Warm-Up
• Sit in groups of four at a numbered table.
• In your group determine the percent of
informational and literary text our students
should be reading at each grade level.
Answers to the Warm-Up
Grade
Literary
Informational
4
50%
50%
8
40%
60%
12
30%
70%
Essential Questions
• How do we ensure the texts our students are
reading are in the appropriate text
complexity?
• How will I teach vocabulary to increase
student comprehension?
Shift Happens
• With your partner place the shifts and
definitions into your template.
• Have two people join your group and check
your answers.
• Be prepared to come to the Elmo and justify
your answers.
• Review Answers
3 Shifts
Building knowledge
through content-rich
literary nonfiction
and information
texts.
6 Shifts
PK-5 Balance of information A balance of authentic
and literary text
informational and literary
texts
6-12 Building knowledge in Knowledge-based
the disciplines
questions about disciplinespecific, informational text
Reading and writing Text-based answers
grounded in
evidence from text.
Writing to/from sources
Regular practice
with complex text
and its academic
vocabulary.
Definitions
Staircase of Complexity
Academic vocabulary
Evidence form text,
including paired passages,
to make an argument,
inform or explain; short,
focused research
Higher level of text
complexity appropriate to
grade level
Tier Two words which can
be discerned from the text
What’s New with
Vocabulary?
From Tears to Tiers
Vocabulary is defined as all the words
an individual knows.
• A student must know approximately 95% of
the words to comprehend what is read or
heard.
• 80% to 90% of what is tested on high stakes
standardized tests is based on vocabulary and
concepts.
• Explicit vocabulary instruction closes the
achievement gap.
Why Students Struggle With Vocabulary
Meaningful Differences (Hart & Risley, 1995)
Words
Heard
per
Hour
Words
Heard in a
100-Hour
Week
Words
Heard in a
5,200 Hour
Year
Words
Heard in
4 Years
Assisted
Living
616
62,000
3 million
13
million
Working
Class
1,251
125,000
6 million
26
million
Professional
2,153
215,000
11 million
45
million
8
The Matthew Effect (Stanovich, 1986)
They do not
expand their
vocabularies
and background
knowledge.
Children
who fail at early
reading, begin to
dislike reading.
Their limited
vocabularies
interfere
with their
comprehension.
They read less
than their peers
who are stronger
readers.
Their limited
comprehension
contributes to
reading failure.
9
Shift: Academic (Tier 2) Vocabulary
• Rationale: Teachers need
to spend more time on
academic vocabulary
(Tier 2).
10
No More Tears !
Tier 1
Words used in everyday
speech
Students with a limited
vocabulary will need
support
Tier 2
General academic words
Words found more often in
written texts across
disciplines
Tier 3
Domain-specific words
Uncommon words that are
typically associated with a
specific domain
Words that allow students
to describe concepts in a
more detailed manner.
Contain Multiple Meanings
(Simple words generally
used in conversation)
( More mature words used
in adult conversations and
literature)
(Low frequency words used
in specific settings)
clock, baby, happy, us
describe, trip, joyous
peninsula, climate,
barter
Maybe think of Tiers as Crayons…
Crayola: Which box will make the best picture?
Box of 8: Brown
Box of 64: Sand, Tan, Khaki, Copper
Box of 120: Almond, Antique Brass, Beaver,
Cornflower, Tumbleweed, Chestnut
Tier Example
“Old”
Tier 1:
Old
Tier 2:
Aging
Tier 3:
Geriatric
( Health Profession)
Group Activity
• Create a tiered vocabulary hierarchy diagram
for your group’s Tier 1 word.
• Discuss your Tier 1 Word with your partner
and brainstorm Tier 2 words that have a
similar meaning.
• Think about Tier 3 words and be sure that you
add the discipline where the word would be
found.
• Share Out /Hang
Academic Words:
• Are critical to understanding academic texts
• Appear in all sorts of texts and are highly
generalizable
• Require deliberate effort to learn, unlike Tier 1 words
• Are far more likely to appear in written texts than in
speech.
• Often represent subtle or precise ways to say
otherwise relatively simple things
• Are seldom heavily scaffolded by authors or
teachers, unlike Tier 3 words
Beck, et al
15
Criteria for selecting words to teach
 Importance of the word for understanding the text
◦ What does the word choice bring to the meaning of the
text? (E.g., precision, specificity?)
 General utility of the word
◦ Is it a word that students are likely to see often in other
texts? Are there multiple meanings?
◦ Will it be of use to students in their own writing?
 Students’ prior knowledge of the word and the concept(s)
to which it relates
◦ How does the word relate to other words, ideas, or
experiences that the students know or have been
learning?
◦ Are there opportunities for grouping words together to
enhance understanding of a concept?
16
How do I determine that a word is
Word
Is this a
generally
useful
word?
Solid
Yes
Volcanos No
Latitude
Adapt
Explain
TIER 2?
Does the
word relate
to other
words and
ideas that
students
know or
have been
learning?
Is the word
useful in
helping
students
understand
text?
If you
answer yes
to all three
questions, it
is a tier 2
word. If not,
it is probably
a tier 3 word.
