Knowledgebase :: Take Aim at Vocabulary

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Take Aim at Vocabulary

1. What is the research basis for the strategies used in Take Aim! at Vocabulary?

Take Aim! at Vocabulary teaches high-utility words and research-based strategies for developing vocabulary independently. Take Aim! incorporates multiple research-based vocabulary teaching methods and learning principles.
Learn more about the research basis for Take Aim! at Vocabulary

Some of the strategies used in Take Aim! are described in RN Bookmark articles:
"Sketching Vocabulary Words"
"A New Approach to Vocabulary"

2. What kind of field test data did you collect? What kind of impact did this appear to have in a simple pre/post sense?

Read Naturally conducted case studies at multiple sites across the country. Results show that the Take Aim! curriculum effectively taught students high-quality vocabulary words. Results also show that students were able to retain knowledge of these words over an extended period of time. Learn more about the studies:

Study 1: Minneapolis, MN
Study 2: Minneapolis, MN
Study 3: Cumming, GA
Study 4: Hazen, ND

3. When teaching a verb like "predict", do you also teach the commonly used noun form "prediction"?

Each unit includes an activity called Extend the Target Words. An example of a question in this section is: "If you adapt (target word) to the cold weather by putting on a hat, you have made an adaptation. Another example of an adaptation is ____________." Some of the ways teachers can use the Extend the Target Words section include the following:

Teachers can add this section to their core program.
Teachers can assign this section if a student does not pass the posttest.
Teachers can use this section as a review activity by giving the student Extend the Target Words questions from Take Aim! units the student has previously completed.

You can see more examples of these questions in the Student Packet. The Student Packet is where students record responses to the activities.

4. How do you deal with polysemy when a target word has multiple meanings?

We teach one meaning of the target word directly. However, if the target word has another meaning that occurs in a different context or story in the unit, we will define both in the glossary. In addition, in the Answer the Comprehension Questions section, one of the questions asks the student to define what one of the words in the passage means. The two distractors are most often other meanings of the word.

You can see examples of these questions in the Unit Textbook. The third question in this section is always a vocabulary context question.

5. Do students do sentence-level writing to build the syntax and grammar knowledge required to use the words in context?

Each unit includes Enrichment: Apply the Target Words questions that require this kind of writing. An example of a question in this section is: "What are some ways you could promote (target word) your favorite book?" Teachers can include these questions in the core program or assign them on an as-needed basis.

You can see examples of these questions in the Enrichment: Apply the Target Words questions in the Unit Textbook.

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