Semantic Feature Analysis
The Semantic Feature Analysis (SFA) is a vocabulary strategy. It is most useful in situations in which your
class is reading something that has a lot of new words. The type of writing that SFA is most suited for is
expository texts, that is texts that are trying to teach something. Science textbooks, history books and
other kinds of textbooks are some examples of this. You can also use this strategy for English classes by
doing character analysis – Shakespeare comes to mind! When students are having a hard time getting
past a bunch of words that are similar but have very important distinctions, try out a semantic feature
analysis! It is a flexible strategy as well. It can be used during or after reading. It is up to the teacher to
decide how it is going to be used.
Now Lenny is going to talk about how you might apply SFA in a classroom. It would be helpful as a
review strategy as well. Once the students have learned the words, sorting them out via SFA can drive
home the connections between terms, concepts and ideas.
The best way to learn this strategy is by application. Once we construct our grid, you will see how it
works. What you do is on one side of your grid you write down the vocabulary words going down the
grid. On the horizontal axis across the top, write down some characteristics. For example, if you were
going to do this for organisms in a biology class you could write down “Lizard, snake, frog etc….” Across
the top you could write “poisonous, bipedal, reptile, amphibian etc…” When a word has a characteristic,
write a plus sign (+) in the box. If the word does not have that characteristic, put a minus sign (-). You
could also do this for elements in a science class.
Now I am going to pass out our FAT for this activity. The problem is that this strategy is best when it is
used for expository texts. Expository texts tend to be longer – think of a textbook. I have designed a
handout that is supposed to resemble the information a reader would find in a textbook. So, go ahead
and read this handout and mark it up if you want.
Now that we have read the handout, we are going to do a SFA for it. On the board I am going to write
the Presidents on the vertical axis. Some characteristics from the reading will be on the horizontal axis.
I am going to ask the class the help me fill out the characteristics. I have some I want to be on there, but
it is important to get the students to help fill it in. I know I want “Governor” to be on there for example.
If nobody says “governor,” I will write it on the board. Discussion is crucial to this strategy! Once I have
written out our SFA grid, I will ask the class to help me fill it in. Was George W. Bush …. A governor? A
Vice-President? If yes, I will write in a plus sign. If not, I will write in a minus. The students should write
this down as well. The answers should come from them. Once we have filled in the SFA grid, a class
discussion should follow. The discussion of what we found out from the grid is the most important
part of the semantic feature analysis. If you don’t have time to have the discussion, don’t bother with
the strategy. Ask the class, “What do we see? What stands out to you?” The class should be able to
differentiate between the different vocabulary words on the grid. Using the SFA is a great way to make
connections between vocabulary – how they are alike, how they are different and what relationship
they have to each other. The SFA does not discriminate. It is good for English, History, Science…I am
sure you can find a way to make this strategy work for any class.
Links:
http://justreadnow.org/strategies/analysis.htm
http://edweb.sdsu.edu/triton/guides/SFA.html
http://www.indiana.edu/~l517/semantic.htm
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/graphicorganizers/sfa/
This site has lots of blank SFA printouts.
http://forpd.ucf.edu/strategies/stratSFA.html
http://www.readingquest.org/strat/sfa.html
George W. Bush 2000-20008
G.W. Bush was elected in 2000. He was Governor of Texas prior to his election to the Presidency. He was
co-owner of the Texas Rangers baseball team. His political party was Republican. Despite controversial events
during his presidency such as the War on Terror, Bush was elected again in 2004, serving two full terms in office.
Bush was in the Texas Air National Guard. He attended college at Yale. Afghanistan and Iraq were invaded during
his tenure.
Bill Clinton 1992-1998
Was the third youngest president elected. Prior to being President, Clinton was Governor of Arkansas.
Clinton’s political philosophy was centrist, and many of his initiatives, such as the North American Free Trade
Agreement met with controversy from more progressive critics. He was re-elected to the presidency in 1996. This
made him the first Democrat to be re-elected to the Oval Office since Franklin Roosevelt. In addition to that he
was impeached for obstruction of justice, but acquitted by the Senate. Clinton also had a Juris Doctorate (JD)
degree. He did not serve in the military. He attended college at Georgetown, and was a Rhodes scholar at Oxford.
Clinton sent the U.S. military to help bring an end to the Yugoslav Wars.
George H.W. Bush 1988-1992
George H.W. Bush was a veteran of World War II. He attended Yale for college and was also the Director
of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Bush was Vice President under Ronald Reagan from 1981-1988. Bush
focused on conservative issues, mostly foreign policy. Military operations were conducted in Panama and the
Persian Gulf during his presidency. He was a member of the House of Representatives. The Soviet Union collapsed
and the Berlin Wall while Bush was in office. Bush was a member of the Republican party.
Ronald Reagan 1980-1988
Prior to being elected, Reagan was a movie actor and businessman. He was president of the Screen
Actor’s Guild (SAG) and a spokesman for General Electric. Reagan was elected to be Governor of California in 1966
and served two terms. Reagan was elected in presidency as a Republican in 1980. He was known for his debating
skills and powerful oratory. During his presidency Reagan ordered the bombing of Libya and sent troops to
Grenada and Lebanon. He was elected again in 1984 to serve a second term as President. Reagan was in the Army
but saw limited duty due to nearsightedness.
Jimmy Carter 1976-1980
Jimmy Carter was Governor of Georgia before being elected President as a member of the Democratic
party. Carter created the Department of Energy and the Department of Education at a cabinet level when in office.
He returned the Panama Canal zone to Panama and negotiated the Camp David accords between Israel and Egypt.
The Iran Hostage Crisis happened during his term. Many viewed Carter as weak and wanted a more muscular
foreign policy. Carter served in the U.S. Navy and was also a peanut farmer.
The Semantic Feature Analysis strategy asks students to identify key words in a reading selection and
relate these words to the major concepts of the text. Using a graphical matrix, students . . .
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List the key words of a reading selection.
Identify the meaning and properties of these key words.
Group key words into logical categories.
Relate the words (and categories) to one another.
This strategy makes special effort to draw on a student's past knowledge and experiences to define
and relate the key terms.
Steps to a Semantic Feature Analysis:
1. Select a topic or concept from a reading selection for student analysis. Introduce the Semantic
Feature Analysis graphical organizer (see below) as a tool for recording reading observations.
2. Help students list key vocabulary words related to the topic down the left hand column of the
chart. Next, assist students in listing the properties or features of the topic across the top row
of the chart.
3. Once the matrix is complete, review all the words and properties with the students and have
them carefully read the text selection.
4. While reading, students place check marks in the matrix when a vocabulary word reinforces
one of the properties of the topic.
5. After reading and completing the matrix, have students share their observations. Encourage
discussion about differing results. Ask students to identify which vocabulary words best
communicate the essential properties of the topic.
Example: