Strategic Vocabulary Selection:Choosing Words From Narrative &

Informational Texts

Elfrieda H. Hiebert

University of California,

Berkeley

www.textproject.org

Aims of Today’s Presentation

1. A four-part vocabulary program

2. Background on English vocabulary

3. How the words in informational &

narrative texts are the same anddifferent and what these similarities

and differences mean for instruction

The Four VocabularyComponents* of ClassroomsWhere Students Receive theGift of Words**

*Graves, M.F. (2009). Teaching individual words: One size does not fit all.Newark, DE: IRA.

**Scott, J.A., Skobel, B.J., & Wells, J. (2008). The word-consciousclassroom. NY: Scholastic.

Component #1: Opportunities

for scaffolded silent reading

That include forms of vocabulary logs

(Illustration of a vocabulary log in the

primary grades)

Component #2: Rich language by

teachers through read-alouds

www.textproject.org

AND: Rich Teacher Talk inEveryday Events

Components #3 & #4:Receiving the gift of wordsinvolves direct instruction as

well:

• Direct instruction of thematicgroups of words frominformational text

• Direct instruction of semanticclusters of words fromliterary/narrative texts

2. Background on English

Vocabulary:

a. English vocabulary is huge: 290,500 entriesin the OED; with variant spellings, obsoleteforms, combinations and derivatives over616,500 words.

b. Gap in students’ vocabularies on school entryis extensive (Hart & Risley, 1994)

c. Content of Vocabulary Curricula in English/LanguageArts is ill-defined as evident in:

! State Standards (& Assessments)

! Core Reading Programs

d. Sources of English

WordZonesTM

Zeno et al., 1995

2a. Words in American Schoolbooks

34

5

0-2

6

(from Calfee & Drum, 1981)

Anglo-Saxon

Common, everyday, down-to-earth words

EX: cold, sweat, dirt

New Words through compounding: cold-blooded, cold-natured,

cold-drink, cold-running

d. Sources of EnglishGreek/Latin

Specialized words

used mostly in

science

EX: thermometer,

geography

New Words through compounding

of word parts:

thermosphere, geopolitical

Romance

1066 (Norman Conquest)-1399 (Henry IV, a

native Anglo-Saxon speaker assumes throne):

French is spoken by upper classes; English by

lower-classes. French loan words remain.

EX: frigid, perspiration, soil

New Words through derivations: frigidity,

frigidness, refrigerator

3. What’s the same?

•The core vocabulary

•Linguistic challenges with the corevocabulary: Idioms & Compound &Polysemous Words

•Instructional challenges with thecore vocabulary

•Solutions

WordZonesTM

Zeno et al., 1995

Words in American Schoolbooks

34

5

0-2

6

Narrative Text

Far out at sea, a great Russian icebreakernamed the Moskva picked up the faint signal."We read you," the captain radioed back. "We'reon our way, but it may take us several weeks toreach you. Can you keep the whales alive untilthen?

Some of the people from Glashka's villagestarted setting up a base camp near the whales.Others set out by dogsled to alert thesurrounding settlements.

Informational Text

Even after stirring, sugar sometimes

drops to the bottom. This is evidence that

not all of the sugar is dissolved. When all

the sugar dissolves, you can’t see it. If the

sugar isn’t all dissolved, you can try stirring

some more. You can also try adding more

water. Sometimes you can make all the

sugar dissolve. Sometimes you can’t.

3. What’s different?

a. Ratio of difficult to familiar

The ratio of difficult to familiarvocabulary needed to be “high” (i.e.,

one substance word in three) beforereliable effects on comprehension

were evident (Freebody & Anderson, 1983)

3. What’s different?

b. Conceptual difficulty of words

! Of numerous factors, only conceptual difficulty was significantlyrelated to learning from context (with conceptually difficultwords less likely to be known than words with known concepts)(Nagy, Anderson, & Herman, 1987)

!1. Known concepts with one-word synonym (e.g.,altercation=fight)

!2. Known concepts that can be expressed in a familiarphrase (e.g., apologize=to say you’re sorry)

!3. Unknown concept that can be learned from availableexperiences & information (e.g., naïve)

