Crafting Dynamic
“Academic Vocabulary”
Instruction – Grades 3-5
2014 Catholic Educators’ Convention
“Catholic Schools, Leading the Learning”
Winnie R. Huebsch, Ph.D.
Educational Consultant
Words of Wisdom
• The more you read, the more you
know
• The more you know, the smarter
you grow
• The smarter you grow, the
stronger your voice
• In speaking your mind, or
making your choice.
Anonymous
Why Focus on Vocabulary?
• Understanding key content area
vocabulary is essential to gaining a full
understanding of the text.
• You do not need to understand every word
to understand the ‘gist’ of a passage.
What We Already Know…
 Vocabulary knowledge is a powerful
predictor of reading comprehension.
 By 4th grade, many children experience a
slump in reading comprehension caused
by below-grade vocabulary.
Research on Vocabulary
• There is now evidence of how early vocabulary
relates strongly to later literacy.
• There is an increased awareness of individual
differences--and how they continue through
school.
• It has been estimated that 80% of
comprehension in nonfiction is dependent upon
understanding the vocabulary.
Research on Vocabulary
• Teaching vocabulary improves both verbal
IQ and reading comprehension.
• Children who are behind by 1st grade
have a hard time making up the gap.
Moat, 2004.
How We Learn/
Understand Words:
By reading a lot…
–At the right level of difficulty
–In sufficient amounts
–With sufficient motivation to pursue
understanding
How We Learn/
Understand Words:
• Through exposure to multiple examples in
context, spoken or written
• Through explicit instruction:
– Analyzing word relationships
– Exploring word relationships
– Dictionary use (if necessary)
However…
• Little attention is give to actual vocabulary
instruction in schools. (Biemiller, 1999;
Blachowicz, et al. 2006)
What?
• Classrooms are full of words
• Students are faced with many, many
words daily…
Common Vocabulary Instruction
in the Middle Grades
Mentioning
Assigning
a word or synonym
looking the word up in a
dictionary
•Teachers spend “little time discussing the
meanings of words” (Scott, Jamieson-Noel and
Asselin (2003, p. 282).
•Words introduced with a reading selection are
rarely followed up (Walsh, 2003).
What Words to Teach?
• In selecting vocabulary words that you
wish to teach, keep in mind this question…
Ten years from now,
what do I want
my students to remember?
Project CRISS, p. 141
Why Dictionaries are
NOT the Answer
• Reading a definition does not tell us how a
word is actually used
• We need examples in context to infer the
meaning of a word
• Dictionary examples are often shortened or
incomplete
• Being able to define a word is an end result of
knowing the word very well!
5 Simple Steps for Effective
Vocabulary Instruction
1. Know the key characteristics of effective
vocabulary instruction
2. Identify and sort key vocabulary into three tiers
3. Create a print rich environment
4. Identify and master evidence based
instructional strategies
5. Choose digital tools that support word learning
Instruction won’t work . . .
If it’s not consistent with what we know
about how vocabulary is acquired.
Principles of Vocabulary
Acquisition
1. Vocabulary knowledge is a network of
connected concepts
2. Vocabulary is learned from context—
3. Learning is incremental
McKeown, M.G. (2008).
1. Vocabulary Knowledge is a
Network of Connected
Concepts
What is the significance of that?
You don’t have a dictionary in your head…
http://www.visuwords.com/
2. Vocabulary is Learned
From Context
The richest context for learning new words is
immediate oral language, but...
Cautions About ‘Learning
From Context’
There are many different ‘contexts”
•oral vs. written
•wide reading across subjects
•individual differences
•not all contexts are created equal
Use of Context
•High ability readers are better able to use
context clues to gain meaning:
54% vs. 40%
. 40%540
•Even high ability readers in a situation
with strong context support don’t always
get the meaning:
82% vs. 69%
Contexts Differ, Often
Dramatically
It had been a long hike, with very steep cliffs
on the way up. It was John’s first experience
mountain climbing, and he felt __________.
•Freddie looked at his team members and
thought that each looked more _______ than
the next.
3. Learning is Incremental
A word is not learned the first time it is
encountered.
A learner needs:
– various facets of information about a word
– practice in use of a word
– to integrate a word into existing knowledge
How to Teach Vocabulary
• Research shows students will incorporate
more words into their vocabulary and use
them correctly, including spelling, when
the focus is on fewer words at one time
for intensive instruction
Grades 2-5 5-8 words per week
Grades 6-8 10-15 words per week
Grades 9-12 12-25 words per week
What the Common Core
Standards suggest…
Vocabulary should
be taught thoughtfully
in all content areas
and through
‘tiered instruction.’
