5 Ways to Use AI to Enhance Vocabulary Instruction

Science of Reading research shows that explicit and systematic vocabulary instruction is one of the five critical elements to effective reading instruction. But vocabulary instruction goes beyond simply giving students a list of words and their definitions to memorize.

In order to be effective, vocabulary instruction should entail reading a word in the context of connected texts, understanding the morphology of a word, knowing the synonyms and antonyms of a word, and seeing how that word works in a sentence.

Planning for all of that can seem time consuming and a little intimidating, but Artificial Intelligence (AI) might be able to help!

Savvas author and literacy expert Dr. Elfrieda “Freddy” Hiebert has been exploring how educators can use AI to make literacy instruction a little easier and more streamlined. In this blog post, she provides five ideas that educators can strategically use for teaching the crucial skill of vocabulary knowledge.

Idea #1: How to Use AI to Create Additional Vocabulary Experiences

Typically in literacy instruction, teachers select vocabulary words from classroom texts by considering a variety of factors such as: familiarity, frequency, usefulness, complexity, and student background knowledge. To build student vocabulary knowledge, teachers design instruction around these unfamiliar words; however, finding connected text and activities can be a struggle.

Utilizing multiple connected texts is important for vocabulary instruction because it can provide context, showing vocabulary words in action and allowing students a chance to grasp nuance and make connections. Connected text can also make vocabulary instruction more engaging and relevant, in addition to providing students with multiple opportunities to read and use new vocabulary words.

But it may be difficult to find connected texts that include the targeted vocabulary words. So what can be done to support teachers in locating the instructional materials they need in an efficient way? According to Dr. Hiebert, utilizing text generative text AI can be one solution.

Utilizing generative AI to create connected text relies heavily on effective prompts. She recommends providing instructions like this one:

Please write a story of about 600 words aimed at third graders who need practice with the 1,000 most frequent words. The plot should be about how a neighborhood works together during a flood. Use the words astonish, piteous, relief, danger, and survive at least two times each. The uses of these five words can include morphological family members such as dangerous for danger and survival for .

Idea #2: How to Use AI for Semantic Grouping

Semantic grouping is an instructional strategy in which words are organized based on their meanings and relationships to one another.

The purpose of semantic grouping is to help make connections between words more transparent, emphasizing patterns and relationships. This can be accomplished, for example, by grouping words together by categories (e.g., professions, animals, etc.) or by their function (e.g., synonyms and antonyms).

By grouping vocabulary words, students are more likely to create strong mental associations that can boost comprehension and make learning more efficient. The strategy also promotes language skills as students learn to use vocabulary words appropriately and in the right context, making it easier to build their content knowledge through reading, writing, and speaking.

So semantic grouping can positively impact student vocabulary growth, but how can AI support it as an instructional strategy?

According to Freddy, teachers can use AI to identify word clusters that support text comprehension and general knowledge. For example, you might be reading a text about a celebration. She recommends providing instructions like:

Provide a semantic grid with three columns using words related to the word celebration. Column one should be preparations for a celebration. Column two should be features of a celebration. Column three should be actions of a celebration. Include 8 words in each column. Include five complex vocabulary words and three less complex vocabulary words in each column.

Idea #3: How to Use AI to Provide Examples of Synonyms and Antonyms

Organizing words by their function, such as synonyms and antonyms, can be one impactful way to help students grasp the connections between words. Pairing this type of semantic grouping with the strategy of example/non-example can make it even more effective by supporting students in understanding the nuance of language.

Dr. Hiebert recommends using generative AI to not only support this type of instruction by providing lists of synonyms and antonyms for vocabulary words, but to also help teachers dive more deeply into the nuance of context by providing specific examples and non-examples.

For instance, when presented with the vocabulary word celebratory, AI might provide synonyms such as joyous, festive, exultant, and triumphant as well as antonyms like mournful, somber, gloomy, or dismal.

However, AI can also go a step further to highlight the slight difference in meaning between the words by using examples.

Example: The celebratory cake was decorated with the word "Congratulations" to honor her graduation. In this case, celebratory shows that the cake was specifically made for the purpose of celebrating someone's graduation. It’s about the intent behind the action.

Example: The jubilant crowd erupted into cheers as the team scored the winning goal. Jubilant describes the emotion of the crowd — their intense joy and excitement upon seeing the team's victory. The focus is on the emotional response to the event.

While the words are technically synonyms, AI helps to highlight the nuance when used in context, which can support teacher vocabulary instruction in the classroom.

Idea #4: How to Use AI to Teach Morphology

Another evidence-based instructional strategy that can impact student vocabulary learning is morphology—how words are formed through prefixes, suffixes, and roots. Morphology instruction is crucial because it can help students to decode and understand unfamiliar words, as well as make connections between words and improve comprehension.

AI-powered tools can significantly enhance morphology instruction by generating derivational networks of words, according to Dr. Hiebert. These networks show how different forms of a base word are related through prefixes, suffixes, and roots. AI can simultaneously group the words into categories and provide meanings.

For example, prompting AI to create a derivational network for the word celebrate (to honor or engage in festivities for a person, event, or occasion) can show how it branches into celebrates, celebrating, or celebrated. For example, if you prompt AI to create a more complex derivational network for the work celebrate, it might generate something like the following:

• Celebration (noun)
• Base word: celebrate
• Suffix: -ion (result of an action)
• Meaning: An event or activity that honors something.
• Celebrator (noun)
• Base word: celebrate
• Suffix: -or (someone who performs the action)
• Meaning: A person who celebrates
• Celebratory (adjective)
• Base word: celebrate
• Suffix: -ory (pertaining to or characterized by)
• Meaning: Related to or expressing celebration

This strategy can support vocabulary development by illustrating how changing morphemes can influence the meaning of words across a variety of contexts and the connections between the words can facilitate stronger comprehensive student understanding.

Idea #5: How to Use AI to Create Sample Sentences Using Vocabulary Words

As previously mentioned, it is important in vocabulary instruction to provide students with context for words in order to help their comprehension and retention. One way to do that is by placing vocabulary words into the context of specific sentences that can help provide students with an understanding of a word’s meaning.

Dr. Hiebert recommends using AI tools to generate sentences for vocabulary words that provide a variety of contexts in which the word can be used.

For example, an AI tool might generate sentences that use the word celebratory in different contexts, such as: The class had a celebratory snack when we finished our big project or Our family put up celebratory decorations for the holidays, like lights and snowflakes. These different examples show students that the word celebratory can function in many different contexts, building deeper vocabulary understanding.

One of the valuable attributes of AI tools is that they can differentiate sentences based on students’ needs, including things like reading levels or interest areas. Highly personalized examples can contribute to making vocabulary instruction relevant to students and therefore more engaging.

Embracing AI Tools for Teachers

Dr. Hiebert recommends adding AI to your teaching toolbelt to help streamline lesson planning creating more time for teaching. You can also offer students personalized vocabulary practice by using AI-powered tools to create resources, such as the examples Dr. Hiebert provided, that you can then adapt to meet the individual needs of students.

According to Dr. Hiebert, AI can serve as a powerful complement to traditional teaching methods, enriching vocabulary instruction and helping students develop stronger language skills.