Vocabulary Instruction Research

By: Sonya Elliott and Eli Waters

Background Information:

Students struggle with varying aspects of reading comprehension

Vocabulary comprehension was not mastered in lower grades, therefore students came into our classrooms without adequate vocabulary to comprehend text

Students expressed concern over being taught numerous “vocabulary” words for spelling each week without ever examining the meaning

McKeown,M.G., and I.L. Beck. “Direct and Rich Vocabulary Instruction.” Vocabulary Instruction.

2004

R. Malatesha Joshi.”Vocabulary: A Critical Component of Comprehension.” Reading & Writing

Quarterly, 21:209-219, 2005

Lu Mei-fang. “Teachers’ role in vocabulary teaching: Strategies for vocabulary teaching.” Sino-US English Teaching 5, no. 8 (2008): 1-6.

Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy : November 2007 : Abstract of Effective Content Vocabulary Instruction in the Middle: Matching Students,

Purposes, Words, and Strategies”, n.d. zotero://attachment/24/.

Research:

Flanigan, Kevin, and Scott C. Greenwood. “Effective Content Vocabulary Instruction in the Middle:

Matching Students, Purposes, Words, and Strategies.” Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy

51, no. 3 (2007): 226-238.

Boulware-Gooden, Regina, Suzanne Carreker, Ann Thornhill, and R. Malatesha Joshi. “Instruction of

Metacognitive Strategies Enhances Reading Comprehension and Vocabulary Achievement of

Third-Grade Students.” The Reading Teacher 61, no. 1 (2007): 70-77.

Atkinson, Fairlie. “Improving Reading Comprehension Through Instructional Vocabulary Strategies.” Perspectives (TESOL Arabia) 17, no. 2

(June 2010): 15-19.

Research Con’t:

What are the effects of an integrated direct and indirect vocabulary

instructional approach on vocabulary growth?

What are the effects of a meaning-based vocabulary instructional

approach on vocabulary growth?

The Questions:

Classroom Demographics

•Eli’s Classroom

Grade

•7th

Gender

•15 male

•13 female

Ethnicity

•1/3 Caucasian

•Growing Hmong population

Ability

•Regular education classroom with multiple ability levels

•Sonya’s Classroom

Grade •5

th

Gender

•12 male

•13 female

Ethnicity

•3/4 Caucasian

•2 African American and 2 Hispanic

Ratio

•Regular education classroom with multiple ability levels

Instructional plan

Word Journals

Morphemic root

introduction

Word meaning

from context

Pre and Post vocabulary

test

Examples of student work A:

Examples of student work B:

Examples of student work C:

Examples of student work D:

Examples of student work E:

Word Journal Entries

Pre and Post Assessment

Scores

Writing samples Morphemic root

pre/post test

Students: 1 2 3 4 5

Week 1 Pre 0 0 20 20 0Week 1 Post 71 68 18 80 92

Gain/Loss +71 +68 -2 +60 +92Week 2 Pre 40 0 20 40 40Week 2 Post 84 70 86 74 97

Gain/Loss +44 +70 +66 +34 +57Week 3 Pre 0 20 0 40 40Week 3 Post 100 100 100 100 90

Gain/Loss +100 +80 +100 +60 +50Week 4 Pre 20 0 40 20 60Week 4 Post 88 100 94 91 100

Gain/Loss +68 +100 +54 +71 +40

OverallGain/Loss

+70 +79 +54 +56 +59

Mrs. Elliott’s Pre and Post Vocabulary Data

Mrs. Elliott’s Pre and Post Test Data

Pre test 1

Post test 1

Pre test 2

Post test 2

Pre test 3

Post test 3

Pre test 4

Post test 4

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Student 1Student 2Student 3Student 4Student 5

Mr.Water’s Pre and Post Vocabulary Data

1 2 3 4 5

Week 1 Pre 14 14 57 43 71Week 1 Post 29 100 100 100 100

Gain/Loss +15 +86 +43 +57 +29Week 2 Pre 25 38 25 38 38Week 2 Post 0 100 100 100 100

Gain/Loss -25 +62 +75 +62 +62Week 3 Pre 33 17 50 17 67Week 3 Post 100 67 100 100 100

Gain/Loss +67 +50 +50 +83 +33Week 4 Pre 50 63 38 25 50Week 4 Post 25 38 50 50 63

Gain/Loss -25 -25 +12 +25 +13

OverallGain/Loss

+8 +43 +45 +57 +34

Mr. Water’s Pre and Post Test Data

Pretest 1

Post test 1

Pre test 2

Post test 2

Pre test 3

Post Test 3

Pre test 4

Post test 4

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Student 1Student 2Student 3Student 4Student 5

9%

18%

55%

18%

Total Growth of Students

0-20 points21-40 points41-60 points61-80 points81-100 points