The Importance of Words

In my classes and with students preparing for entrance exams into the College of Education I focus much of the time on reading strategies (previewing, organization, signal words, etc.).  But a very important part of reading comprehension is vocabulary.  If you do not know what the words mean it is almost impossible to understand what you are reading.  This applies to reading textbooks as well as exam questions and answers. 

 

There are several ways you can figure out the meaning of a word without stopping your reading and looking it up in a dictionary:

*Context clues – often the writer will either include the specific meaning of the word in the sentence if it is important to the knowledge of the overall subject.  If this is the case you, the reader, are expected to know the meaning of the word from that point on.  This is even more emphasized if the word and definition are noted in the margin!

*Often you can still get the meaning of the sentence without knowing the exact meaning of a word.  This is fine for general reading, but be careful with your classes.


*A general understanding of word parts is useful.  For example, “im, in, un, non” all have a negative meaning, “pre” means before and “re” means to do again.  In subject areas this is a crucial tool as there will be word parts specific to each subject.

Here is some more ideas:

*If you see an unknown word three times, look it up and write down the word and definition.   Keep a running list of words you are learning and review often.

*In your subjects, use study cards to learn the vocabulary important to that discipline.

*Go to www.freerice.com and play their vocabulary game.  They do not give the meaning of the words, but it is a fun way to gradually increase the words you recognize.

Words are interesting and can make a big difference in your understanding and learning.  Pay attention to them and your vocabulary will gradually increase.  Enjoy!

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First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com, wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com.  Click on the upper right link.