!4. Unknown concept that is based on new factualinformation or a related system of concepts (e.g., divideas “boundary between drainage basins” requires knowingabout river systems)

Conceptually Complex Words from

Grade 6 Narrative & Science Texts

36% (e.g.:

fermentation,

cytoplasm)

Category 4

64%

(absorb,

microscope)

Science

100%

(slithering,

wincing,

kindling,

gestures)

Narrative

Categories

1-3

3. What’s differentc. Rare words are repeated more frequently in informationalthan narrative texts

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

HM2-HM4 HM4-HM6 SF2-SF4 SF4-SF6 Across HM & SF

Reading/LanguageArts

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

HM2-HM4 HM4-HM6 SF2-SF4 SF4-SF6 ALL HM-SF

Science

3. Informational Vocabulary: What

to teach

a. Content-specific [emphasis of thispresentation]

•Many words have Romance-basedmorphology (e.g., combine/combination;solution/dissolve)

b. General academic--words such as system,process, form

Electricity & Magnets

•pole•attracts•repels

•magnetic field•magnetic

•nonmagnetic•compass

•electric charges•static

electricity

•electrical discharge•negatively

charged•atoms

•electric current

•conductors•electric cell

•electric circuit•insulators

•parallel circuit•series circuit•simple circuit

•switch•circuit breaker

•fuse

•magnetic poles•temporary

magnet•permanent

magnetic•electromagnet

•generator•motor

•volt•amperes•voltage

•alternating current (AC)

•direct current (DC)•circuit breakers

•armature•commutator

•cathode ray tube•negative terminal

•electrons•phosphor

•steering coils•pixels

•positive terminal•anode

•magnetic data storage•magnetic dipoles

•magneto-optical disks

Grades 2, 4, & 6

Designing Mixtures substance

property

dissolve

abrasive

acid

ingredient

combine

solution

soluble

mixture

pure

chemical

absorb

odor

3. What to teach: Vocabulary for

core concepts

3. Informational Vocabulary: How toteach it

•Indepth experiences with concepts arerequired--not simply vocabulary exercises

•The sequence that follows illustrates thenature of vocabulary/concept learningembedded in literacy/science content

(from Lawrence Hall of Science Seeds ofScience/Roots of Reading Program:www.seedsofscience.org)

Do it

Students test ingredients and mixtures to

learn more about possible glue ingredients

and to select those that are stickiest

Talk it

Students evaluate results and decide whichingredients to use to make glue

Students read a book that models thedesign process.

Read it

Write it

Students use their records from first andsecondhand sources to decide what combination ofingredients best meets their design goals.

3. Literary vocabulary: What to

teach

a. Synonyms (remember the Anglo-Saxon/French alternatives)

rumpus

disturbance trouble

riot fracas

disorder

commotionturmoil

upheaval

furorruckus

to-dobother

brouhahabrawl

free-for-all melee

fussexcitement argument protest

ado bustle

stirhue and cry

hullabaloonoise

racket hubbub

din uproar clamor

tumultmayhem chaos

turbulence

gingerlycautiously: guardedly watchfully vigilantly

warilywith care

delicately: precisely skillfully

dexterously deftly

adroitly

tentatively: hesitantly

uncertainly timidly shyly

sheepishly

carefully: suspiciously

charily circumspectly

gently: quietly softly lightly kindly

smoothly soothingly tenderly

WORDS THAT

DESCRIBE

LIKE/DON"T LIKE

*perfect*wonderful*favorite

FEELINGS

*happy*excited*pleased

*scared*worried

*cross*angry

*furious*frowning

OTHER GROUPS:

*crowded

*flat*steep

*graceful

*bushy

*strong*tough

*barely

NOISES

*noisy

*whisper*clomping*sizzles*swooch*crackle

*whisper*clomping*sizzles*swooch*crackle*clang

*whisper*clomping*sizzles*swoosh*crackle*clang

WORD GROUPS

CLOTHES*costume

*apron*sombrero

*sarape

JOBS*mayor*guard

*cobbler

PEOPLE

*gentleman*master

*grown-up*kindergartner

PLACES

*apartment*subway

*restaurant*station*booth

FOOD*cereal

*seafood

BODY*fist

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