Effective Vocabulary Instruction

K- 2nd GradeGina Flynn and Bethany Teipel

St. Robert SchoolOctober 8, 2013

Getting Started

Think of your kiddos...

Bursts out without raising handJust can’t resist touching, poking, bothering…Thinks he’s smarter than you

Impact of CCSS

The Common Core State Standards place a great deal of emphasis on academic vocabulary.

The CCSS also calls for increasing the amount of nonfiction and informational text in classrooms.

Vocabulary knowledge influences fluency, comprehension, and student achievement

Video: http://www.engageny.org/resource/common-core-in-ela-literacy-shift-6-academic-vocabulary

Three Vocabulary Tiers

Tier 1: Known and Common Words

Tier I words are basic, everyday words that are a part of most children’s vocabulary. These are words used every day in conversation, and most of them are learned by hearing family, peers, and teachers use them when speaking.

These words are especially important for English language learners who may not be familiar with them.

Tier 2: High Frequency Words

Tier 2 words include frequently occurring words that appear in various contexts and topics and play an important role in verbal functioning across a variety of content areas.

Another way to think of Tier 2 vocabulary is as cross-curricular terms. For example, the term “justify” and “predict” frequently appear in Science, Social Studies, and English texts.

Tier 3: Low Frequency, Domain Specific

Tier 3 words are’ field of study’ specific vocabulary. Words in this category are low frequency, specialized words that appear in specific fields or content areas.

Most students will be unfamiliar with Tier 3 words. Teach these words as the need arises for comprehension in specific content areas.

Vocabulary in Early Literacy

Vocabulary plays an important role in understanding nonfiction and informational text. It has been estimated that 80% of comprehension in nonfiction is dependent upon understanding the vocabulary.

Teaching vocabulary improves both verbal IQ and reading comprehension.

Children who are behind by 1st grade have a hard time

making up the gap.

If children read 1 million words in a year, at least 1,000 words will be

added to their vocabulary(Krashen, 1993

Vocabulary Instruction

Offer opportunities to use newly learned word

Take 1 minute to write down ways you teach vocabulary in your classroom

Four Kinds of Vocabulary

Listening: The words we need to know to understand what we hear

Speaking: The words we use when we speak

Reading: The words we need to know when we read

Writing: The words we use in writing

All are interconnected

How to Teach Vocabulary

Research shows students will incorporate more words into their vocabulary and use them correctly, including spelling, when the focus is on fewer words at one time for intensive instruction

Grades 2-5 5-8 words per week

Grades 6-8 10-15 words per week

Grades 9-12 12-25 words per week

Brewer, C and Gann, J. (2003). Balanced literacy: a learning focused approach. Boone NC: Learning Concepts..

Steps for Effective Vocabulary Instruction

Explicit vocabulary instruction

Introduce and explain

Kids repeat and explain in own terms

Visual representation of the word

Check for understanding/Connecting to prior knowledge

Encourage students to discuss terms with one another (interactive anchor chart)

Offer opportunities to use newly learned word(Based on research by Marzano and

Pickering, 2005)

Purposeful Exposure to New Words

“Multiple exposures to new words across classroom contexts (in a read-aloud, then in the art center, and so on) give children opportunities to acquire information about word meanings.”

Click icon to add picture

Vocabulary Instruction

Offer opportunities to use newly learned word

Word Mapping: Graphic organizer to help learn new vocabulary

Vocabulary Instruction

Read alouds

Text complexity is higher than students’ reading levels

Always allow time for discussion after each read-aloud.

Classroom Environment

Create a print-rich environment

Word Wall

When you think of a word wall,

What comes to mind?

Turn and talk

“New and Improved” Word Walls

Content Organization Location

ConceptsThemesTopicalSight WordsWord Families

File folderBinderRingFrameAnchor ChartPocket ChartDigitalAdd pictures

Think portable!Empty flat surfaceStudent accessiblePersonal word wall

CHANGE IT UP!

Portable Word Walls

Word Play

Vocabulary Instruction Should be Fun…

Playing with words increases understanding!

Word Play in the Classroom

What’s My Word?

Collaborative Anchor Chart

Word Hunt for “Golden Nuggets”

Graffiti Wall

Classroom Exploratory Centers

http://www.visuwords.com/

Word Play in the Classroom

What’s My Word? Word Hunt

Word Play in the Classroom

Word Play

Share

What are other ways you teach vocabulary in your classroom?

Do this…Not that!

• Asking, “Does anybody know what ________means?”

• Having students “look it up” in a typical dictionary

• Having students use the word in a sentence after they look it up in the dictionary

• Telling students to “use context clues” as a primary strategy

• Students guessing the definition

• Copying from dictionary or glossary

• Copying same word several times

• Activities that do not require deep processing (word searches, fill-in-the-blank, etc.)

• Rote memorization without context

Vocabulary Wrap Up

Vocabulary instruction should be: Explicit Engaging Multiple Exposures Meaningful

References

http://www.readingrockets.org/helping/target/vocabulary/

http://www.naeyc.org/files/yc/file/201007/ChristWangOnline.pdf

http://www.learningunlimitedllc.com/2013/07/5-steps-vocabulary-instruction/

Marzano, R. and Pickering, D.(2005). Buiding academic vocabulary. Alexandria VA; Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Exit Slip

REFLECT

How has your thinking changed about vocabulary today?

What is one thing you learned that you would like try?

Thank You!

Gina Flynn, 4K Teacher at St. Robert Schoolgflynn@strobert.org

Bethany Teipel, Learning Support Specialist at St. Robert Schoolbteipel@strobert.org