Phonics and Vocabulary in the Intermediate Grades:

Goals of Training

• Understand what effective, explicit vocabulary instruction looks like

• Understand what effective, explicit vocabulary instruction looks like in the intermediate grades

• Understand why word solving is important in the intermediate grades

Phonics in the Intermediate Grades (4/5)

The What…Understand advanced phonics skills

• Decode multi-syllabic words (visible)• Recognize common spelling patterns (visible)• Identify larger chunks of words (visible)• Understand the meaning of root words/word origins

(invisible)• Understand how a prefix or suffix impacts the base

word (invisible)

Phonics in the Intermediate Grades (4/5)

The Why…As text becomes more complex,

decoding with automaticity may allow for increased comprehension.

In the Intermediate Grades• Text length increases• Students encounter more multi-syllabic

words• Complex words require more specific

word analysis• Concept and vocabulary demands

increase

Characteristics of Strong Phonics Instruction

• Builds on the reciprocal foundation of phonemic awareness/phonics and how language works

• Contains instruction in blending and modeling skills

• Focuses on reading words and connected text• Focuses on structural analysis• Develops automatic word recognition skills• Students have repeated opportunities to apply

word solving in reading and writing

Phonics Instruction is…• Explicit and systematic• Connected to actual reading• Not solely focused on rules and

sound-spelling relationships• Appropriately paced and

provided ample time to practice

Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5

Alphabetical/Letter Name

Within-Word Pattern

Syllables and Affixes

Derivational Relations

Stages of Spelling & Reading Instruction

Words Their Way

Within Word Pattern‐Grade 3

Syllables and AffixesGrades 3, 4, 5

Derivational RelationsGrade 5

Common long vowel patterns

Influenced words

Three letter consonant‐Blends

Complex consonants:Final sound of /k/Final /ch/: ch, tch/j/: dge, Vge

Common spellings ofdiphthongs /ou/, /oi/

Compound words

Homophones:sail/sale, beat/beet

Inflectional suffixes –ed, ing‐

Plural endings

Changing final y to I

Syllable patterns:VCCV bas ket, rab bitVCV open hu manVCV closed cab in

Less frequent vowelpatterns2 syllable homophones:‐peddle/pedal2 syllable homographs:‐RECord/reCORD

Vowel patterns in accentedand unaccented syllables

Base words + commonprefixes and suffixes

Spelling Meaning Connection:‐signsignalmusicmusicianigniteIgnitionresideresidentmentalMentality

Greek and Latin elements:thermspectphotodic

Prefixes:in+mobile=immobilead+tract=Attract

Using decoding strategies and reading sight words in context

The Three Cueing Systems:

Grapho-phonic (Word Analysis)

Semantic (Meaning)

Syntactic (Grammar)

Graphophonic = Visual•Letter/sound knowledge

•Visual knowledge

•Does this look right?

Semantics = Meaning•Context clues

•Illustrations

•Does that make sense?

Syntax = Structure•Knowledge of language patterns and grammatical structures

•Does that sound right?

Consider…• “If a reader has not developed

fluency, the process of decoding words drains attention, and insufficient attention is available for constructing the meaning of texts.”

Sequence of Word Solving (Early)

Skills ExamplesPlural endings –s and –es

Compound Words

Inflectional Endings

Ambiguous Vowels/ Diphthongs

books, dishes

pancake, sidewalk

walked, stopped, skating walking, walked, cried, plays

haul, mountain, enjoy, chowder

Sequence of Word Solving (Middle)

Skills ExamplesOpen and closed syllables

Vowel patterns in accented syllables

Final unaccented syllables

Spelling /j/

Two-syllable homophones

Two-syllable homographs

Plurals that involve changing y to i

Unusual plurals

button, bacon

beyond, lonely

beggar, captain

badger, major

pedal, petal

rebel/rebel

babies

goose/geese

Sequence of Word Solving (Late)

