Slides Vocabulary Webinar August 2025 - Session overview - Vocabulary instruction and diverse learners support

Sep 28, 2026

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This webinar session overview explains how to support diverse learners through language and vocabulary resources, including language checklists, adjustments, and new DLH access guidance on Arc. It defines vocabulary and word knowledge levels, then outlines Tier 1 weekly vocabulary instruction and Tier 2/3 interventions for students needing additional exposures. The slides provide interactive vocabulary activity guidance, progressing from easy to moderate tasks, with specific example activities for classroom use.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryGeneral

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time17 min

AccessFree to download

Session overview

Language checklists and adjustments resources

Vocabulary explained

Levels of word knowledge

Tiers of vocabulary

Vocabulary instruction (Tier 1)

Vocabulary intervention (Tier 2 and 3)

Support for diverse learners

Interactive vocabulary activities

28/08/2025 1 2 Session overview 3 1 28/08/2025 Diverse Learners Hub 4 Diverse Learners Hub • On average there are likely to be 4 to 5 diverse learners in every mainstream classroom. • The PSD Review and Autism Inquiry highlighted the need to boost teachers’ knowledge and skills in supporting diverse learners. • To be a centre of excellence, providing high-quality, evidence-based advice, information, tools and resources on best practice support for diverse learners. • To support school leaders in whole-school practice change to meet diverse learners’ needs. 5 Language checklists and adjustments resources 6 2 28/08/2025 New language resources 7 To access more resources visit the DLH on Arc 8 Vocabulary explained 9 3 28/08/2025 What is vocabulary? Notley & Bell, in Wheldall, Wheldall & Buckingham (2023) 10 Levels of word knowledge | Continuum of word knowledge | | --- | | Stage 1. The student has no knowledge of the word; they have not seen the word before. | | Stage 2. The student has heard the word before and has a general sense of the word’s meaning. For example, an awareness that the word'feast' is related to food. | | Stage 3. The student has a narrow, context-bound understanding of the word. For example, they may have a good sense that the word 'feast'refers to a large meal that is often celebratory. | Stage 4. The student has a rich understanding of the word, even when encountered out of context, and has an awareness of metaphorical uses of the word. For example, a 'feast' for the eyes. Beck, McKeown & Kucan (2013) 11 Tiers of vocabulary 12 4 28/08/2025 Vocabulary instruction (Tier 1) 13 Weekly cycle of vocabulary instruction (example) Weekly cycle Day 1 Days 2-4 Day 5 When the target words are encountered in text, provide student-friendly definitions. Have students say the word aloud to reinforce the phonological representation. Provide examples of the word in other contexts. Easy interactive vocabulary activities such as making judgments about the word. Continue to consolidate word meanings through moderate to hard interactive vocabulary activities. Further consolidation of target words through hard interactive vocabulary activities. Review words taught in weeks. previous 14 Vocabulary intervention (Tier 2 and 3) 15 5 28/08/2025 Support for diverse learners • The formative assessment process can be used to determine which students require Tier 2 and 3 intervention (see DLH website for vocabulary formative assessment examples). • Students with language difficulties require 3x as many exposures to new words to learn them, compared with same-aged peers (Storkel, 2017). • Students with language difficulties may also require explicit instruction in Tier One vocabulary. 16 Interactive vocabulary activities 17 Interactive vocabulary activities | Overview | | --- | | Interactive vocabulary activities encourage students to actively process and interact with vocabulary.
Helpful because they:
• promote deeper processing of words
• provide multiple exposures to words in different contexts.
Start with easier interactive vocabulary activities and progress to moderate, then harder activities. | Notley & Bell, in Wheldall, Wheldall & Buckingham (2023) 18 6 28/08/2025 Easy interactive vocabulary activities | Activity | Description | Example | | --- | --- | --- | | Explaining and reasoning | Have students respond to and explain examples. | If something is fragile , you need to be careful with it. Why? | | Making judgements | Ask students to judge whether example contexts fit with the target word. | Say annually if any of these examples might explain something happening annually:
(a) A school concert that happens once a year.
(b) Receiving a monthly magazine in the mail. | | Which would you rather? | Ask students which scenario they would prefer by forming questions around target w

FAQs

How does the webinar define vocabulary and word knowledge levels?

It explains vocabulary through a continuum of word knowledge stages, from no prior knowledge to rich understanding including metaphorical uses. Example words like “feast” illustrate narrow vs. rich contextual understanding.

What does Tier 1 vocabulary instruction include in the weekly cycle?

Tier 1 uses a weekly cycle where, when target words appear in text, students get student-friendly definitions, say the word aloud, review examples in other contexts, and complete interactive activities that move from easy to moderate and hard consolidation.

How are Tier 2 and Tier 3 interventions determined and supported?

The formative assessment process identifies which students need Tier 2 and 3 intervention. It emphasizes that students with language difficulties typically require about three times as many exposures to new words, and may also need explicit instruction in Tier 1 vocabulary.

Sep 28, 2026

Upload by jay