Effective Vocabulary Instruction

Goals of Training

• Understand what effective, explicit vocabulary instruction looks like

• Understand what effective, explicit vocabulary instruction looks like in the intermediate grades

• Understand why word solving is important in the intermediate grades

Structural (Morphemic) Analysis

• Instruction in root words, common prefixes, frequently used suffixes, and inflectional endings that can be pronounced differently (-ed in played, talked, planted) is beneficial to struggling readers who are often overwhelmed by longer words.

independent

independ

ent

“One’s vocabulary is highly predictive of one’s level of reading comprehension.”

Fountas & Pinnell, 2006Teaching for Comprehending and FluencyThinking, Talking, and Writing about Reading, K-8

The Vocabulary Learning Task

• The vocabulary learning task is huge!• The average 4th grader probably knows 5,000-

10,000 words.• The average high school grad probably knows

50,000 words.• To acquire this vocabulary, he or she has

learned something close to 3,500 words a year.• This translates to 10 words a day!

Vocabulary Deficits

• Many children of poverty enter school with vocabularies half the size of their middle-class counterparts.

• Once in school, they continue to learn words at about half the rate of their peers.

• In the intermediate grades and high school, their vocabularies are still half the size of their peers, possibly less.

How do we attack this problem?

• Provide frequent, varied, and extensive language experiences

• Teach individual words

• Teach word-learning strategies

• Foster word consciousness

• Reading, writing, discussion (speaking), and listening

Teaching Word-Learning Strategies• Using context• Learning and using word parts• Using glossaries and the dictionary

Frequent, Varied and Extensive Language Experiences

Types of Word Consciousness Activities

• Creating a print rich environment

• Promoting word play

• Fostering word consciousness through writing

• Teaching students about words

Characteristics of Effective Instruction for Individual Words

• Instruction that involves both definitional and contextual information is markedly stronger than instruction that involves only one of these.

• Instruction that involves activating prior knowledge and comparing/contrasting meanings is stronger still.

• More lengthy and robust instruction that involves students actively manipulating meanings, making inferences, searching for applications, using prior knowledge, and frequent encounters is still stronger.

Characteristics of Effective Instruction for Individual Words

• Using realia and visuals to show what the word is

• Point to pictures of the vocabulary word in book

• Use gestures (total physical response activities) to act the word out

Building a Basic Oral Vocabulary: Shared Book Reading

• Both the adult readers and children are active participants

• Involves several readings• Focuses attention on words• The reading is fluent, engaging, and lively• Deliberately stretches students and scaffolds

their efforts• Carefully selects words and books

What does vocabulary instruction look like in Grades 3-5?

• Taking the word apart (multi-syllablic words), putting it back together to pronounce, and determining meaning of the word

• Going back and rereading the word in the sentence to clarify if it makes sense

• Wide variety of word patterns and their meaning (-un, -re, -base), the largest meaningful chunk– Instead of “as” in the word “basement”, look at the word “base”,

determine meaning, and apply it to the meaning of entire word

VocabularyReceptive Vocabulary

• Words we understand when we hear or read them

• Reading and listening comprehension

Expressive Language• Words we use to

communicate as a speaker and writer

• Writing and Speaking

Shades of KnowingUnderstands and can use words in isolation or context; knows multiple meanings, connotations, and figurative uses when appropriate

Understands and can use the word in some contexts and knows one or two definitions of it

Knows one definition of the word and can use it in some contexts, but has difficulty applying it with precision and accuracy

Knows the word in one context only and is unable to use it flexibly

Has some familiarity with the word, like knowing whether it has positive or negative connotations

Has a hypothesis as to the meaning of the word based on the context

Remembers hearing the word before

Does not know the word and has not heard it

THREE TIERS OF VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT

• Tier 1 – Everyday Words• Basic, Common Sight Words, Automatic• Mostly learned without instruction• (farm, tree, happy, summer, family)

• Tier 2 – Academic Words “Goldilocks Words”• Words that will aid in understanding, Instructional, Guided reading

vocabulary • These words appear frequently in the vocabularies of mature language

learners• (considerate, coincidence, fascinate, mentioned, industry)

• Tier 3 – Content-Specific Words• Complex, Infrequently used• Specialized words often related to a specific content area• (algorithm, isotope, photosynthesis)

Beck, 2002

What the research says about vocabulary instruction…

• Students should be active in developing their understanding of words and ways to learn them

• Students should personalize word learning• Students should be immersed in words• Students should build on multiple sources of

information to learn words through repeated exposures

Explicit Instruction• Teacher models and explains• Teacher provides guided practice

– Students practice what the teacher modeled and the teacher provides prompts and feedback

• Teacher provides supported application– Students apply the skill as the teacher

scaffolds instruction• Independent Practice• Reflections

Systematic InstructionSystematic instruction is the logical,

research-based sequence educational activities that follow a developmental continuum which optimally leads to students’ accomplishment of the learning outcomes and goals.

