The Bridge of Vocabulary 2: Evidence-based Activities for Academic Success

Developed for both general and special educators to use collaboratively, the Bridge of Vocabulary 2 offers the only explicit vocabulary intervention tool tied to evidence-based research and curriculum standards.

Benefits

• Provides targeted instruction and interventions for all students in a classroom setting, students with language and learning disabilities, students with complex communication disabilities, and across all service delivery models.
• Helps specialists, teachers, and parents systematically plan explicit word encounters.
• Encourages fast mapping and provides extended exposure to vocabulary.
• Demonstrates phonotactic probability and neighborhood density.
• Incorporates student-friendly definitions that use spoken vocabulary words instead of reading vocabulary words.

Features

The Bridge of Vocabulary 2 has 127 activities across five grade/level groupings: preschool and kindergarten, lower elementary, upper elementary, middle school, and advanced practice.

• Activities target a full range of vocabulary skills and concepts (e.g., listening, speaking, reading, writing, rhyming, word play, etc.)
• Furnishes a curriculum standard with explicit teaching instructions, as well as guided and independent practice activities.
• Links to academic standards help anchor vocabulary intervention to curricular outcomes.

Resources

The following resources are available for The Bridge of Vocabulary 2.

• Bridge of Vocabulary 2 Flyer
• PPVT-5, EVT-3, and BOV2 Flyer
• Top 10 Evidence-Based Vocabulary Strategies
• The BOV2 TOC Preview Preschool Kindergarten Actitivies

• The BOV2 TOC Preview Lower Elementary Activities
• The BOV2 TOC Preview Upper Elementary Activities
• The BOV2 TOC Preview Middle School Activities
• The BOV2 TOC Preview Advanced Practice Actitivies

Frequently asked questions follow. Click on a question to see the response.

What are the “Top 10” strategies essential in teaching vocabulary skills that The Bridge of Vocabulary 2 applies?

The “Top 10” strategies shown to be essential in teaching vocabulary skills to general and special education students are:

• Four Types of Vocabulary
• Tier 2 words
• Repetition
• Dense Neighborhoods
• New Concepts

Can I use the activities with individuals and groups?

Yes. Each activity in The Bridge of Vocabulary 2 displays an icon indicating one or more suggested group sizes for instruction or intervention. Many of the activities are flexible to both individual student use and group work.

How much time should I allow for each activity?

Activities in The Bridge of Vocabulary 2 are not timed. However, an icon is displayed in each activity to indicate an estimated length of time that a particular activity might last. This icon shows 1–3 bars: 1 bar is approximately 5 mins or less, 2 bars may range from 5–15 minutes, and 3 bar activities usually take at least 15 minutes.

Can I implement these activities by myself or with other professionals?

Yes. The Bridge of Vocabulary 2 is intended to be used by many different professionals in multiple ways. For example, a speech-language pathologist (SLP) may use an activity in a 1:1 intervention session with a student toward an IEP goal. Or, a classroom teacher and SLP or reading specialist may collaborate during an in-class activity with a small or large group.

What kinds of prompting should I use during the activities?

The progress monitoring form allows the professional to record different types of prompting used or needed during an activity. In general, verbal, visual, and physical prompting may all be beneficial during the activities—the student or group will define what level of support is needed. Additionally, the professional should track how quickly the prompting may fade as the student(s) gain more vocabulary skill and independence at a given activity.