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Vocabulary Index System

A Vocabulary Index System promotes robust integration of regular
tasks and activities, ensuring that systematic revisiting of vocabulary

becomes part of classroom culture. This can increase the rate at
which pupils absorb words into their functioning vocabulary.

The index system could either be a set of cards created throughout

the year, each card having a newly encountered word on it, or
a digital resource, to be shared between primary and secondary

schools. Once a word is introduced, studied and explored through
explicit teaching, it is added to the index system ready to be
randomly re-selected across the school year and used in a variety

of follow-up activities. As the academic year moves on, the index
becomes a classroom reference resource for use in a variety of ways
by pupils and teachers.

A suggested approach is:

> Primary: 15 words to be introduced across a 2 week
period.

> Year 6 classes to include 1 word from the academic
tier 2 vocabulary list (see Key Transition Academic
Vocabulary Strategy) to be taught within the 2 week
period.

> Secondary: 10 words per subject to be introduced
termly.

Regular systematic reviewing and revisiting of the language will not
only aid cognitive load, but ensure expectations remain high as

pupils recognise that they are expected to recall prior learning and
build on what they know.

The Vocabulary Index System could be established across upper key
stage 2 classes in primary, through to lower key stage 3 in secondary,
to provide a consistent approach and aid transition, reinforcing

expectations and challenge.

Schools can decide on their own name for this approach, such as

Vocabulary Vacuum, Valiant Vocabulary, Voluptuous Vocabulary or
Vocabulary Vault.
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