Word Feast for Middle School

Robust vocabulary instruction focuses on the high-frequency words that apply to a variety of subject areas.  These Tier 2 words (Beck, McKeown, & Kucan, 2002):  

• have rich meaning and connections to other words and concepts
• are used by mature language users
• add specificity and flexibility to students' expression
• easily link to other words students already know

Two decades of research have shown this instruction method is most effective in advancing students' vocabulary growth (Moore, 2011). 

The book has 16 substantive, 7-page lessons.  Each lesson teaches ten carefully-chosen vocabulary words.  The vocabulary words are repeated in subsequent lessons.  The lessons have a consistent pattern of reading, thinking, and writing activities.  The activities progress from comprehension to expressive tasks and follow this sequence:

• introduction of new words and teaching tips
• questions to activate prior knowledge
• one or more reading passages
• word definitions with examples
• associations activity
• thinking activities like: Finish the Thought, Yes/No Questions, In Your Own Words, Antonyms & Synonyms, and more

The age-appropriate lesson topics such as The Movies' Mystery Man, Money Matters, and Arguments and Persuasion are mostly curricular.  The chapters progress in difficulty regarding general knowledge, readability, and word knowledge.

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