Vocabulary Instructional Routines

Offered by The District Literacy Team

October 17, 2012

Essential Questions:

Why is vocabulary instruction so important?

What are exemplary strategies for vocabulary instruction?

What strategies do we want students to use during reading?

Which instructional practices are effective?

Brainstorm with your colleagues for one minute.

Some vocabulary practices…Unreliable Practices

Asking students, “Does anyone know what _____ means?”

Numerous independent activities without guidance or immediate feedback

Directing students to “look it up” then use it in a sentence

Relying on context based guessing as a primary strategy

Research-based PracticesTeacher directed, explicit

instructionProvide opportunities to practice

using wordsTeach word meanings explicitly

and systematicallyTeach independent word

learning strategies (i.e., contextual strategies & morphemic analysis

Components of Vocabulary Instruction

The National Reading Panel (2000) concluded that there is no single research-based method for teaching vocabulary. From its analysis, the panel recommended using a variety of direct and indirect methods of vocabulary instruction.

Direct or Intentional Vocabulary Instruction

• Explicit instruction of vocabulary is highly effective. To develop vocabulary intentionally, students should be explicitly taught both specific words and word-learning strategies.

• -National Reading Panel (2000)

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Explicit Instruction and Instructional Routines?

• Explicit instruction is a systematic instructional approach that includes set of delivery and design procedures derived from effective schools research merged with behavior analysis.

• Instructional Routines are:• Systematic procedures

– Introducing information, strategies, skills, or vocabulary terms

– Practicing information, strategies, skills, or vocabulary terms

• Used consistently• Embedded in curriculum materials OR• Added by the instructor

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What are benefits to students?

• Students can attend to the content rather than task.

• Students will know how to participate in the lesson.

• Students will be more confident.

Getting Them All Engaged• Choral Responses• Partner Responses• Written Responses• Individual Responses

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What are benefits to teachers?

• Teachers become VERY familiar with the instructional routine.

• As a result, – Their pace will be brisk.– Students will be more attentive.– Preparation will take less time.

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Instructional Routines - Skills and Strategies

• Model I do it.

• Prompt We do it.

• Check You do it.

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Instructional Routines - Skills and Strategies

• Model (I do it.) “My turn.”– Show

• Proceed step-by-step.• Exaggerate the steps.

– Tell• Tell students what you are doing.• Tell students what you are thinking.

– Gain Responses• Ask for responses.

Instructional Routine for Explicit Vocabulary Instruction

Introduce the word.

Introduce the meaning of the word with a student friendly explanation.

Illustrate the word with examples and non-examples.

Check for student understanding.

(Anita Archer, 2008)

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Instructional Routines - Vocabulary(Note: Teach words AFTER you have read a story to your

students and BEFORE students read a selection.)

Step 1. Introduce the word.a) Write the word on the board or overhead.b) Read the word and have the students repeat the

word. If the word is difficult to pronounce or unfamiliar have the students repeat the word a number of times.

“ This word is relieved. What word?”

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Instructional Routines - VocabularyStep 2. Present a student-friendly

explanation.a) Tell students the explanation. ORb) Have them read the explanation with you.

“When something that is difficult is overor never happened at all, you feel relieved.So if something that is difficult is over,you would feel _______________.”

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Instructional Routines - VocabularyStep 3. Illustrate the word with examples.

a) Concrete examples.b) Visual representations.c) Verbal examples.

“When the spelling test is over, you feelrelieved.”

“When you have finished giving the speech thatyou dreaded, you feel relieved.”

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Instructional Routines - Vocabulary

Step 4. Check students’ understanding. Option #1. Ask deep processing questions.

When the students lined up for morning recess,Jason said, “I am so relieved that this morning

is over.” Why might Jason be relieved?

When Maria was told that the soccer game hadbeen cancelled, she said, “I am relieved.” Whymight Maria be relieved?

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Instructional Routines - Vocabulary

Step 4. Check students’ understanding.Option #2. Have students discern between

examples and non-examples.

“If you were nervous singing in front of others,would you feel relieved when the concert was over?” “Why?”“If you loved singing to audiences, would you feelrelieved when the concert was over?” “Why not?”

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Instructional Routines - Vocabulary

Step 4. Check students’ understanding.Option #3. Have students generate their own

examples.

“Tell your partner a time when you wererelieved.”

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Instructional Routines - Vocabulary

Step 4. Check students’ understanding.Option #4. Provide students with a

“sentence starter”. Have them say thecomplete sentence.

Sometimes your mother is relieved. Tell your partner when your mother is relieved. Start yoursentence by saying, “My mother is relievedwhen________.”

Marzano’s Six-Step Process for Vocabulary Instruction

• Six Steps Dr. Marzano describes a six-step process in the instruction of vocabulary (Building Academic Vocabulary). The first three steps are to assist the teacher in direct instruction. The last three steps are to provide the learner practice and reinforcement.

Before Reading

• Step 1: The teacher will give a description, explanation, or example of the new term.

• Step 2: The teacher will ask the learner to give a description, explanation, or example of the new term in his/her own words.

• Step 3: The teacher will ask the learner to draw a picture, symbol, or locate a graphic to represent the new term.

After Reading

• Step 4: The learner will participate in activities that provide more knowledge of the words in their vocabulary notebooks.

• Step 5: The learner will discuss the term with other learners.

• Step 6: The learner will participate in games that provide more reinforcement of the new term.

Review: What are the Benefits of Instructional Routines

Foster Student Engagement• Students can attend to the content rather than task.• Students will know how to participate in the lesson.• Students will be more confident.• Teachers become VERY familiar with the

instructional routine.• As a result,

– Their pace will be brisk.– Students will be more attentive.– Preparation will take less time.

Vocabulary CasseroleIngredients Needed:

20 words no one has ever heard before in his life1 dictionary with very confusing definitions1 matching test to be distributed by Friday1 teacher who wants students to be quiet on Mondays copying words

Put 20 words on chalkboard. Have students copy then look up in dictionary. Make students write all the definitions. For a little spice, require that students write words in sentences. Leave alone all week. Top with a boring test on Friday.

Perishable. This casserole will be forgotten by Saturday afternoon.

Serves: No one. Adapted from When Kids Can’t Read, What Teachers Can Do by Kylene Beers

Vocabulary TreatIngredients Needed:

5-10 great words that you really could use 1 thesaurusMarkers and chart paper1 game like Jeopardy or BINGO1 teacher who thinks learning is supposed to be fun

Mix 5 to 10 words into the classroom. Have students test each word for flavor. Toss with a thesaurus to find other words that mean the same. Write definitions on chart paper and let us draw pictures of words to remind us what they mean. Stir all week by a teacher who thinks learning is supposed to be fun. Top with a cool game on Fridays like jeopardy or BINGO to see who remembers the most.

Serves: Many Adapted from When Kids Can’t Read, What Teachers Can Do by Kylene Beers