The Four-Corner Vocabulary Chart

What is a Four-Corner Vocabulary Chart?

A four-corner vocabulary chart is a strategy to help learners learn

new vocabulary word. In this strategy, students write their
vocabulary word in one corner, use the word in a sentence, draw a
picture of the word, and then define what the word means to them.
Throughout this strategy students are making personal connections,
because they are drawing their own picture, writing their own
sentence and the definition in their own words. By doing this, it gives
more meaning to learning the vocabulary word.

According to Echevarria, Vogt & Short (2014), These charts provide

more context and clues than typically word walls, because they
include an illustration, definition, and sentence for each vocabulary
word" (p.81).

The vocabulary chart is one way for ELL students to build

background on a particular vocabulary word as well. According to
Robert Marzano, an educational researcher, he mentions that in order
for students to effectively learn vocabulary they need to follow a six-
step process. The steps are as followed:

1. "Provide a description, explanation, or example of the new term.

2. Ask students to restate the description, explanation, or example
in their own words.
3. Ask students to construct a picture, pictograph, or symbolic
representation of the term.
4. Engage students periodically in activities that help them add to
their knowledge of the terms in their vocabulary notebooks.
5. Periodically ask students to discuss the terms with one another.
6. Involve students periodically in games that enable them to play
with terms". (Marzano, 2009).

The first three steps are in a four-corner vocabulary chart. The

following three steps can be done after the four-corner vocabulary
chart has been completed. In regards to ELL students, this helps the
student learn new vocabulary in a meaningful way. Also by having
the students draw a picture it is something they are visually able to
recognize. This will help the student link his or her background
experiences and link old learning to new learning. Both of these ideas
are essential for building background for an ELL. Each of the charts
could be stored in a three ring binder, for easy access for an
ELL. According to Wright (2015), "indeed, vocabulary development
should be one of the main components of daily ESL instruction..."
(p.160). Wright also said that, "...the more words ELLs know, the
more they can speak and write and understand what hey heard and
read" (p.160). This is why vocabulary development is so essential for
ELLs.

Visual Representations

This is a typical 4-Corner Vocabulary chart. Students need to write

the vocabulary word, define it in their own words, write it in a
sentence, and draw a picture of the word. This chart could serve as
an informal assessment to see how the student is writing a sentence.
For an ELL student, the teacher could look at how the student is
writing the sentence. Is the student using correct subject/verb
agreement? By having students complete a graphic organizer,
students are more likely to be engaged.

This example is very similar to a four-corner vocabulary chart, and

can be easily adjusted when creating the template. On this example it
is used for a math lesson. The student wrote the word, definition,
example, a non-example and some facts that go along with the
word.

Content Area Examples

Math- For a math lesson, a four-corner vocabulary chart can be

easily adapted just like in the photo example above. In one corner
the student can write the word, in another corner the student can
write the definition. In the other two corners students can write an
example and then some facts to go along with the math vocabulary
word. This will help an ELL student, and really any student;
understand the vocabulary word in context. By providing examples it
brings meaning to the word, just like a picture does when learning
reading vocabulary words.
History- For a history lesson, one way to adapt this strategy is to
change the four corners slightly. The four corners could be:
vocabulary word, time period, definition, and picture. By adding the
time period it gives an understanding of when the word was used,
and it give more meaning to the word. For example if a student is
learning about what a Red Coat is, they could write Revolutionary
War (1775-1783) in the time period corner.

Science- For a science lesson, the template would not change very
much. The example figure given by Echevarria, Vogt, & Short (2014),
was a science example with the word cumulus and the template
remained the same. However, a teacher could ask the student what
area of science the word falls under. This might help students
categorize what vocabulary words belong where. For example, if the
vocabulary word is cumulus, the area of science might be
meteorology.

Physical Education- For a physical education lesson, a student

could still write the word, draw picture, define the word, and maybe
list games they can play relating to the topic. For example, if
students are learning about basketball students can list lightning, 3
vs. 3, and others for possible games they could play.