Tier 2 Words

Many ELA teachers divide vocabulary into three tiers and give special attention to words in the second tier. The three word tiers are often described this way:

Tier 1

Tier 1 words are common everyday words that students usually learn through conversation, without special academic instruction. Examples include table, happy, and baby.

Tier 2

Tier 2 words are sometimes called general academic words because they appear across many kinds of texts but are less common in everyday conversation. Examples include indicate, context, and analyze.

These words are especially useful because students are likely to meet them again in literature, informational texts, classroom discussion, and academic writing.

Tier 3

Tier 3 words are words used mainly in particular subject areas, or words that are rare outside a specific context. Examples include lien, mitochondria, and progenitor.

Why this matters here

Verbalworkout.com often emphasizes Tier 2 words because they reward repeated attention. A word that appears in one story may also help students read the next story, the next unit, or another class's assignment.