Semantics is the study of meaning in language. This refers to how words, phrases, sentences, and texts convey meaning, including the relationships between words and how they combine to make sense. Understanding semantics helps teachers explain how language works and how different meanings are constructed, which can enhance students’ reading comprehension and writing skills.

In the classroom, a large semantic focus is vocabulary – the aspect of “language comprehension” from Scarborough’s Reading Rope. But, does vocabulary need to be explicitly taught? Margret Mckeown argues that it should be. To explain, she makes a differentiation between Tier 1 and Tier 2 words. Tier 1 words characterize everyday, conversational language, whereas Tier 2 words are those common in written language. In other words, children will have have Tier 1 word knowledge when entering school, but not Tier 2 word knowledge – they will learn such words as they become readers. As well, Tier 2 words are those that are needed to participate in academic discussion, and become more and more critical for success in school as a child ages. Teachers thus need to ensure that they are integrating Tier 2 words into their instruction, so that they can best equip their students.

References

McKeown, M. G. (2019). Effective Vocabulary Instruction Fosters Knowing Words, Using Words, and Understanding How Words Work. Language, Speech & Hearing Services in Schools, 50(4), 466–476. https://doi.org/10.1044/2019_LSHSS-VOIA-18-0126