14 Academic Terms Every Student Should Know
Vocabulary is key when teaching. I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve talked about how important it is to do vocabulary practice with students. So many, that you are probably tired of hearing about it...
Most of the time, our focus is on content vocabulary. Because learning key vocabulary makes learning concepts easier for students.
But what about academic vocabulary? Who takes the time to teach academic terms?
In my experience, when students struggle with a question, the struggle usually has nothing to do with the content and everything to do with the language used in the question.
We can help set students up for success by taking the time to teach students academic terms so when they encounter these questions they know what to do.
Here’s a list to get you started – 14 academic terms your students need to know to find success.
Compare
Tell how these things are alike.
Contrast
Tell how these things are different.
Define
Tell what a word or subject means, what its function or role is, what group or category it belongs to, and how it is different from other members of the group.
Describe
Answer who, what, when, where, and why about a subject.
Draw Conclusions
What the reading is trying to tell you (without saying it directly).
Evaluate
Tell how something looks, sounds, or feels.
Explain
Tell how something happens or how it works.
