6:2 Vicarious

When and Where did I Find this Word: Last week, while reading chapter 30 in the Handbook of Reading Research, I came across the word vicarious. The chapter discussed comprehension instruction and relating text to students prior knowledge. "Thus, the richer a child's world experiences and vicarious experiences (e.g., through stories and high-quality television), the richer the child's schematic knowledge base" (Pressley, 2000, p. 549).

What the Word means: After analyzing the word vicarious in its context, I believe that the word means, well-developed and rich. Unfortunately, my attempt to guess the meaning of the word was not correct. According to dictionary.com, the adjective vicarious means "taking the place of another person or thing; acting or serving as a substitute". http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/vicarious 

My level of Familiarity: I had never heard or seen the word vicarious until I encountered it in the Pressley reading. I tried to make an attempt to understand what the word meant on my own, however, the context around the word did not give me enough sufficient information to make a correct educational guess at the words meaning. The picture to the side of the shells and cheese represents the idea that one can vicarious different cheeses used within the pasta such as Cheddar or Swiss cheese.

Do I Believe this is a Word that I should Know Well: I somewhat believe that I should know the well because it is another word for "interchangeable or substitute." However, the likely hood that I will use the word vicarious on a regular basis is very slim.

Do You Believe this is a Word You Want Others to Know Well: I think others should have an idea of what the word means because it appeared in our assigned readings and as teachers, we commonly use the word substitute, and vicarious is another word we can use to express the same meaning.