MY WORDBANK

(VOCABULARY ENRICHMENT PROGRAMME)

1.0 INTRODUCTION
The main purpose of this programme is to address one of the main reasons that English Language
teachers gave when talking about why their students are not proficient enough in the language, that is,
students lack the vocabulary. Admittedly, some schools in our district already have a similar programme
like Learn A Word A Day, but it is often plagued by problems like:
1.1 It does not involve all students.
1.2 Students lack the motivation and drive to participate in it.
1.3 The words chosen by teachers are displayed in one corner of the school and not easily accessed by
the students.
1.4 Usually only one teacher is put in charge of the programme with no long term evaluation and
checking to see the students progress.
1.5 The programme lacks clear objectives and targets for the students to achieve.
1.6 The programme is not carried out throughout the year and theres no continuity from year to year.
That is why we propose to revisit this common programme, to rebrand it complete with a proposed
guideline for schools to carry it out throughout 2014 and beyond as part of our districts LEaP initiative.
However, we encourage the English Language teachers involved to innovate and modify the steps
outlined to suit the students in their schools as long as the aims and objectives are achieved.
2.0 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
2.1 To encourage active acquisition of English Language vocabulary that would help the students in
learning and using the language.
2.2 To encourage the students to work independently or with others in seeking out and learning new
words.
2.3 To expose the students to various written texts and skills, for example dictionary skills.
2.4 To enable the teachers to evaluate and monitor the number of words that a student had mastered.
2.5 To equip and prepare the students in learning and using the four language skills, namely, reading,
writing, listening and speaking.

3.0 PROGRAMME GUIDELINES

STAGE 1 THE FIRST 200 WORDS
3.1 As a start, students would be given a list of 200 words, namely 100 most common words in English
and 100 most common verbs in English in the form of a checklist.
3.2 Students would be required to tick off the words that they already know from the list (pretest).
3.3 Students are taught the words that they did not know and given some time to try and memorize the
words (1 2 weeks)
3.4 At the end of the month, students are given the same word list to tick off the words that they can
recognize as before (self evaluation/post test). The number of words mastered by each student is
recorded by the teacher. Students are again given time to memorize the words until they can remember
all 200 words.
3.5 These 200 words are normally known as sight words that students should automatically recognize
and know its meaning at first sight and should forms the basis of their knowledge in English vocabulary.
The Reading Teachers Book of Lists claims that the first 25 words make up about one-third of all printed
materials in English, and that the first 100 make up about one-half of all written materials (quoted from
Wikipedia)
STAGE 2 ADDING NEW WORDS
3.6 Students asked to prepare a notebook that they can use as their My WordBank.
3.7 Next, students are required to look for and jot down new words either individually or in groups in
their book.
3.8 The number of words can be set by the teacher according to the students capability, that is,
between 10 60 words per months. The students need to remember the meaning and the correct
spelling of the words in their My WordBank.
3.9 The words can be sourced from the dictionary, newspaper, magazines, textbooks and even the
wordlist given in the syllabus.
STAGE 3 MONITORING BY TEACHERS
3.10 The English Language teacher or other subject teachers can check on the students progress by
checking and questioning the students during relief periods.
3.11 The teacher can ask individual students in the class the meaning of about 10 words in their My
WordBank before moving on to the next student.
3.12 For words that the student is able to remember, the teacher would put down his initials and also
the date to verify that the student is successful (refer to Attachment 1, Verification 1 and 2 column).
3.13 For words that the students fail to spell correctly or they gave the wrong meaning, the teacher
simply has to cross out the word from the students My WordBank.

3.14 The student can then rewrite the words crossed out and try to remember it or find new words as a
replacement .
3.15 Teachers are encouraged to make use of the relief periods to engage the students in this
programme or at any other free time to ensure that students are always ready.
3.16 At the end of every month, the teacher will collect the students My WordBank to record the
number of new words that the students had learned in that month (or the teacher can ask the students
to total the number of words for that particular month and record the number by asking the students
orally).
STAGE 3 EXPANSION OF THE PROGRAMME
3.17 The teacher can also make use of the students My Wordbank for activities such as Spelling Bees,
games and quizzes.
3.18 For good students, maybe the teacher can ask them to come up with more difficult words or ask
them to use the word chosen in a sentence correctly (written under the meaning of the words given).
4.0 HOW TO USE THE MY WORDBANK TEMPLATE GIVEN
4.1 The template given consists of three different pages, the weekly, monthly and yearly page.
4.2 The student would write the new words that they learnt or found for the week in the weekly page,
divided by days (refer to Attachment 1). They will most probably get four weekly pages per month.
4.3 At the end of the week, they will total the number of words learnt and transfer the number to the
monthly page, divided by week (refer to Attachment 2).
4.4 At the end of the month, they will transfer the number at the end of the month to the yearly page,
divided by month (refer to Attachment 3).
4.5 If the student gets any words wrong when the teacher checks, they will have to deduct the number
of words in their monthly and yearly page.
4.6 The system allows for easy monitoring by the teacher on the number of words learnt by the students
at all time, and works like a bank account, hence the name My WordBank.

Continuous effort not strength or intelligence

is the key to unlocking our potential.
- WinstonChurchill.

100 MOST COMMON WORDS IN ENGLISH

Rank

Word

Rank

Word

Rank

Word

Rank

Word

Rank

Word

the

21

this

41

so

61

people

81

back

be

22

but

42

up

62

into

82

after

to

23

his

43

out

63

year

83

use

of

24

by

44

if

64

your

84

two

and

25

from

45

about

65

good

85

how

26

they

46

who

66

some

86

our

in

27

we

47

get

67

could

87

work

that

28

say

48

which

68

them

88

first

have

29

her

49

go

69

see

89

well

10

30

she

50

me

70

other

90

way

11

it

31

or

51

when

71

than

91

even

12

for

32

an

52

make

72

then

92

new

13

not

33

will

53

can

73

now

93

want

14

on

34

my

54

like

74

look

94

because

15

with

35

one

55

time

75

only

95

any

16

he

36

all

56

no

76

come

96

these

17

as

37

would

57

just

77

its

97

give

18

you

38

there

58

him

78

over

98

day

19

do

39

their

59

know

79

think

99

most

20

at

40

what

60

take

80

also

100 us

100 MOST COMMON VERBS IN ENGLISH

1

accept

21

do

41

know

61

read

81

suggest

agree

22

eat

42

learn

62

remember

82

take

answer

23

explain

43

leave

63

run

83

talk

ask

24

fall

44

like

64

say

84

tell

be

25

feel

45

listen

65

see

85

think

become

26

fill

46

live

66

seem

86

travel

begin

27

find

47

look

67

sell

87

try

believe

28

finish

48

lose

68

send

88

turn on/off

borrow

29

fly

49

make

69

set

89

understand

10

break

30

follow

50

may

70

shall

90

use (to)

11

bring

31

forget

51

mean

71

should

91

wait

12

buy

32

get

52

meet

72

show

92

wake up

13

call

33

give

53

move

73

sit

93

walk

14

can

34

go

54

must

74

sleep

94

want

15

change

35

happen

55

need

75

speak

95

watch

16

clean

36

have

56

open

76

spend

96

will

17

close

37

hear

57

pay

77

stand

97

win

18

come

38

help

58

play

78

start

98

work

19

cut

39

hold

59

promise

79

stop

99

worry

20

decide

40

keep

60

put

80

study

100 write

Prepared by : The Kota Setar District Education Office.