What do we do about the ‘Word Gap’?

We know it can be tough to enrich the vocabulary of our students, but Stephen Parsons shows that it can be done with sustained effort and by incorporating fun along the way.

Post-it notes stuck to girl, labelling parts of the body

In staff rooms across the UK, comments about students entering school with weak vocabulary, students not being able to access the vocabulary in the KS2 SATS paper or secondary school students not knowing relatively simple words needed to understand a text are often heard. The so called ‘word gap’ is a concern in many schools, but the question remains: what do we do about it?

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      string(3061) "ensure each child is receivinghelp in the right areas. Another helpful approach is to share word lists withpupils and their parents or carers, to support explicit vocabulary teaching.Actions that bring together the work of schools with supportfrom parents are especially valuable in enabling children to overcome the wordgap.  Schools should aim to supportparents and carers to have regular sustained conversations with their children,which encourage them to test out new language introduced in the classroom.Schools can also provide parents with resources that help to promote thebenefits of independent reading. This is especially significant this year, as themajority of teachers surveyed by OUP and CfEY expressed concerns that pupilsmay have read less widely for pleasure during lockdown.As part of the research, Dr Jessie Ricketts of RoyalHolloway, University of London, emphasises pupils’ need for exposure tohigh-quality spoken and written language: “The standard advice is to encourageparents to talk to their children. But they shouldn’t just talk at them; theyshould also be encouraged to listen to their children and engage with them.Reading to them is valuable too, because in order to gain broad and nuancedknowledge of vocabulary, exposure to books is really important. Books introduceyoung people to quite different kinds of language in terms of the vocabularyitems, the frequency of those items and the way that vocabulary items areused.”2020 has been a real challenge for education practitionersand parents alike, and amazing efforts have been made across the board to helpyoung people to continue learning in the face of unprecedented unsettlingevents. I know how exhausting daily work with young people can be at the bestof times, and the resilience of the sector has shone through despite constantchanges this year. The approaches OUP and CfEY are proposing in ‘Bridging theGap’ aim to offer some straightforward approaches that can complement existingpractice during such a busy time. By reaching out to others to understanddifferent contexts, pool skills and share good practice we can all help youngpeople to overcome the disruption of 2020, narrow the word gap and move forwardto future success. To access the fullreport, available online from Friday 23rd October, please visitthe OUP website here: oxford.ly/wordgap Alix Robertson is an Associate at The Centre for Education and Youth and will lead this project. She brings both journalism and teaching experience to team, where she has developed short films about special educational needs and disabilities for the Department for Education and Whole School SEND. About the Centre for Education and YouthThe Centre for Education and Youth is a ‘think andaction-tank’ that  believes societyshould ensure all children and young people receive the support they need tomake a fulfilling transition to adulthood.  It  provides the evidence and support policymakers and practitioners need to support young people. "
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Creative Teaching & Learning

Bridging the ‘Word Gap’ – It Takes A Whole Community To Help A Child

1 Nov 2020

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      string(4648) "The Oxford Language Report reveals that the word gap remains stubbornly high throughout primary and secondary schools. This is significant because whilst language development is a key focus in early years education, relatively little research has been conducted into language deficit as children progress through secondary education. Additionally, whilst this issue may historically have been considered to primarily affect specific student groups, such as those receiving free school meal (FSM) funding or those with English as an additional language(EAL), the teachers who took part in this survey were most likely to say that vocabulary deficit is a general problem and is not specific to any one group of pupils. Although teachers mentioned a range of causes given for vocabulary deficiency, they were most likely to believe its root cause can be put down to a lack of opportunities to practise vocabulary in the home, and not enough time spent reading for pleasure. The research shows that schools which have successfully reduced the word gap between school entry and school exit have certain methods in common. Notably, they tackle the problem on three levels. Firstly, by providing support or intervention through either a speech therapist or one-on-one time with a teaching assistant in primary school, or extra literacy lessons, extra resources and mentoring programmes in secondary school. Secondly, by ensuring a whole class focus on vocabulary in both primary and secondary settings, with dedicated reading time and literacy help resources Thirdly, by employing a whole-school literacy policy, which includes giving children access to quality talk and texts, with reading included across the curriculum. Some schools have introduced rewards for the use of rich vocabulary and encourage word games clubs. Teachers are given specific training to help find ways to increase children’s literacy and vocabulary. The OUP conducted the research in order to: quantify the scale of the vocabulary gap in UK primary and secondary schools; explore how schools currently address the issue; and better understand how policy makers, schools, parents, and educational publishers including OUP can work together to support teachers and help pupils overcome vocabulary issues. Main Points: Almost half of five and six-year-olds are at risk underperforming academically because they have a limited vocabulary. In the first year of secondary school, more than four in 10 students still do not know enough words to do well in school. Almost all primary school teachers felt that the word gap resulted in weaker comprehension skills and slower than expected progress in reading and writing. A very high proportion of the teachers said the word gap held back progress in not just English (91%), but in history (90%), geography (86%) and religious studies (78%). The majority of primary and secondary school teachers told researchers there had been a rise in the number of pupils suffering from a “word gap” that could affect their education. Primary school teachers reported that 49 per cent of Year 1 pupils have a limited vocabulary that impacts on their learning. Secondary teachers revealed that 43 per cent of Year 7 children, aged 11 and 12, also have limited vocabulary skills which could affect their school careers. An increase in the number of pupils with a limited vocabulary, compared to previous years, was reported by 69 per cent of the primary teachers and 60 per cent of those in secondary school. Self esteem, behaviour and a child’s ability to make friends were all felt to be negatively affected by low levels of vocabulary. 67% of primary school teachers said that broadening pupils’ vocabulary is a high priority. 80% of secondary school teachers said that improving vocabulary is at least a medium priority for their school. Most teachers believe a lack of time spent reading for pleasure is a root ause of the word gap. Alongside quantity, the quality of parent-child interactions is an important factor. These interactions give children a stronger grasp of language by the time they start school, an advantage which stays with them throughout their education. WEB LINK Why Closing the Word Gap Matters: Oxford Language ReportKeywords Word Gap, children’s learning, language development, primary and secondary schools, language deficit, progress "
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Leadership

