How the Vocabulary Was Created
It is important to note that the terms and phrases listed in The Tennessee Academic Vocabulary Document are meant as “examples.” They are not to be considered implicitly or explicitly a list of “mandated” terms and phrases. Rather districts (or schools) might decide to add terms and phrases, delete terms and phrases, further define terms and phrases, or create their own lists which are completely different from those offered here.
The lists provided here were generated by groups of volunteer subject matter and grade level specialists from Tennessee schools whose charge was to identify those terms and phrases that are important to student understanding of mathematics, science, language arts, and social studies. Approximately 30 terms were identified in each subject area so as not to overburden an individual classroom teacher. For example, a third grade teacher in a self-contained classroom whose job it is to teach all four of these subject areas would be responsible for about 120 terms and phrases. During a 36 week school year this would amount to about 14 terms and phrases per month allowing adequate time for the teacher to address many other terms of her own choosing. For example, the teacher could attend to the 120 pre-identified terms and phrases and still teach important words found in a story or important words found in a chapter of a textbook. In fact, research indicates that about 400 terms and phrases per year are typically addressed in programs that emphasize vocabulary instruction (see Marzano, 2004, p. 63). Identifying 120 terms and phrases leaves about 280 terms and phrases that are specific to an individual teacher.
To demonstrate the potential power of teachers within a district addressing common terms and phrases, consider the subject of mathematics. In mathematics 244 terms and phrases are listed for grades K – 8. If every teacher in a district were to teach these terms and phrases, students in that district would enter ninth grade with common, in depth experiences in these 244 key mathematics terms and phrases. Certainly this would provide a strong base on which ninth grade mathematics teachers could build.