List-Group-Label is a three part vocabulary strategy used to teach words in a meaningful context. This strategy helps students learn how to organize and categorize vocabulary words and to relate the meanings of new words they are learning with words they already understand.
The first step in using LGL is for the teacher to put a word or topic on the board. Students will then make lists of words that go with the word or topic. The students then categorize their words into groups with similar features The students label each group of words. The students will then read the text, keeping in mind the words they wrote down. After reading, the students will go back to the groups of words they created and re-categorize based on what they learned by reading the text. (Miller and Veatch, 2011, p.25)
Supporting Research
Research shows that there are many benefits in using List-Group-Label. According to adlit.org, LGL helps students to create "meaning connections" between words, to engage in critical thinking skills and to actively participate in the learning of new vocabulary and content. (2015) Some other benefits of using LGL are that it teaches students to categorize and label, as well as building on students' previous knowledge. (reading rockets.org, 2015)
There are many ways to use the List-Group-Label strategy to teach vocabulary. According to readingrockets.org, LGL can be used individually, in small group or for whole-class instruction.(2015) Literacy in Context, demonstrates how to use this strategy and says that the strategy should first be used before reading the text and then revisited after reading to re-categorize groups if needed. (Miller and Veatch, 2011, p. 25)
2. List-Group-Label Graphic Organizer - this worksheet is a different format than the one above and has one column for the students to write words that they have brainstormed and three columns to label and categorize the words. http://mavoigt.weebly.com/list-group-label.html
This video describes the strategy List-Group-Label and the steps to be used. First, the teacher in this video has the students help her brainstorm for words related to gardening. The teacher then demonstrates how to make the first group of words and how to label the group. After showing several examples, the teacher has the students work in small groups to complete the activity. To finish the lesson, the teacher has some of the groups share with the class.