Why Closing the Word Gap Matters: Oxford Language Report

24 Apr 2018

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      string(375) "... fiction to your class regularly Show enjoyment of words that you encounter Play word games, from ‘I spy’ to ‘Scattegories ’or any other favourites Make word learning real by providing opportunities for ‘hands on’ experiences, from real objects to trips  Hold a ‘word assembly’ with each class nominating a word ..."
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      string(3751) "well as the research literature, and simplified this all into ten principles.5 Make words a priority Expose students to an engaging vocabulary. Celebrate and have fun with words. Maintain a sustained effortThere is no quick fix, so it needs every class in a school to be involved. Work together as a staff team.Link oral and written vocabulary  Spoken language supports early reading and later reading supports spoken language, so aim to develop both. Analyse word components A large part of later vocabulary growth comes from awareness of word components, so awareness and use of prefixes and suffixes is a key skillUse a range of methodsVocabulary teaching is a long-term process so build a repertoire of methods that are appropriate to each age group, but also keep your teaching freshGo with the child (at the right rate) The words that students are exposed to need to offer the right level of challenge. In Word Aware we call these ‘Goldilocks’ words, as they are not too easy, and not too hard, but are just right.Use multiple exposuresWords need to be encountered a number of times in order to be learned. A quick mention will not be enough for children to learn a word.Teach words in contextAs words are such nuanced entities, they need to be taught in real meaningful contexts if they are to be used appropriately. Teach word learning strategies Most word learning happens independently away from any teacher, but equipping students with strategies will help them to build their vocabulary. Active and specific teaching of wordsYou cannot teach every word, but by selecting and teaching important words, you can help to lay the foundations for vocabulary growth.  There are many paths to these principles, but the key to success with vocabulary is to work together as a team to build on your existing good practice. As a school, as yourself, ‘what are we doing now that works and what could we do better?’ Look at each one of the above principles, read more widely around the topic and, over time, build a systematic approach that works for you and your students.  5 simple things to get you started with vocabulary  Read high-quality fiction to your class regularly Show enjoyment of words that you encounter Play word games, from ‘I spy’ to ‘Scattegories ’or any other favourites Make word learning real by providing opportunities for ‘hands on’ experiences, from real objects to trips  Hold a ‘word assembly’ with each class nominating a word they like and the headteacher selecting a word of the week for the whole school. Stephen Parsons is a Speech and Language Therapist, trainer and co-author of the Word Aware books, which are about teaching vocabulary. www.thinkingtalking.co.uk @WordAwareNotesDepartment for Education (2013). The national curriculum in England key stages 1 and 2 framework document.https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-primary-curriculumGough, P. & Tunmer, W. (1986). Decoding, reading and reading disability. Remedial and Special Education, 7: 6–10.Bleiman, B. (2018). A dictionary is hard to swallow. TES, July 6. https://www.tes.com/news/tes-magazine/tes-magazine/a-dictionary-a-hard-thing-swallow Department for Education (2017). Unlocking talent, fulfilling potential. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/667690/Social_Mobility_Action_Plan_-_for_printing.pdfParsons, S. & Branagan, A. (2013). Word aware: Teaching vocabulary across the day across the curriculum. Speechmark, London."
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Special Needs

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      string(5630) "analysis tools, that is precisely what all staff in the school plan for.Thus, Kingsford has been able to target its lowest twenty per cent of achievers through the thoughtful and personalised support gained from Achievement for All. Kingsford’s cohort has over 70 per cent of pupils who are entitled to the pupil premium and while I celebrate the richly diverse school community, many members of my school community live in complex and chaotic circumstances where their parents are not best able to support and encourage their academic development. For children coming from homes such as these, the school has to take on more than the role of an educator, it has to become family, it has to nurture the aspirations, well-being (emotional, physical, mental and otherwise) and in some cases, the humanity of its children. 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The Kingsford Observers of Learning project equips pupils with soft skills such as collaboration, analysis and evaluation, the ability to express themselves clearly and it develops self-confidence without arrogance, skills that the pupils involved may not otherwise acquire. Pupil leadership groups such as this target both high- and low-achieving individuals as pupils develop a plethora of skills which contribute to their character, personal and academic development. Character education has acted as a preventative measure too. Through the development of a moral school community, we have found that pupils are less likely to engage in what could be described as antisocial behaviours and attitudes, as they have developed the social skills to resist being drawn into such behaviours. 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      }
      [1]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(3) "AfA"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
      [2]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(13) "Disadvantaged"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
      [3]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(3) "EAL"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
      [4]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(9) "Inclusion"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
      [5]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(19) "Raising Aspirations"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
      [6]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(11) "SEND Budget"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
      [7]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(8) "training"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Executive Leadership

Raising aspirations through empowerment and leadership

4 Dec 2018