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ABC’s of teaching

vocabulary

What does the research say?

• Students' vocabulary knowledge relates strongly to their reading comprehension.

• Direct vocabulary instruction improves comprehension.

Baumann, Kame'enui, & Ash, 2003. Beck and McKeown, 1991, Stahl and Fairbanks, 1986.

• Knowledge of word meaning is critical to success in reading. • Knowing a word means more than knowing a definition for the word. Johnson et al. 1983; Barrett and Graves 1981; Becky, 1977; Davis, 1972; Hunt, 1957. Scott and Nagy, 1997; Dale and O’Rourke, 1986.

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• Repeated exposures to words in meaningful contexts improves comprehension. • Children learn language through ordinary exposure and instruction. Nagy, 1990; Eller, Pappas, and Brown, 1988; McKeown, Beck, Omanson, and Pople, 1985; Beck et al., 1982. Beck et al., 2002.

Choosing words

1. List all words that could be unfamiliar to students. 2. Analyze words

•  High frequency •  Most mileage

3. Choose type of attention •  Brief •  Elaborate

Questions to ask when

choosing words

•  Does the word represent a concept that would aid the students in understanding the text?

•  Will the word be used again in other contexts?

•  Will the word be used in other subject areas or classes?

•  Which words are most necessary for comprehension?

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Word in Context:

�  After several days Officer Rate had to admit that no teeth had been found, not thief had been caught, and no new clues had been uncovered. Grandpa suspected everyone, especially anyone who didn’t smile.

Student Friendly Explanation:

�  Suspect means to think something is true. If you suspect something that means you think it might be true, even if you’re not sure.

Rationale:

�  This is a word that students could come across in other contexts. I will choose to teach this word extensively, although I will teach the root word suspect instead of suspected. I will use a student friendly explanation and multiple contexts and activities to use the word.

Word in Context:

�  Conspiracy is not in the text. This word was chosen because Grandpa thought that there was a secret plan to steal his teeth. Another way of saying that would be conspiracy.

Student Friendly Explanation:

�  A conspiracy is a secret plan people have to do something mischievous or wrong.

Rationale:

�  I want my students to understand the concept of conspiracy to help them understand the story. Conspiracy is a concept that students will come across in multiple contexts.

How many Words?

Limited number of words Three to ten words per story or section Brief attention to other words

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Where do the words come from?

Read alouds Simple stories

Assigned readings

Key Components of Good Vocabulary Instruction

� Some words are more important than others.

� Students learn words at more than one level. �  No knowledge �  Some knowledge �  Context-bound knowledge �  Able to apply the word in multiple contexts

Vocabulary Continuum �  Students write/mark their current knowledge/

understanding of each word:

�  I know the word well (I use the word when I write and speak).

�  I know the word well (I understand the word when I listen or read).

�  I know something about it; I can relate it to a situation.

�  I have seen or heard the word.

�  I do not know the word. 

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Key Components of Good Vocabulary Instruction

� Words are learned as the result of multiple experiences and interactions with the words.

�  Students DON’T learn words by looking up and writing down dictionary definitions.

�  Some words can be learned through direction instruction.

� Most students need word-learning strategies to become independent readers.

Attributes of good vocabulary instruction

• Multiple exposures • Definitional information and contextual information • Sufficient amount of instructional time to insure understanding of words • Active engagement in instruction

. 

“Students need time to explore new words, play with them, and connect them to concepts they already know. Words without a meaningful context remain random.”

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Student friendly explanation • Everyday language • Distinguish the word and how it’s used • Relate back to the context

Student friendly explanation Infuriate: make someone angry Despair: feeling hopeless Massive: very large

“We know that vocabulary development does not and cannot exist in a vacuum. To achieve the goal of multiple exposures to words that build word schema, we have to emphasize vocab- ulary instruction throughout the curriculum and across the school day.”

