Before assigning a text to the class, go through it and identify vocabulary words that may be beyond their range. Quiz the students on these words before they read the text. Take a survey on what words need to be reviewed and explain their meaning to the class. Ask your students what kinds of situations warrant the use of such a word. Finally, have them read through the text, with their knowledge of the new words firmly absorbed.
Word maps and pictures can be an especially useful method for students who are visual learners, as they allow students instill it a word's meaning visually. Have your students draw an picture based on the definition of a new word. You can also assign students to draw word maps. Here, the student writes the new vocabulary word in the center of a circle and draws three or more branches off the first circle. Each branch represents a different aspect of the word, such as: the definition, what the word reminds the student of (in terms of either what the word sounds like, or synonyms), what kind of word it is (noun, verb, or adjective, for example), and examples of how it is used in a sentence.
Provide your student with multiple opportunities to use a new vocabulary word. Require them to write the new word in different sentences, so that the students can fully grasp when and how to use the word. The more they use the word, the stronger their understanding of the word becomes. Test your students on this new vocabulary later on by having them use the word in casual conversation.
Teaching the etymology of words to your students can help them break down and understand the meanings of words that are initially unfamiliar, since many words in English are derived from Latin or Greek roots. These words will either have prefixes or suffixes that reveal meaning, or have a root at their core. Teach examples such as "amoral" (the "a-" defined as "without," thus defining the word as "without morals").