South Harrison Round #6

Academic Vocabulary & Decoding the Prompt

Handout | Session Video

Recognize the power in academic vocabulary

Demonstrate the impact that subtle word choice has on the answer.

Excerpt from Sidewalk Circus

Similar-looking questions produce different answers based on the academic vocabulary.

101 Strategies to Make Vocabulary Stick

Teach functional vocabulary essential on standardized tests.

Select 10-15 functional words per grade level.

Identify 10-15 general academic words per grade level.

Review a comprehensive list of general academic words.

Consider grade-level suggestions aligned to standards.

Plan out kid-friendly explanations, examples, & visual.

Multi-grade level
Google Sheets Template

Example by New Castle (New Castle, IN) Grade 4 teachers

Functional

Examples by Bluffton Harrison (Bluffton, IN) teachers
K | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Decode academic vocabulary in prompts

Take the mystery out of prompts.

How do you prepare kids to decode prompts?

Decode the Prompt mini-lesson

Accurately interpret the academic vocabulary stated in the prompt.

Does decoding the prompt ensure test success?

Provide students a prompt-reading process.