Vocabulary Workshop Interactive Edition Implementation Guide

Vocabulary Workshop Interactive Edition (VWIE) is easy to use and will save you time. The program introduces students to word lists drawn from the vocabulary that they will encounter in their reading. Exercises provide the right number of exposures to the new vocabulary, enhancing students’ vocabulary acquisition and improving their reading comprehension. 

Implementing VWIE

Effective implementation and achievement of your instructional goals for this program require planning. There are a variety of considerations regarding purpose, time, resources, and instructional models before implementing VWIE in your classroom. 

• Do all of your students have access to the Internet at home?
• Is access to devices in your classroom one-to-one?
• How much time will you dedicate to direct vocabulary instruction each day? Each week?
• How much time will you allocate during the school day for students to complete Student Practice exercises and use Additional Practice, Games, Study Aids, and Student Resources?
• Will the exercises be completed during small group or center/station time? During independent work time?
• Will you/the teacher review completed exercises with the whole class?
• Do you intend to use VWIE primarily as a teacher-guided program or as an independent learning opportunity? A balance?
• Do you plan to use VWIE for SAT or ACT prep?

The answers to these questions will guide your planning and help you customize vocabulary instruction in your classroom to maximize student outcomes.  Whether you are a one-to-one school, only have access to a computer connected to a projection device, or can only access a computer lab every once in a while, you can implement VWIE in your classroom.  

VWIE offers tremendous flexibility in the use of the program resources. There are two primary implementation models: teacher-guided instruction and independent learning. The implementation model you select will inform how you assign and how students use these resources.  

Instruction

For both implementation models, the best practice is to begin the unit with teacher-led instruction using the Unit Passage and Definitions as resources. Using the Unit Passage, introduce the new vocabulary and teach students how to effectively look for clues (if available) for the new vocabulary introduced in the text. For example, students should look for the following clues to word meaning: definition, restatement, example, comparison or contrast, description, and synonym or antonym. 

It is best practice to discuss words and their definitions in class. Depending on the time available each day in class for teacher-guided instruction, teachers may cover two definitions a day (or some other subset of the unit’s vocabulary words) or dedicate a single class session to discussing the words introduced in the unit. Direct instruction of the unit’s words includes teaching the multiple meanings of relevant words, different word associations (synonyms and antonyms), a word’s different parts of speech, and word concepts and writing sentences that clearly show meaning.

Note: For a fully independent learning implementation, have students study the Unit Passage and Definitions necessary to complete the Student Practice and the Unit Test and acquire the vocabulary.

Student Practice

Whether the approach is primarily teacher-guided or independent, assign the Student Practice.  There are two primary pacing options: 1) A unit covered over one week. 2) A unit covered over two weeks.

Note: Best practice is for students to complete each Student Practice offering multiple exposures to the vocabulary.

You may wish to assign all Student Practice for a unit at one time for independent learning implementation. However, if students complete Student Practice in class or as a mix of student class/small group work and homework, you may prefer to assign a single activity at a time.

* At the elementary level, Word Study is included within Student Practice. Through Word Study, students learn strategies for increasing their vocabulary and using context to ascertain the meanings of unknown words. At the secondary level, Word Study is included in Unit Review. As a result, Word Study exercises may vary.

Additional Practice

Additional Practice is used in a variety of ways. If the program includes a focus on ACT or SAT preparation, teachers will assign the Additional Practice exercises appropriate for those standardized assessments. 

Vocabulary in Context is assignable additional practice and may be used if time or instructional focus permits. The remaining additional practice does not generate a grade and is designed to be accessible for students to use at their own discretion. You may recommend that students who need additional support take advantage of the Practice Quiz and Practice Worksheet to improve their vocabulary acquisition.

Assessments

Accountability is important to students’ acquisition of new vocabulary. Assign the pre-built and secured Unit Test assessment to determine students’ level of vocabulary acquisition.

You may also use Custom Assessments to build assessments or exercises tailored to the instructional needs of your students.

Student Resources/Games and Study Aids

Research demonstrates the importance of periodically involving students in games that allow them to play with new vocabulary. Therefore, each unit provides games for that purpose. These games are always accessible to students and don’t need to be assigned. However, it is best practice to provide time for students to engage with these games in a teacher-guided approach.

Additional resources, such as Flash Cards and iWords, are provided as Study Aids for students. You may want to encourage students to take advantage of these components to improve their vocabulary acquisition.

Review

It is important to provide students with opportunities for ongoing review of new words to store the meanings of these words in their long-term memory and can use them to comprehend the text they are reading and studying.

Assign all of the pre-built exercises in this program component.

Word Study

Through Word Study, students learn strategies for increasing their own vocabulary and using context to ascertain the meanings of unknown words. Teachers should assign all of the Word Study exercises to build students’ repertoire of strategies to maximize students’ vocabulary growth over time.

Cumulative Review

Vocabulary instruction should provide students with opportunities to encounter words repeatedly and in a variety of contexts. The Cumulative Reviews are designed to ensure students know a word’s definition, its relationship with other words, and its function in different contexts.

Assign all of the exercises in this program component.

Final Mastery

At the end of the year of study, you may choose to administer the Final Mastery assessment as a summative assessment to determine students’ level of vocabulary acquisition.

Beginning-of-Year: Pre-Test
End-of-Year: Post-Test

The Beginning-of-Year Pre-Test and the End-of-Year Post-Test are provided as a tool for schools purchasing this program with federal or other funds requiring evidence of student outcomes based upon the use of VWIE. Administer the Pre-Test before beginning VWIE instruction if data is needed to meet funding requirements. Administer the Post-Test at the end of the year’s VWIE instruction. These tools are beneficial in all classrooms and will help you determine the effectiveness of your implementation of the program.

Implementation Guide

INSTRUCTION

STUDENT PRACTICE

ASSESSMENT

STUDENT RESOURCES/GAMES & STUDY AIDS

REVIEW

WORD STUDY

Elementary Five-Day Pacing Guide

Elementary Ten-Day Pacing Guide

Note:  

After two/three units of study, have students complete the Review.

After every six units, have students complete the Cumulative Review.

Secondary Five-Day Pacing Guide

Secondary Ten-Day Pacing Guide

Note:

After every three units of study, students complete the Review and Word Study.

After every six units, students complete the Cumulative Review.