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Multiple exposures

Post vocabulary words Word wall Tally chart

Classroom language Encourage use in speaking and

writing Vocabulary log

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Multiple exposures

Post vocabulary words Word wall Tally chart

Classroom language Encourage use in speaking and

writing Vocabulary log

Activities

• Making choices • Questions, Reasons, Examples • Idea Completion • Word Relationships • Generating Examples • Word Associations • Writing • Puzzles • Word Maps • Magic Letter, Magic Word

Making Choices If any of the things I say might be examples of the word massive, say“that’s massive”. If not, don’t say anything. • An elephant • An ant • The ocean • A sumo wrestler

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Questions, reasons, and examples

• If you were just told that your bike was stolen, this would be devastating. • Why? What would be some other situations that might be devastating?

Questions, reasons, and examples

Which of these things might be devastating? Why or why not?

• Spending a week in the hospital with the flu, or visiting someone in the hospital? •  Going to a birthday party, or getting sick the day of the birthday party? •  Your best friend moving away, or going to the playground with your best friend?

Idea completion •  When might you look suspicious? •  When would you need to be solemn? •  How might you bamboozle someone? •  When would you need a companion?

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Word Relationships

Could someone who is hesitant also be boisterous? Explain.

How are the following words related? •  exaggerate and impressive •  suspicious and cunning •  astonishing and valiant

Generating Examples In small groups or pairs, have students develop descriptions of :

• three things that would be incredulous • three things that you would need to be accurate about • three things that are indispensable

Word Associations With the words tedious, extravagant, and pretentious, you might ask which of the following comments goes with the word.

• I spent all my allowance for 6 months on that video. • I just can’t face another minute of this! • You’re so lucky that I am part of your team.

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Writing

The child was intrigued by… The child was exasperated when… The man was desperate because…

Puzzles

1. Complete the clues to figure out the vocabulary word. 2. Create your own puzzle from our list of words. 3. Record the puzzle on the puzzle piece. 4. Add the puzzle to our class collection of puzzles. 5. Share your puzzle with a peer. Were they able to figure out the word? 6. Rate yourself:

How would you rate your puzzle? 1=need help; 2=ok; 3=AWESOME! Why did you give yourself that rating?

Puzzles 1.  It sometimes means you are in a

trance. 2.  It means to be fascinated with

something. 3.  It has 10 letters and starts with an m. (mesmerized)

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Puzzles  

1.  A race car driver would need to be able to do this.

2.  This word means “trying to get something somewhere even though it may be difficult”.

3. The word has 8 letters and starts with an m_______________________.

Word Maps

abrupt

sudden

slow gradual

quickly

Magic Letter, Magic Word

� Magic Letter: M ___________ is another word for big. (Massive)

� Magic Letter: D If you are really confused you may be _____________. (Discombobulated)

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ASSESSMENT Sentence Stems

Idea Completion

Writing

True-False

5 day Plan

• Teaching sequence • Student friendly explanation • Return to the context • Other context • Activities/Assessment

� What activities do you think would work well with your own students? Why?

� What new ideas do you have for vocabulary practice?

� How can you extend students’ vocabulary learning in your own classroom?

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Practice Activity

• Read through the passage • Choose words

• Unfamiliar • High frequency • Aid in comprehension of text

Practice Activity

• Choose one of the words • Student friendly explanation • Activities/examples • Assessment

Connection to Iowa Core

�  Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.

�  Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases by using context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting general and specialized reference materials, as appropriate.

�  Demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when encountering an unknown term important to comprehension or expression.

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Resources Beck, I.L., McKeown, M.G., & Kucan, L. (2002). Bringing Words to Life. New York, NY: Guilford Press.

Beck, I.L., McKeown, M. G., & Kucan, L. (2008). Creating Robust Vocabulary. New York, NY: Guilford Press.

Diamond, L. & Gutlohn, L. (2006). Vocabulary Handbook. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.

www.iowadereading.info

Resources Marzano, R. & Carleton, L. (2010). Vocabulary Games for the Classroom. Bloomington, MN: Marzano Research Laboratory.

Overturf, B. J. & Montgomery, L. (2013). Word Nerds: Teachiing All Students to Learn and Love Vocabulary. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishing.

ANY QUESTIONS?

amy.griswold@uni.edu

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Thank you for coming!