The effects of explicit science vocabulary instruction on vocabulary acquisition on the Flathead Indian Reservation

Abstract

Explicit vocabulary instruction is a teaching strategy that involves a teacher selecting three to five vocabulary words and focusing instruction around those words. When working with students who are English Language Learners or struggle with vocabulary acquisition, this strategy is thought to be very successful. Students on the Flathead Indian Reservation often struggle with vocabulary acquisition. In addition to this, some Native American students are also labeled English Language Learners; thus, the amount of explicit instruction was increased over several units. Significant gains were observed in each of the three units, but because these gains did not correlate with the increase of instruction, the quantitative data was inconclusive. These gains do indicate that the baseline of 22% instructional time was an adequate amount of instruction to improve scientific vocabulary acquisition.