Skills ExamplesSimple prefixes and base words

Simple suffixes

Spelling-Meaning Connection

un (not – unlock)pre (before – preview)tri (three – tricycle)

less (without – fearless)ful (full of – graceful)ness (condition – sadness)

compose/compositionwise/wisdom

Structural (Morphemic) Analysis

• Instruction in root words, common prefixes, frequently used suffixes, and inflectional endings that can be pronounced differently (-ed in played, talked, planted) is beneficial to struggling readers who are often overwhelmed by longer words.

independent

independ

ent

“One’s vocabulary is highly predictive of one’s level of reading comprehension.”

Fountas & Pinnell, 2006Teaching for Comprehending and FluencyThinking, Talking, and Writing about Reading, K-8

The Vocabulary Learning Task

• The vocabulary learning task is huge!• The average 4th grader probably knows 5,000-

10,000 words.• The average high school grad probably knows

50,000 words.• To acquire this vocabulary, he or she has

learned something close to 3,500 words a year.• This translates to 10 words a day!

Vocabulary Deficits

• Many children of poverty enter school with vocabularies half the size of their middle-class counterparts.

• Once in school, they continue to learn words at about half the rate of their peers.

• In the intermediate grades and high school, their vocabularies are still half the size of their peers, possibly less.

How do we attack this problem?

• Provide frequent, varied, and extensive language experiences

• Teach individual words

• Teach word-learning strategies

• Foster word consciousness

• Reading, writing, discussion (speaking), and listening

Teaching Word-Learning Strategies• Using context• Learning and using word parts• Using glossaries and the dictionary

Frequent, Varied and Extensive Language Experiences

Types of Word Consciousness Activities

• Creating a print rich environment

• Promoting word play

• Fostering word consciousness through writing

• Teaching students about words

Characteristics of Effective Instruction for Individual Words

• Instruction that involves both definitional and contextual information is markedly stronger than instruction that involves only one of these.

• Instruction that involves activating prior knowledge and comparing/contrasting meanings is stronger still.

• More lengthy and robust instruction that involves students actively manipulating meanings, making inferences, searching for applications, using prior knowledge, and frequent encounters is still stronger.

Characteristics of Effective Instruction for Individual Words

• Using realia and visuals to show what the word is

• Point to pictures of the vocabulary word in book

• Use gestures (total physical response activities) to act the word out

Building a Basic Oral Vocabulary: Shared Book Reading

• Both the adult readers and children are active participants

• Involves several readings• Focuses attention on words• The reading is fluent, engaging, and lively• Deliberately stretches students and scaffolds

their efforts• Carefully selects words and books

What does phonics instruction look like in Grades 3-5?

• Taking the word apart (multi-syllablic words), putting it back together to pronounce, and determining meaning of the word

• Going back and rereading the word in the sentence to clarify if it makes sense

• Wide variety of word patterns and their meaning (-un, -re, -base), the largest meaningful chunk– Instead of “as” in the word “basement”, look at the word “base”,

determine meaning, and apply it to the meaning of entire word

VocabularyReceptive Vocabulary

Words we understand when we hear or read them

Expressive Language

Words we use to communicate as a speaker and writer

Shades of KnowingUnderstands and can use words in isolation or context; knows multiple meanings, connotations, and figurative uses when appropriate

Understands and can use the word in some contexts and knows one or two definitions of it

Knows one definition of the word and can use it in some contexts, but has difficulty applying it with precision and accuracy

Knows the word in one context only and is unable to use it flexibly

Has some familiarity with the word, like knowing whether it has positive or negative connotations

Has a hypothesis as to the meaning of the word based on the context

Remembers hearing the word before

Does not know the word and has not heard it

THREE TIERS OF VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT

• Tier 1 – Everyday Words• Basic, Common Sight Words, Automatic• Mostly learned without instruction• (farm, tree, happy, summer, family)

