List-Group-Label Is a strategy designed to assist students who struggle with content specific vocabulary.
List-Group-Label deepens students’ understanding of content specific words by providing an opportunity to brainstorm vocabulary before a reading, categorize those words using labels, and add newly learned vocabulary after the reading is complete. This strategy promotes vocabulary and content connections that are deeper than rote memorization.
Learning strategies aid students in understanding information and are to be used by students independently. Use explicit instruction (explanation, modeling, guided practice, independent practice) to teach learning strategies to students.
Explain the strategy. Provide students with an explanation of the strategy: what it is and when it should be used.
Model the strategy. Model how to use the strategy. Using a think aloud procedure, voice out the thought process behind each stage of the strategy. This may need to occur over the course of several days based on the needs of the students.
Guided practice. Guide students in performing the strategy in small groups or in pairs. During this time, scaffold the learning and support students who need assistance in using the strategy. They can also model the think aloud strategy (when in pairs) to strengthen comprehension and learning of the steps involved.
Independent practice. After guided practice, students should only use the strategy independently, once they have shown they have mastered the strategy. Students can also be given the opportunity to reflect on the strategy.
1. Choose an appropriate text (i.e. trade book or textbook).
2. Before reading the text, have the students listwords that they know are related to the topic chosen to address in the text. This can be done independently, with a partner, or in a small group. Record listed words on a chart.
3. Have the students groupor cluster words that are related into categories. Record these groupings on a chart.
4. Students must then choose words that can be used as labelsfor the categories previously chosen.
5. Now, students read the text or chosen materials writing down newly learned words along the way.
6. After the reading is complete, students can add the newly identified terms to appropriate categories. To keep newly learned words from previously known words, students may add the new words to their chart in a different colored ink.
Adapted from 40 Strategies for Guiding Readers through Informational Texts
(Moss, B., & Loh-Hagan, V. (2016). 40 strategies for guiding readers through informational texts. New York, NY: The Guilford Press.)
Lauber, P. (2003). Tales mummies tell. New York: Scholastic. (M)
Taba, H. (1967). Teacher's handbook to elementary social studies: An inductive approach. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.