Vocabulary

Linda PearceLiteracy Consultant

OVEClpearce@ovec.org

Vocabulary Session Goals

To provide research based information regarding vocabulary instruction

To provide strategies for vocabulary development

Vocabulary

“. . . vocabulary is the glue that holds stories, ideas, and content together . . . making comprehension accessible for children.”—Rupley, Logan, &

Nichols, 1998/1999, p. 339

Speaking Listening

Reading Writing

Types of Vocabulary

Vocabulary Acquisition

At age 5-6 children have 2,500-5,000 word in their oral vocabulary.

3,000 words per year are added during their early school years (average 8 words/day).

Typical vocabulary lessons focus on 10-20 words per week.

25-50% of annual vocabulary growth is incidental.

Vocabulary Acquisition

At age 5-6 children have 2,500-5,000 word in their oral vocabulary.

3,000 words per year are added during their early school years (average 8 words/day).

Typical vocabulary lessons focus on 10-20 words per week.

25-50% of annual vocabulary growth is incidental.

Model/Demonstration

Carving is appropriate for most green and blue slopes and even some black slopes. However, if you try to carve through moguls, especially in packed powder or corn snow, you’re going to face-plant.

Goals of Effective Reading Vocabulary Instruction

Enhance a more sophisticated language Connect new words to existing

knowledge Strengthen ability to understand text Increase reading comprehension and

academic success Expand leisure reading

What We Know from Research

Students develop vocabulary through:

explicit vocabulary instruction

wide reading

— reading a lot

— reading different types of text

__ fiction and non-fiction

— focusing on specific words and their meanings

__ teaching independent word learning strategies

Vocabulary Research

Researchers have named vocabulary knowledge as the most important factor in reading comprehension. (White, Sowell, & Yanagihara, 1989)

Effective vocabulary instruction requires active and positive student participation. (Carr & Wixson, 1986)

Personal engagement with a new word can lead to deep processing of meaning. (Dole, Sloan & Trathen, 1995)

Vocabulary Research(Continued)

National Reading Panel 2000: Repetition and multiple exposures to

vocabulary items are important. Learning in rich contexts, incidental learning,

and the use of computer technology all enhance the acquisition of vocabulary.

Direct instruction should include task restructuring and should engage the student.

Dependence on a single vocabulary instruction method will not result in optimal learning.

“It is imperative to be mindful of the serious limitations inherent in the three most common vocabulary teaching practices in K-12 classrooms” Kevin Feldman & Kate Kinsella

What Doesn’t Work

1. Looking up words in the dictionary;2. Using written context to figure out word

meanings; 3. Unplanned vocabulary teaching.

Marzano’s Six Steps to Effective Vocabulary Instruction

1. Teacher provides description, explanation, or example of new term

2. Students relate explanation of the term in their own words

3. Students create nonlinguistic representation of term

4. Students periodically do activities that help them add to their knowledge of vocabulary terms

5. Periodically, students are asked to discuss terms with one another

6. Periodically, students are involved in games that allow them to play with the terms

Guidelines for Selecting “To-Be-Learned” Vocabulary:DO: Less is more—Depth is more

Teach terms that are central to the unit or theme of study

Teach terms that address key concepts or ideas

Teach terms that will be used repeatedly throughout the term, semester, or year.

Guidelines for Selecting “To-Be-Learned” Vocabulary:

AVOID: Teaching/Assigning words just because

they are highlighted in some way Teaching/Assigning words just because

they appear in a list at the end of a text chapter

Teaching/Assigning words that will have little utility once the student has passed the student has passed the test

Assigning words that you cannot define Assigning large quantities of words Assigning words that students will rarely

encounter again

Which words are critical?Consider these questions:

Is the word important to comprehending the text?

Does the word appear again and again? Will knowledge of the word help in other

content areas? Is the word likely to be in the student’s prior

knowledge? Is the word defined within the body of the

text?

Levels of Language“Selecting Words”

L e ve l IH ig h Fre q ue n cy W o rds

L e ve l IIV o cab u la ry

L e ve l IIIS p e c ia lize d V o cab u la ry

Beck, McKeown, and Kucan, 2002

Levels of Language Tier I Language

High Frequency Words

Examples: give, have, that, the of, baby, crawl

Basic words whose meanings are commonly known or function words- words that

make spoken and written language coherent

and readable

Irregular/Sight Words

contain some letters that do not represent their most commonly used sounds

tend to be high frequency words that students encounter often in their reading and writing

can be partially decoded

TeachingHigh-Frequency Words

High-Frequency words are those words that students need to know by sight because they appear so often in texts that automatic recognition is helpful

The ultimate goal is for all words to be read automatically and with little effort

a, and, for, he, is, in, it, of, that, the, to, was, you

Automaticity

- refers to a reader’s ability to recognize words without conscious decoding

*readers recognize words as whole units*readers recognize words quickly

and accurately

Levels of LanguageTier II Language

Sophisticated words (examples: absurd, commotion, reluctant)

Words that appear frequently across a variety of domains

Words can be worked with in a variety of ways to build rich representations and connections

New words not common to young children’s oral language, high frequency for mature language users, mature or more precise labels for concepts young children have under control, words more typically found in written language

Levels of LanguageTier III Language

Specialized Vocabulary

Examples: evaporation asymmetrical peninsula

Specialized words typically associated with a content area or topic

Bringing Words to Life: Robust Vocabulary Instruction Isabel Beck et al

Tier II: Johnny Harrington was a kind master

who treated his servants fairly. He was also a successful wood merchant, and his business required that he travel often. In his absence, his servants would tend to the fields and cattle and maintain the upkeep of his mansion. They performed their duties happily, for they felt fortunate to have such a benevolent and trusting master.

