Learning Words Inside & Out
Why Teaching Subject-Area Words
Can Make or Break Achievement
Frey, N., & Fisher, D. (2009). Learning Words Inside & Out: Vocabulary
Instruction That Boosts Achievement in All Subject Areas.
Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Today’s Purposes
• Discuss the impact of vocabulary on
language acquisition and subject-area
learning
• Examine barriers to vocabulary
acquisition and instruction
• Complete a self-assessment rubric on
vocabulary development at our school
How Often Has This Occurred?
In a 3rd grade social studies class studying
maps, a student is asked to use the word
legend in a sentence:
The legend of the coyote was told by the Native
Americans.
What led the student to this
incorrect response?
• Missing background knowledge?
• A misunderstanding of how to use
resources?
• Lack of feedback?
• Inappropriate instructional routine?
Vocabulary’s Impact
on Learning
• Significant predictor of reading comprehension
(Baker, Simmons & Kame’enui, 1998)
• Vocabulary size in kindergarten serves as a strong
predictor of reading-comprehension level in later
grades (Scarborough, 2001)
• Context-embedded vocabulary instruction promotes
language acquisition for second language learners
(Tong, Irby, Rafael & Mathes, 2008)
What happens when you don’t
know 5% of the words?
Wepuha is the way the bean is edusca, not the
bean itself. You can use many different balksiks to
produce wepuha coffee. You can also use the
wepuha roasted coffee to make a larger cup of
coffee. In the U.S., wepuha roasting results mostly
in a darker roast than wepuha roasting in Europe.
The Numbers Game
• Need to know 88,500 word families by
ninth grade (Nagy & Anderson, 1984)
= 500,000 words TOO MANY! Let’s cut it
in half
= 250,000 words  1620 days (K–8, never
absent)
= 154 words per day! How are you doing?
Barriers to Vocabulary
Development
• Schedules require conceptual shifts every 50–90
minutes
• Emphasis on reading and mathematics, to the
detriment of social studies, science, and the visual
and performing arts
• Only 1.4% of content-instruction time devoted to
vocabulary development (Scott, Jamieson-Noel &
Asselin, 2003)
Measuring Word Knowledge
•
•
•
•
Generalization through definitional knowledge
Application through correct usage
Breadth through recall of words
Precision through understanding of examples
and nonexamples
• Availability through use of vocabulary in
discussion (Cronbach, 1942, cited in Graves,
1986).
What Are the Stages of
“Knowing” a Word?
When a student:
1. Has never seen or heard the word
2. Has heard the word but doesn't know what it means
3. Recognizes the word in context
4. Knows and uses the word
To what degree did this student “know” the word legend?
(Frey & Fisher, 2009, pp. 1–2)
The legend of the coyote was told by the Native
Americans.
An Intentional Vocabulary Initiative
• Make it intentional through word selection and
intentional instruction.
• Make it transparent through teacher modeling of
word solving and word learning.
• Make it useable with collaborative learning.
• Make it personal by fostering student ownership.
• Make it a priority with schoolwide practices.
Frey, N., & Fisher, D. (2009). Learning Words Inside & Out: Vocabulary Instruction That Boosts Achievement in
All Subject Areas. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Assessing Our Needs