Vocabulary Instruction and Google Images

Google Images has made it extremely easy to pair an image with a target vocabulary word. In the MCVIP & VALE research projects, our teachers paired images with all target words on vocab word walls. Here is a typical word wall that features target words with images pulled from Google.

With regard to instruction, an image may be all it takes to get across the meaning of a concrete noun like musket or sandspit in a memorable way. But, with other kinds of words images may be even more valuable as a teaching tool, serving as an excellent way prompt to students to think deeply about or apply a word meaning. Consider the word dismayed. One of our teachers paired this image with this target word...

After providing a kid-friendly definition of dismayed and several examples of use, we could then ask students these type of questions about the image:

• Why do you think that I would show you this picture for the word dismayed?
• If you were in one of the tall buildings, would you be dismayed? Why or why not? If you were on the top of one of the mountains in the background, would you be dismayed? Why or why not?
• Can you give me (or write) a sentence about this image picture that includes the word dismayed?

Through these kind of questions, images become great contexts for students to apply new words and consider the nuances of their meanings.

Finally, just committing to finding a Google Image for each of your target words ensures that you are planning ahead for your vocabulary instruction. Such planning always leads to crisper, clearer introductions and discussions of new word meanings.