Vocabulary: Classification

Explain to students that categorizing words
can help them think about how words are
related. Point out that categorizing is more
helpful than trying to memorize a random
list of words.

When students learn new words, have
them look for similarities and place them
into categories.

By placing words into categories you
can better remember their meanings.
Categorization is a strategy that can
help you learn new words in any
subject.
LA. A. 1.2.3

The student uses simple strategies to
determine meaning and increase
vocabulary for reading, including the
use of prefixes, suffixes, root words,
multiple meanings, antonyms,
synonyms, and word relationships.
Objective

Students classifying
vocabulary words
by relating them to
other words with
similar meanings or
related groups.
TASTE
COLORS
CAREER
WORDS
bitter
indigo
designer
sour
crimson
ambassador
delectable
ivory
employ
tangy
teal
geologist
violet
professional
Teach Students the Meanings of Specific Words

300-400 new word meanings can be taught per year through direct
instruction. This is a significant proportion of the words that students who
are at risk will learn. (Stahl & Shiel, 1999)

Select words to teach that are important for
understanding text.


Words that students will encounter often, functionally
important words.

Use both context and definitions

Find a synonym or antonym

Classify the word with other words

Relate the definition to one's own experiences

Give multiple exposures

Key Words

The word _______ probably means…
__________ is a kind of …
 __________ is a synonym for …
 __________ means the opposite of…

The Frayer Model
Example:
Nonexample:
field
prairie
pasture
mountain
ocean
tundra
meadow
Definition:
A grassy area often used for
growing hay
Other connecting
information: The
meadow that
Semantic Feature Analysis
This strategy effectively teaches
vocabulary by activating prior
knowledge and classifying new words
by their features. A matrix is created
with vocabulary words that have
similarities on the left-hand side, and
features of those words at the top of
the matrix.
Hierarchical Arrays
Heirarchical Arrays help students
understand how words are related to
each other and show the relationships
among word meanings. A sample
hierarchical array is shown below.
Example
Item Type

Multiple Choice

Sample

Which words from the story have almost
the same meaning?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Complained, wondered
Passed, waited
Puffed, popped
Watched, looked
Word Parts

affixes (prefixes and suffixes), base
words, and word roots.
Affixes
word parts that are "fixed to" either
the beginnings of words (prefixes) or
the ending of words (suffixes). The
word disrespectful has two affixes, a
prefix (dis-) and a suffix (-ful).
Base words
words from which many other words
are formed.
For example, many words can be
formed from the base word migrate:
migration, migrant, immigration,
immigrant, migrating, migratory.
Word roots
words from other languages that are
the origin of many English words.
About 60% of all English words have
Latin or Greek origins.
Third Grade FCAT

Distractors may include, but not
limited to the following:
Incorrect meanings of words or phrases
• Correct meanings of words or phrases
that do not fit the context
• Words with construct similar to correct
response (e.g. same prefix)
• Incorrect interpretations of contractions
•
Fourth Grade

Distractors may include, but not
limited to the following:
Incorrect meanings of words or phrases
 Correct meanings of words or phrases
that do not fit the context
 Words with construct similar to correct
response

Fifth Grade

Distractors may include, but not
limited to the following:
Incorrect meanings of words or phrases
 Correct meanings of words or phrases
that do not fit the context
 Words with construct similar to correct
response
 Plausible but incorrect responses based
on the text

Response Attributes

Items assessing antonyms should not
include synonyms as distractors;
similarly, items assessing synonyms
should not include antonyms as
distractors.