Bridging the learning gap caused by COVID-19 and providing support for children who have fallen behind is a key challenge for all schools, but learning loss has been particularly severe for some. The attainment gap will inevitably widen as a result of recent school closures (EPI, 2020), with further bubble quarantining posing an ongoing concern.
Unfortunately, children with a vocabulary deficit are at a further disadvantage, and studies have shown that this word gap affects their progress, wellbeing and lifelong prospects (OUP, 2018).
A positively framed 'recovery curriculum' (Carpenter and Carpenter, 2020) can help to set the tone and context for this year’s learning, but many schools are focusing on cornerstones of learning - reading, writing and oracy - with vocabulary development at the core of their curriculum design.
For Mary Myatt, vocabulary is one of the ‘instruments’ of curriculum development (2018), and the Education Endowment Fund also emphasises the importance of aligning vocabulary instruction with curriculum development.
- the importance of reading widely (including fiction and non-fiction texts)
- explicit teaching of important individual words
- teaching students the skills to help them to learn new words independently
- fostering ‘word consciousness’.
Research school Durrington High School began a whole-school literacy focus in 2017 based on explicit vocabulary instruction with investment in staff CPD. Here, Durrington explores a similar approach in primary schools and looks at the strategies implemented by one school – Bury CE Primary School in West Sussex – and their impact.
Further case studies are detailed by Project READ who, in 2019, launched a nine month programme – School Improvement Reading Programme: Developing Vocabulary from EYFS to Year 6 – drawing on research-informed practice and aiming to equip schools with knowledge, skills and practical approaches to boost word-learning and narrow the ‘word gap’.
We can all help to change the ‘word poor’ into the ‘word rich’ (Quigley, 2018) by providing an enriched language environment, by focusing on children’ spoken language and written skills and by celebrating new words and exploring their variety.
In collaboration with Oxford University Press, we’ve created a range of free materials to support vocabulary development and close the word gap:
- Closing the word gap: activities for the classroom – a selection of straightforward and engaging vocabulary development ideas and resources for each of the three key stages. It also includes key stage-appropriate handouts for parents with suggested activities, games, and conversation starters to encourage reading, conversation, and vocabulary development at home.
- Closing the word gap: reading at home – a collection of ideas and activities aiming to get families reading, talking about books and sharing the pleasure of reading with each other.
- You might also be interested in our resource Closing the word gap – a toolkit for parents.
Further reading
Education Policy Institute (2020) Preventing the disadvantage gap from increasing during and after the Covid-19 pandemic
Education Endowment Fund (2020) Covid 19 support guide for schools
Carpenter, B. and Carpenter, M. (2020) A Recovery Curriculum: Loss and Life for our children and schools post pandemic
Myatt, M. (2018) The Curriculum Gallimaufry to coherence (John Catt)
Oxford University Press (2018) Why Closing the Word Gap Matters
Quigley, A. (2018) Closing the Vocabulary Gap (David Fulton)