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Tier 2
Tier 3
17
Practice time…
• Read the excerpt from Volcanoes on the
following slide.
• With a partner, use the Tier 2
determination chart to identify examples
of Tier 2 and Tier 3 words.
Volcanoes, Grades 4-5 Text Complexity Band, from Appendix A, pp.
33-34.
18
In early times, no one knew how volcanoes
formed or why they spouted red-hot molten rock. In
modern times, scientists began to study volcanoes.
They still don’t know all the answers, but they know
much about how a volcano works.
Our planet is made up of many layers of rock.
The top layers of solid rock are called the crust. Deep
beneath the crust is the mantle, where it is so hot
that some rock melts. The melted, or molten, rock is
called magma.
Volcanoes are formed when magma pushes its
way up through the crack in the Earth’s crust. This is
called a volcanic eruption. When magma pours forth
on the surface, it is called lava.
19
Tier 2 Words
In early times, no one knew how volcanoes
formed or why they spouted red-hot molten rock. In
modern times, scientists began to study volcanoes.
They still don’t know all the answers, but they know
much about how a volcano works.
Our planet is made up of many layers of rock.
The top layers of solid rock are called the crust.
Deep beneath the crust is the mantle, where it is so
hot that some rock melts. The melted, or molten,
rock is called magma.
Volcanoes are formed when magma pushes its
way up through the crack in the Earth’s crust. This is
called a volcanic eruption. When magma pours forth
on the surface, it is called lava.
20
Tier 2 and Tier 3 Words
In early times, no one knew how volcanoes
formed or why they spouted red-hot molten rock. In
modern times, scientists began to study volcanoes.
They still don’t know all the answers, but they know
much about how a volcano works.
Our planet is made up of many layers of rock.
The top layers of solid rock are called the crust.
Deep beneath the crust is the mantle, where it is so
hot that some rock melts. The melted, or molten,
rock is called magma.
Volcanoes are formed when magma pushes its
way up through the crack in the Earth’s crust. This is
called a volcanic eruption. When magma pours forth
on the surface, it is called lava.
21
Know What, So What
• Know What:
– Tell something you know about each of the three
tiers of vocabulary.
A Word on Word Lists: Caution
• Words should not be learned in isolation
– Students need to hear them, read them, speak
about them, write about them, including
writing their own definitions
– They need context (Note: p. 25 CCSS Language
Standards)
• Remember: Lexile levels are being ramped
up; therefore, so is vocabulary
23
Careful Selection of Tier 2 Words
• In school settings, students can be explicitly
taught a deep understanding of about 300
words each year.
• Divided by the range of content students need
to know (e.g., math, science, history,
literature), of these 300–350 words, roughly
60 words can be taught within one subject
area each year.
• It is reasonable to teach thoroughly about
eight to ten words per week.
-- more at K-12 Teachers: Building Comprehension in the Common Core
(Oregon)
24
The Six-Step Process for
Teaching New Terms- Marzano
• Step 1: Provide a description, explanation, or
example of the new term.
• Tell a story that integrates the term.
• Use video or computer images as stimulus for
understanding the term.
• Find or create pictures that exemplify the
term.
• Step 2: Ask the student to restate the
description, explanation, or example in their
own words.
• It is important when asking students to
restate or describe that the student does
not simply copy what you have said.
• Step 3: Ask students to construct a picture,
symbol, or graphic representing the term or
phase.
– Draw the actual thing
– Draw a symbol
– Draw and example
– Represent by graphics
– Dramatize the term- cartoon bubble
• Step 4: Engage student periodically in activities that
help them add to their knowledge of the terms.
• Highlight a prefix or suffix that will help them
remember the meaning of the term.
• Identify synonyms or antonyms for the term.
• Draw and additional picture or graphic.
• List related words.
Step 5: Periodically ask students to discuss the terms
with one another.
• Think, Pair and Share
Step 6: Involve students periodically in games that
allow them to play with the terms.
• Pictionary
From the New to the Known
This word is
totally new to
me.
I’ve heard or seen
this word, but I’m
not sure what it
means.
I know one
definition for this
word. I could use
this word in a
sentence.
I know several
ways this word
could be used.
Word Rating
Word
Subtract
Add
Can Describe
It
Have Seen It
Not A Clue
Now Know
Letter Rating
Letter
A/a
Z/z
Can Describe It
Have Seen It
Not A Clue
Now Know
Vocabulary Chain
magma
eruption
shapes
vent
square
lava
triangle
circle
12 Powerful Words
It is important that our students are exposed to and understand
the 12 Powerful Words.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Trace
Evaluate
Describe
Explain
Compare/ Similarities
Predict
Infer
Formulate
Support
Summarize/Retell
Contrast/Differences
Analyze
Suggested Follow-up Activities
• Work in grade level teams to analyze
anthology vocabulary to categorize into Tier
2/Tier 3 vocabulary.
• Share identified vocabulary words through
cross-grade level articulation.
• Utilize a vocabulary strategy discussed in this
presentation. Share the strategy and results
with your grade level team.
35