Marzano's Research Laboratory has a lot of great information on vocabulary instruction. Here is a strategy for teaching vocabulary referred to as the six-step process (Marzano, 2004).
- Provide a description, explanation, or example of the new term.
- Ask students to restate the description, explanation, or example in their own words.
- Ask students to construct a picture, pictograph, or symbolic representation of the term.
- Engage students periodically in activities that help them add to their knowledge of the terms in their vocabulary notebooks.
- Periodically ask students to discuss the terms with one another.
- Involve students periodically in games that enable them to play with terms.