Vocabulary

Vocabulary

At Victoria Primary Academy we know that vocabulary is a key component of learning. We know that some of our children start school with having heard and used many less words than other children. Research shows this vocabulary gap grows as children with a wide experience of vocabulary progress faster in their learning than those who do not.

It is our mission at Victoria to close the vocabulary gap for all our children.

To do so we use a sequenced and coherent plan for vocabulary instruction covering Year 1- 6 and also have strong focus upon vocabulary in EYFS.   We use the 3 tier modules of vocabulary:

Tier 1- Basic words the children hear and use in everyday speech- e.g. my, book, green, house

Tier 2- High frequency words used across subjects- emerge, predict, contrast, device, etc.

Tier 3- Low frequency, subject specific words that children are unlikely to come across and remember unless they are taught them in a systematic way- igneous, isosceles, photosynthesis, integer, acronym, etc.

We also use a progressive model of oracy to improve our children’s thinking and communication- please see our oracy documentation for how this works across our academy.

Teachers rigorously plan for the vocabulary they intend to teach. This teaching is specific, made explicit to children and ensures the vocabulary of all children is expanded. We do not allow any child’s starting point to prevent them acquiring a full and rich vocabulary.