be returning to when I go back to teaching. It was practical and gave many graphic organizers to reproduce or adapt. I had lots of ideas for improving my vocabulary instruction, especially surrounding my content area vocabulary.
May 8, 2011
Although I am not finished with the book (much to the chagrin of the Auraria Campus Library) I already find this book really really useful! My awesome field experience mentor teacher uses/adapts things out of this book very successfully, too! :)
April 20, 2011
Janet Allen is a vocabulary guru! This book is a comprehensive vocabulary resource. I can virtually find a strategy or activity to integrate into any content area. I especially enjoyed the tips for assisting students with preparing for the PSAT.
August 21, 2012
Excellent book on teaching vocabulary. Includes many practical, usable techniques, in addition to assessment methods. Alternatives to drill and kill methods that have been shown to work only until the test is taken.
March 14, 2012
Words, Words, Words is a great book for vocabulary teachers. I learned a great deal about how to approach vocabulry instruction. I think that vocabulary is something that has gone by the wayside and that has clearly affected the reading comprehension skills of today's youth.
April 9, 2015
This book is an invaluable resource for vocabulary instruction, bursting at the seams with specific strategies for the various dimensions of vocabulary instruction. For any current or aspiring teacher, this book is a must read.
October 20, 2010
A lot of good activities/ideas.
August 14, 2009
I preferred this book to Yellow Brick Roads. It had many easy to use vocabulary strategies that could be used in content areas as well as language arts.
June 13, 2010
Good resource so far on effective vocabulary teaching strategies.
Want to read
February 8, 2010Looks like there will be lots of helpful ideas to help students actually remember and use their vocabulary. Looking forward to reading it.
July 4, 2011
Excellent-- on the short list of books I plan to buy!
March 14, 2014
This is a very interesting book, especially since it is sort of a textbook. The ideas are extremely applicable and the tools included are very useful.
December 29, 2015
So many prescient things in here considering the aim of Common Core. Enjoyed the practicality of the book and its insights.
September 26, 2009
Every teacher grades 4-12 should read this book. Valuable vocab stuff here!!
January 30, 2013
Loved this! Short, easy to read, got a lot of Vocab activities to try with my class.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews