Enhancement Newsletter
December 2007
Volume 1, Number 5
In This Issue
 December Activities
Checklist
 Vocabulary-Word
Learning Instruction
“Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.”
Frederick Douglass
 Providing Specific Word
Instruction
 Tips for Grade 2 and 3
Teachers when
Teaching Multisyllabic
Word Reading
December Activities
Kindergarten
 Plan Next Theme: Providing Specific Word Instruction. Use the Train the
 Kindergarten Houghton
Trainer Vocabulary Module from the October Regional Coaches’ session
Mifflin Mastery
to plan for deep vocabulary instruction using the upcoming theme.
Assessments by Theme
Administer the HM mastery assessments Themes 1-4 (attached) when
teachers complete Theme 4 (Houghton Mifflin schools only) .
Support Pages (sent in  Video and Template Practice:
a separate email):
 Card #6
 Kindergarten Houghton
Mifflin Mastery
Assessments by Theme
Contact Us
ttravers@uoregon.edu
cdissen@uoregon.edu
At any time, please let
Trish or Carol know of any
concerns, problems, or
suggestions so that we
can incorporate those
ideas into future
newsletters!




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Observations to be completed by Coach:
Card #1
Card #2
Card #9
Card #15
Grade 1
 Plan Next Theme: Providing Specific Word Instruction. Use the Train the
Trainer Vocabulary Module from the October Regional Coaches’ session
to plan for deep vocabulary instruction with the upcoming theme.
 Have teachers create word study binders for each student to collect
vocabulary work.
 Template Practice:
 Card #17 (No video available)

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Observations to be completed by Coach:
Card #10
Card #15
Grades 2 and 3 next page
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December Activities (continued)
Grade 2

Plan Next Theme: Providing Specific Word
Instruction. Use the Train the Trainer Vocabulary
Module from the October Regional Coaches’
session to plan for deep vocabulary instruction
with the upcoming theme.
 Have teachers create word study binders for
each student to collect vocabulary work.
 Template Practice:
 Card #17 (No video available)



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Observations to be completed by Coach:
Card #10 (multisyllabic words)
Card #15
Card #16
Grade 3

Plan Next Theme: Providing Specific Word Instruction. Use the Train the
Trainer Vocabulary Module from the October Regional Coaches’ session
to plan for deep vocabulary instruction with the upcoming theme.
 Have teachers create word study binders for each student to collect
vocabulary work.
 Template Practice:
 Card #17 (No video available)




Observations to be completed by Coach:
Card #10 (multisyllabic words)
Card #15
Card #16
Vocabulary-Word Learning Strategy Instruction
Students will acquire half of the vocabulary they learn in a year while they
are reading on their own. For this reason, it is important that students learn
to use strategies (typically this strategy begins in grade 2) to figure out the
meaning of words as they read. Word learning strategy instruction,
therefore, is an important part of classroom instruction. Word learning
strategy instruction is different from specific direct teaching of vocabulary
(focus of the October Regional Coaches’ session). The teacher models
word learning strategies on specific words from the weekly selection. This
instruction serves two purposes:
1. It helps students understand words from their weekly selection.
2. Teaches students how to figure out words on their own.
Keep in mind however, that not every word lends itself well to word learning
strategies.
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Please refer to your Enhancement training binder for more
information on word learning strategy instruction.
Have teachers hang a poster:
Word Learning Strategy
Word Structure
Context Clues
Syntactic Clues
Providing Specific Word Instruction
Now is a good time to focus on the Vocabulary Specific Word
Instruction (if you have not done so already) that you learned at the October Regional
Coaches’ session. Please set time aside at your next grade-level team meeting and have
teachers plan the vocabulary instruction for the upcoming theme.
Tip for Grade 2 & 3 Teachers When Teaching Multisyllabic Word Reading
Have 2nd and 3rd grade teachers pull the multisyllabic word reading pages from their
training binder, Participant pages, Module 4, pages 4-11 and put them with their Card 10
template. When they are planning their chart instruction they will have these as an easy
reference if they aren't sure how to instruct on a particular type of multisyllabic word.
Kindergarten Quick Theme Skills Assessments
Maria Randal, with help from Jerry Silbert, created quick theme skills assessments that
are linked to the phonics skills taught in the Houghton Mifflin kindergarten level. Please
have kindergarten teachers administer the Themes 1-4 assessments (attached), once they
have completed Theme 4, to determine which students have mastered the skills taught so
far and which students will need additional instruction in specific phonics skill areas that
were taught.
ELL Corner
Recognizing Cognates (words that are similar in two languages). Although sometimes
Spanish-speaking English language learners (ELLs) may benefit from the teacher
translating a vocabulary word in English into Spanish (e.g. the teacher says: nervous
means “nervioso” in Spanish), this does not mean that ELLs will understand the
meaning of the word at a deeper level. ELLs will still benefit from the teacher providing
student-friendly definitions, examples and non-examples for the
word, and plenty of opportunities for students to practice using the
word in meaningful contexts.
When ELLs are reading connected text in English, three factors
influence their ability to recognize cognates to understand the
meaning of the word:
A. Students know the word in Spanish and can effectively identify
the word as an English cognate.
B. Words have similar spelling and morphological patterns (e.g.
cafeteria and cafetería; respond and responder).
C. ELLs have a high level of reading proficiency in Spanish and/or
in English
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References
Jiménez, R., García, G., & Pearson, P. (1996). The reading strategies of bilingual Latina/o
students who are successful English readers: Opportunities and obstacles. Reading
Research Quarterly, 31, 90-112.
Nagy, W., Garcia, G., Durgunoglu, A. & Hancin-Bhatt, B. (1993) Spanish-English bilingual
students’ use of cognates in English reading. Journal of Reading Behavior, 25,
241-259.
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