Developing Vocabulary and Concepts: Concept of Definition Map

Jeb Tiffany, Tamara Phillips, & Angie Shirley

A concept of definition map provides a blueprint for organizing information in a more visual way.  It does this by taking the information and dividing it into three relationships: categories, properties, and illustrations, creating an actual map of one’s ideas about a topic or word. The article states, “These labels provide additional support for the corresponding self questioning prompts ‘what is it’, ‘what is it like,’ and ‘what are some examples’” (Schwartz, 1988, p. 112).

This decoding strategy helps students to do a number of things throughout the learning process:

*Helps students select and evaluate sources of information to determine meaning

*Helps students combine and organize new and old information

*Gives students an opportunity to assess their understanding and comprehension

*It helps students with newly introduced vocabulary

A concept of definition map also helps students who have individual or unique learning styles. It is a strategy that works for all students, but especially those who are more visual learners as it allows students to break down words and organize their thoughts visually.

Terms

Concept of Definition map – This is a graphic organizer that displays relationships between concepts.  It is a strategy for representing information and knowledge in a visual way.

Decoding Skills – According to the Schwartz article, decoding skills are “Strategies that students can use independently to identify unknown printed words that are familiar in their listening vocabulary” (p. 109).

Schema – A schema is an organized pattern of thought.

Prior knowledge – Prior knowledge is a culmination of one’s previous knowledge and experiences.