Human Principals
Vocabulary · Tier 3: subject words

Frontloading before the unit

Teach the key subject words before the unit starts, so students can follow the first lessons instead of meeting every term at once.

Bands
1 to 3
Stages
Upper elementary, Middle school and High school
Settings
Pull-out support, Small group, At home and Push-in support
Prep
Medium prep

How to do it

  1. Pick the eight to twelve subject words students need to understand the first lessons.
  2. Teach them in a short session before the unit, in class, in pull-out or as preparation at home.
  3. Use pictures, diagrams and home language translations.
  4. Give students a word list to keep.
  5. In the first lessons, point out the frontloaded words when they come up.

In a lesson

Science (middle school)

A week before a unit on electricity, the EAL teacher meets three band 2 students for twenty minutes. They match circuit, cell, bulb, switch, wire and current to pictures, then build a simple circuit, naming each part. In the first lesson, they recognize every word on the teacher’s slide.

What commonly goes wrong

  • Too many words are frontloaded.
  • The frontloading session has no link to the actual lessons.
  • Only words are frontloaded, and the key idea of the first lesson is missed.

Adapting it

For a lower band

Use real equipment and pictures, and fewer words.

For a higher band

Frontload the key concept as well, and ask students to predict what the unit will cover.