Possible Explanations

Tier Two Words:

Merchant Required Tend Maintain Performed Fortunate Benevolent

Students’ likely expressions:

Salesperson or clerk Have to Take care of Keep going Did Lucky Kind

Bringing Words to Life: Robust Vocabulary Instruction Isabel Beck et al

Tier II: The servants would never comment on this

strange occurrence [finding the kitchen clean even though none of them were seen doing the cleaning], each servant hoping the other had tended to the chores. Never would they mention the loud noises they’d hear emerging from the kitchen in the middle of the night. Nor would they admit to pulling the covers under their chins as they listened to the sound of haunting laughter that drifted down the halls to their bedrooms each night. In reality, they knew there was a more sinister reason behind their good fortune.

Possible Explanations Tier Two Words: Comment Occurrence Tended Mention Emerging Admit Haunting Reality Sinister fortune

Students’ likely expressions:

Something someone has to say

Something happening Took care of Tell Coming out To say you did something Scary Being real Scary Luck

What If There Are Not Enough Words? Bringing Words to

Life: Robust Vocabulary Instruction by Isabel L. Beck, Margaret G. McKeown, & Linda Kucan

What If There Are Not Enough Words?

Consider a story in which two children (Pam and Matt) try on a number of silly hats, some of which are very big and two of which are exactly alike.

A number of words came to mind, and we chose absurd, enormous, and identical.

Next, we suggest how those words might be introduced to young children.

What If There Are Not Enough Words?

In the story, Pam and Matt had very, very silly hats.

Another way to say that something is very, very silly is to say that it is absurd.

When something is absurd, it is so silly it’s hard to believe.

What If There Are Not Enough Words?

Some of the hats that Pam and Matt word were so big that all you could see were their feet.

Another way to say that something is very, very big is to say that it is enormous.

Enormous means “very big—very, very big.”

What If There Are Not Enough Words?

Pam and Matt put on red hats that were almost exactly alike.

A way to say that two things are exactly alike is to say that they are identical.

Identical means “exactly alike.”

Beck Routine for choosing Tier II words:

Put word on a card Include a picture Students generate a student

friendly definition Students use word(s) in a sentence

Let’s look at some tools for teaching words in new ways:

1. Rate Your Knowledge2. Frayer Model

Rate Your Knowledge

Word No Clue Heard it

Use in a sentence

Know Definition

Definition

Application1. Listen to each word2. Rate your knowledge by marking the

appropriate column.3. Form a co-operative group to construct

definitions. 4. Listen as I read each word in context5. If you were in a group, you would make

changes, or leave the definition as it is.6. If you cannot figure out the definition,

check in a dictionary or textbook.

Word No clue

Heard of it

Use in sentence

Know meaning

Definition

moonlet

horde

romantic

Io

shepherded

deflected

shield

quest

Titan

mystics

Frayer Model

The Frayer Model is a word categorization activity that helps learners develop their understanding of concepts. (Frayer, Frederick & Klausmeier, 1969)

Frayer Model University of Wisconsin

Definition

A mathematical shape that is a closed planefigure bounded by 3 or more line segments.

Characteristics

ClosedPlane figureMore than 2 straight sides2-dimensionalMade of line segments

Examples

PentagonHexagonSquareTrapezoidRhombus

Non-examples

CircleConeArrowcylinder

Polygon

Vocabulary Term

Dust Bowl

Visual Representation

Definition

A region or area where there has been very little precipitation and the top soil turns to dust and blows away.

Make A Personal Connection

The wind blowing across the infield of a baseball field

Semantic MapWord DescriptionA word or list of words a person knows

Word Art

More Understanding

Examples

vocabulary

WORDS

Words

Words

Semantic MapWord Description

A word or list of words a person knows

Word Art

More Understanding

The words I know and use are in my __________.

Examples

vocabulary

WORDS

Words

Words

Semantic MapWord Description

A word or list of words a person knows

Word Art

More Understanding

The words I know and use are in my __________.

Examples

My math vocabulary is improving with each new unit.

vocabulary

WORDS

Words

Words

Application

Choose a key term from your content vocabulary

Design a sample ‘Frayer Model’

Post examples to share with others

Develop a Plan for Vocabulary Instruction

Engage students in wide reading Provide direct instruction Assure both verbal and nonlinguistic

representation Encourage elaboration and

refinement

The Importance of Vocabulary Skills

The strongest action a teacher can take to ensure

that students have the academic background

knowledge they need to understand the content they

will encounter in school is vocabulary instruction.

(Marzano, Pickering, 2005)

Frayer Model University of Wisconsin

Definition Characteristics

Examples

Non-examples

Word No clue

Heard of it

Use in sentence

Know meaning

Definition