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Traits of Quality WritingWord Choice
duende ethnologytroussea
urepatriate
effluvium
cloiste
r
bibelot
Antidisestablis
hmentari
anism
superannuated
catharsis
interneci
ne
fiduciary
oenophile
transendentmalig
n veciferous
solecism
peremptory
cynosure
symbios
is
antithesis
induce
crescent
Warm-up activity…
#1:
http://quizlet.com/2349280/icebreaker-vocabulary-ii-flash-cards/
#2:
Vocabulary Icebreaker sheet… (save until end today!!)
Reading…
Reading is important!
Reading gets better by reading (usually)
Reading sparks curiosity (Have you seen a toddler with a
book?)
Reading provides knowledge base
Reading expands our vocabulary
Reading is linked to our written ability
Literacy facts…
Average child from a welfare family hears about 3 million words a year vs. 11 million words a year for an average child from a professionally educated family. (Hart & Risley,1995).
By age 4, this gap in words heard grows to 13 million vs. 45 million (3.5 times as many!!)
Children enter school with a listening vocabulary ranging between 2500 to 5000 words. (5 YEAR OLD)
First graders from higher socio-economic status know twice as many words as lower socio-economic status children. (Grater
& Slater, 1987).
Average adult has a vocabulary of between 20 000 and 25 000 words.
And, that…
Vocabulary knowledge is closely related to reading comprehension and academic achievement. (Chall, Jacobs, & Baldwin, 1990; Graves 2000).
Limited vocabulary is a major factor in the achievement gap.(Biemiller,, 2004; Chall, Jacobs, & Baldwin, 1990; Hart & Risley, 1995).
In 1st and 2nd grade, children need to learn 800+ words per year, about 2 per day.
Children learn 2,000 to 3,000 new words each year from 3rd grade on, about 6-8 per day.
To keep up, a child needs to learn at a rate of 2000-3000 words per year from third grade on. To close the gap, they need to exceed that.
What’s more important?
Spellingor
Vocabulary?
You can understand this…
I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was
rdnieag. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid!
Aoccdrnig to a rscheearche at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't
mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny
iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit
pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it
wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not
raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig
huh? Yaeh and I awlyas thought slpeling was ipmorantt!
better than this…
Chlorecyclizine hydrochloride is an antihistamine which is
related structurally to cyclizine and meclizine. A combination
with hydrocortisone acetate provides anti-inflammatory,
antipruritic, and anesthetic properties. It blocks the actions
of histamine, antagonizes allergic manifestation, and
anestetizes free nerve endings that mediate pain. The
combination provides dual and additive effects to combat
antigen-antibody reaction.
No spelling mistakes but, without vocabulary, the text becomes meaningless...
We’re not doctors!
(This happens with math, law, sports, etc. …anywhere we don’t know the vocabulary!)
So, vocabulary it is!!
“Vocabulary knowledge is one of the most powerful predictors of reading comprehension” (McKeown, 2009).
Word choice colours our writing…
The croaking frogs from a nearby pond along with the
resident chirping swallows would form a symphony of
nature to which I would have a front row seat. The crunch
of the crisp honey in my mouth would soon activate my
taste buds and take me into a world of elation. And then, as
the sun meets the moisture in the air, an array of vibrant
colours would create a rainbow for the boy to see for the
first time. The jubilant smile on his face would bring me to
tears of joy, instead of tears of heartbreak and calamity.
Grade 9 student 2011
And makes it better…
The neglected road is dissolving into a war-zone. My
precedent countrymen have now evolved into soldiers,
diverting every notion they ever believed in. Even their
conviction has expired alongside their families; and I’m
starting to feel the same. I want to quit. I’m physically
powerless to walk towards immunity; mentally nullified
to be conscious much longer. Misery is sweeping
through my body, producing a numbness that cannot be
explained.
Grade 9 student 2011
How Important is Vocabulary?
_____ was absent yesterday because he was playing football. He was hurt in the growing area.
_____ has been absent because he had two teeth taken off his face.
_____ will not be in school cuz he has an acre in his side.
Please excuse _____ from P.E. a few days, yesterday she fell off a tree and misplaced her hip.
Please excuse _____ from school because he has very loose vowels.
The main message…
Spelling seldom impacts the meaning
but
vocabulary often does!
Activity…
Can you fill in the blanks on your copy so the passage makes sense?
Nall was so _______. She was ______ to the _____ with
Charkle. She would _____ a _____ _____ so she could
_____ out books. Charkle _____ her _____ out the _____.
“_____, Charkle,” jibbed Nall _____ly. “Now we can _____
out _____ together!” _____ Charkle _____ly.
One possibility…
Nall was so excited. She was going to the library with Charkle. She would get a library card so she could check out books. Charkle helped her fill out the form. “Thanks, Charkle,” jibbed Nall excitedly. “Now we can check out books together!” laughed Charkle happily.
Vocabulary and Comprehension
A Flannerby Barp for Nall
Nall was so plamper. She was larping to the flannerby with Charkle. She would grunk a flannerby barp so she could crooch out carples. Charkle lanted her gib out the nep.
“Parps, Charkle,” jibbed Nall plamperly.
“Now we can crooch out carples together!” pifed Charkle trigly.
1. Who are the characters in the story?
2. Where were they larping?
3. Why did she want to grunk a flannerby barp?
4. A good title for this story would be:
“Nall and Charkle Together” “Larping to the Flannerby”
“Lanting Nall Grunk a Flannerby Barp” “Grunking a Flannerby Barp”
*Access to meaning was hindered because we didn't get the vocabulary...like a foreign language!
Follow-up Activity…
Completion of
Vocabulary Icebreaker
sheet.
(You’ll have class time to complete.)
Word Choice
• Word choice is the careful selection of words that fit audience, topic, and purpose.
(You need to know who you are writing to, what you’re writing about, and why you are writing.)
• Words provide meaning, imagery, sensory detail, and terminology
• Choosing just the right words allows you to reach, move, persuade, or enlighten your reader.
Word Choice
Strong word choice leads to:
*Clarity
* Vivid imagery
*Persuasive Arguments
*Action-filled narratives
*Confident and Professional tone
Word Choice
Use word choice to invite your reader inside…in other words, pull them in and make them feel comfortable . (Do not assume they know or understand!!)
Example: A Hole (see handout)
Word ChoiceA Hole, in the sense applicable to river-running…is essentially a whirlpool laid on its side, with its axis of rotation perpendicular to the main current. It’s a cylinder of water and froth that recirculates constantly, in position, like one of those giant spinning brushes at an automatic car wash. For a rough approximation of how it feels to drop into one, you could take a pass through the car wash on your bicycle. Some kayakers know the same sort of feature under other terms: sousehole, reversal, hydraulic. Reversal is especially apt because, stuck in the grip of a
hole, you’ll feel like you’ve suffered one.
Word Choice
Use word choice to establish credibility…in other words, use balanced, controlled language.
Balance means you avoid using overly simplistic (too easy), inflated (too hard), or inflammatory (offensive) word choice.
Knowing your audience and writing to their level will give you credibility.
Example: Which one is balanced? (see handout)
A Little Obscure Fun (see handout)
Which one is balanced? (see handout)