• Tier 2 – Descriptive Words• Words that will aid in understanding, Instructional, Guided reading

vocabulary • These words appear frequently in the vocabularies of mature language

learners• (considerate, coincidence, fascinate, mentioned, industry)

• Tier 3 – Content-Specific Words• Complex, Infrequently used• Specialized words often related to a specific content area• (algorithm, isotope, photosynthesis)

Beck, 2002

What the research says about vocabulary instruction…

• Students should be active in developing their understanding of words and ways to learn them

• Students should personalize word learning• Students should be immersed in words• Students should build on multiple sources of

information to learn words through repeated exposures

Explicit Instruction• Teacher models and explains• Teacher provides guided practice

– Students practice what the teacher modeled and the teacher provides prompts and feedback

• Teacher provides supported application– Students apply the skill as the teacher

scaffolds instruction• Independent Practice• Reflections

Systematic InstructionSystematic instruction is the logical,

research-based sequence educational activities that follow a developmental continuum which optimally leads to students’ accomplishment of the learning outcomes and goals.

Vocabulary Explicit Instruction

• Instructional Routine–Introduce the word–Present student-friendly definition–Clarify the word with examples–Check the students’ understanding

Vocabulary Instructional Routine Example Step 1:

• Introduce the word• This word is expedition• Write the word on the board or overhead• Say the word with me: expedition• Say the word one more time: expedition

– Many students may need to practice pronouncing the word several times in order to secure it in memory

Vocabulary Instructional Routine Example Step 2:

• Present a student-friendly definition• An expedition is a journey or voyage with a

group of people, usually for a special purpose• Let’s read this explanation together

– Everyone repeats about explanation• Explanation within the context of the story

– In this story, Spanish explorers set out on an expedition to discover gold in Florida.

Vocabulary Instructional Routine Example Step 3:

• Clarify the word with examples• Verbal examples

– An organized trip, mission, quest to learn or discover something

• Concrete examples– Military expeditions, geographic explorations such

as Lewis and Clark expedition, scientific expedition such as space exploration

• Visual representations

Vocabulary Instructional Routine Example Step 4:

• Check for students’ understanding–Would a safari be an expedition?

Why?–Would a vacation be an expedition?

Why?–Which expedition might have a more

important purpose, an expedition to Mars or an expedition to the grocery store? Why?

Vocabulary Instructional Routine Example Step 5:

• Expanding student understanding– Have you ever gone on an expedition?

• Describe it

– Clap if you think these words are similar to expedition:

quest, mission, walking, exploration, delay, amble

– Complete the idea: Why might a trip to Alaska be considered an expedition?

Vocabulary Graphic Organizers • Semantic Feature Analysis• Semantic Mapping• Frayer Model• Concept Definition Mapping• Linear Arrays• Venn Diagrams• Words in Context/Application• Word Analogies• Dictionary Digs

Word Sorts• Word sorts allow students to build on their

own prior knowledge to develop a more complete understanding of words.

Word Sorts

Open Sorts Closed SortsStudents are given words to sort AND categories for sorting. The words are predetermined by the

teacher.

Students are given words to be categorized and they

determine how to sort them.

References• Bear, D., Invernizzi, M., Templeton, S., & Johnston,

F. (2004). Words Their Way: Words Study for Phonics, Vocabulary, and Spelling Instruction. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

• Beck, I. McKeown, M., & Kucan, L. (2002). Bringing Words to Life: Robust Vocabulary Instruction. New York: Gullford Press.

• Blevins, W. (2001). Teaching Phonics and Word Study in the Intermediate Grades. New York: Scholastic.

References• Florida Center for Reading Research (FCRR).

(2007). Fourth and fifth grade student center activities: Advanced phonics and fluency. Tallahassee, FL

• Fountas, I. & Pinnell, G. (2006). Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency: Thinking and Talking about Reading K-8. Portsmouth: Heinemann.