If a student is struggling to retain new vocabulary words, what strategy should the teacher use?

Using graphic organizers to link new words with known words is an effective strategy for helping students retain new vocabulary. This approach taps into visual learning by allowing students to create connections between unfamiliar vocabulary and familiar concepts or terms. By visually organizing information, students can better understand and remember the new words in the context of what they already know, thus enhancing their overall comprehension and retention. Graphic organizers can take various forms, such as word maps or concept webs, which facilitate deeper processing of the vocabulary and encourage active engagement with the material.

In contrast, encouraging rote memorization can lead to surface-level learning without a deep understanding of the vocabulary's usage or meaning. Breaking words down into root syllables might help with decoding but doesn’t necessarily help in retaining the meaning or context, which is crucial for vocabulary acquisition. Providing regular quizzes can assess retention but may not effectively contribute to the learning process itself; instead, it might induce stress without supporting meaningful engagement with the vocabulary.