Vocabulary Explicit Instruction

• Instructional Routine–Introduce the word–Present student-friendly definition–Clarify the word with examples–Check the students’ understanding

Vocabulary Instructional Routine Example Step 1:

• Introduce the word• This word is expedition• Write the word on the board or overhead• Say the word with me: expedition• Say the word one more time: expedition

– Many students may need to practice pronouncing the word several times in order to secure it in memory

Vocabulary Instructional Routine Example Step 2:

• Present a student-friendly definition• An expedition is a journey or voyage with a

group of people, usually for a special purpose• Let’s read this explanation together

– Everyone repeats about explanation• Explanation within the context of the story

– In this story, Spanish explorers set out on an expedition to discover gold in Florida.

Vocabulary Instructional Routine Example Step 3:

• Clarify the word with examples• Verbal examples

– An organized trip, mission, quest to learn or discover something

• Concrete examples– Military expeditions, geographic explorations such

as Lewis and Clark expedition, scientific expedition such as space exploration

• Visual representations

Vocabulary Instructional Routine Example Step 4:

• Check for students’ understanding–Would a safari be an expedition?

Why?–Would a vacation be an expedition?

Why?–Which expedition might have a more

important purpose, an expedition to Mars or an expedition to the grocery store? Why?

Vocabulary Instructional Routine Example Step 5:

• Expanding student understanding– Have you ever gone on an expedition?

• Describe it

– Clap if you think these words are similar to expedition:

quest, mission, walking, exploration, delay, amble

– Complete the idea: Why might a trip to Alaska be considered an expedition?

Vocabulary Graphic Organizers • Semantic Feature Analysis• Semantic Mapping• Frayer Model• Concept Definition Mapping• Linear Arrays• Venn Diagrams• Words in Context/Application• Word Analogies• Dictionary Digs

Semantic Feature Analysis

Cold Temperatures Repeat Bloomers Thorns

Tulips+ - -

Roses - + +

Pansies+ + -

Carnations - + -

Literacy Essentials and Reading Network (LEaRN)

Semantic Map

Literacy Essentials and Reading Network (LEaRN)

VocabularyGraphic Organizer Example

EssentialCharacteristics

NonessentialCharacteristics

Examples Nonexamples

Topic

Literacy Essentials and Reading Network (LEaRN)

VocabularyGraphic Organizer Example

Literacy Essentials and Reading Network (LEaRN)

Linear Arrays

Literacy Essentials and Reading Network (LEaRN)

Venn Diagram

Literacy Essentials and Reading Network (LEaRN)

VocabularyActive Engagement Example

Florida Center for Reading Research (FCRR), 2007Fourth and Fifth Grade Student Center Activities: Vocabulary and Comprehension

Word Sorts• Word sorts allow students to build on their

own prior knowledge to develop a more complete understanding of words.

Word Sorts

Open Sorts Closed SortsStudents are given words to sort AND categories for sorting. The words are predetermined by the

teacher.

Students are given words to be categorized and they

determine how to sort them.

All in the Family

• When teaching a word, teach the family too!• If you know the meaning of one family member,

you can infer the meaning of related words.• Start with the easiest word in the family.

– Example: execute executed

executing execution executioner

Vocabulary Wrap

• Using context clues to determine word meaning is least distractive from text (Keeps you “in” the text to reinforce comprehension, rather than leaving the text to search for a definition)

• Knowledge of prefixes is important because they have definitive meanings; suffixes have abstract meanings (need to know part of speech)

Vocabulary Wrap

• In lower grades, fluency is a predictor of comprehension

• In higher grades, vocabulary is a predictor of comprehension

• Use fast mapping instead of having children “look up” words in dictionary– “Don’t procrastinate on your project.

Procrastinate means to put off doing something.”– “What is your hypothesis…your best guess?”

Vocabulary Wrap

• Teach idioms…Don’t commit assumicide!• The car went rolling down the hill and caught my eye.

• Instructional routines are critical to our struggling learners

• Learned vocabulary words should NOT be added to your sight word wall– Create a content area word wall– Read aloud book with words

Vocabulary Wrap

• Play word association games– Show a list of wordsrepresentative reform tributary– “I am thinking of a word….”

• …that goes with river• …that refers to a person who takes ideas to the

government• …that means change

• Ask connection questions prior to and after reading text

The Vocabulary GapWords heard per hour

Words heard in a 100 hour week

Words heard in a 5,200 hour year

3 years

Welfare 620 62,000 3 million 10 million

Working Class 1,250 125,000 6 million 20 million

Professional 2,150 215,000 11 million 30 million

Welfare experiences of children are utterances of directives or commands (“Take out the trash”)

Professional experiences of children are utterances of expansion (“Where is your truck going?”)

References• Bear, D., Invernizzi, M., Templeton, S., & Johnston,

F. (2004). Words Their Way: Words Study for Phonics, Vocabulary, and Spelling Instruction. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

• Beck, I. McKeown, M., & Kucan, L. (2002). Bringing Words to Life: Robust Vocabulary Instruction. New York: Gullford Press.

• Blevins, W. (2001). Teaching Phonics and Word Study in the Intermediate Grades. New York: Scholastic.

References• Florida Center for Reading Research (FCRR).

(2007). Fourth and fifth grade student center activities: Advanced phonics and fluency. Tallahassee, FL

• Fountas, I. & Pinnell, G. (2006). Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency: Thinking and Talking about Reading K-8. Portsmouth: Heinemann.