Tier 1 Vocabulary:
Common, Known Words
• Tier I words are basic, everyday words
that are a part of most children’s
vocabulary. These are words used every
day in conversation, and most of them are
learned by hearing family, peers, and
teachers use them when speaking.
Tier 1 Vocabulary:
Common, Known Words
• These words are especially important for
English language learners who may not be
familiar with them.
Tier 2 Vocabulary:
High Frequency Words
• Tier 2 words include frequently
occurring words that appear in various
contexts and topics.
• They play an important role in verbal
functioning across a variety of content
areas.
Tier 2 Vocabulary:
High Frequency Words
• These are general academic words and
have high utility across a wide range of
topics and contexts.
• Another way to think of Tier 2 vocabulary
is as cross-curricular terms. For example,
the term “justify” and “predict” frequently
appear in Science, Social Studies, and
English texts.
Tier 3 Vocabulary: Low-Frequency,
Domain-Specific Words
• Tier 3 words are’ field of study’ specific
vocabulary. Words in this category are low
frequency, specialized words that appear
in specific fields or content areas.
• Teach these words only as the need
arises in specific content areas.
"The greatest benefit from
instructional time spent on
word study can be gained
from exploring roots, prefixes,
suffixes, and networks
of related words."
Henry,1997
English borrows freely…
• The English language borrows freely from
the following languages for up to 60% of
its words…
– Anglo Saxon
– Latin
– Greek
Anglo Saxon influences:
• Anglo Saxon’s influence is mostly seen in the
use pf short, common, everyday, and ‘down-toearth’ words used in ordinary situations and
found in early school readers
• Many Anglo Saxon words have ‘nonphonetic’
spellings.
– Examples: bird, cry, girl, jump, mother, fun
– Often considered Tier 1 words
Links to Old English
‘Anglo Saxon’
HEOFON
EORTHE, LYFT, FYR, WÆTER
REGN, WIND, SNAW, IS
FINGER, HEORTE
SCEAP, LAMB, HORS, FISC
LENCTEN, SUMOR, HÆRFEST, WINTER
NORTH, EAST, WEST, SUTH
Latin structures:
• Latin’s influence is seen in the use of
technical, sophisticated words used in
formal context, such as in literature and in
many textbooks.
• Examples: audience, extracted, tenacious,
preventive, retract
• Often considered Tier 2 or Tier 3 words
Latin Structure is strict…
• Latin words follow a strict structure
• Prefixes, if used, must be placed before the root
and suffixes must follow the root
• Latin roots (spect, vis, ject, rupt) are unlikely to
stand alone as an English word
• The Latin root usually receives the accent or
stress
e ject’
port’ ability
In script’ ion
Greek Forms which influence
English
• Greek forms are often found in
specialized words used mostly in science
• Combining forms are compounded
• Examples: atmosphere, chromosome,
photograph, thermometer
• Often considered Tier 3 words
So, how does this relate?
• Understanding the influences of Anglo
Saxon, Latin and Greek can help us to
understand complicated and new
vocabulary today.
• The Common Core indicates that the
teaching of Latin and Greek roots and
stems is essential for deeper meaning and
independent word study.
Let’s think……
• Dendrochronology
• dendro - branching, like a tree
• chronos – time
• ology -study of
Dendrochronology
• Used first – 1928
• The scientist found that through the study
of dendrochronology he was able to
determine the age of a 100 foot Giant
Redwood in Washington State.
Dendrochronology
The science of dating events and variation in
the environment in former periods by the
comparative study of growth rings in trees
and aged wood
A concept….Let kids choose
their own words…
• Ask each child to create a chart where he/she
writes down words of choice, and rates each one
as "know it," "sort of know it," or "don't know it at
all.”
• Then, on the same paper, have them write a
definition or "my guess on meaning" for the
words they know and kind of know (No
dictionaries!)
Building Academic Vocabulary
• Robert Marzano, academic researcher,
developed a sequence of procedures
designed to develop academic
vocabulary.
• He describes six steps to vocabulary
instruction of Tier 2 or Tier 3 words.
Six-Step Process for
Teaching Vocabulary
• Step 1: Provide a description, explanation,
or example of the new term first.
– Provide a general starting place for students:
• Ask students to do some initial investigation
into the term - brainstorm
• Tell a story that integrates the term
• Describe your own mental pictures of the term
• Use current events to help make the term
applicable to something familiar to students
(Marzano and Pickering, 2005)
Six-Step Process for
Teaching Vocabulary
• Step 2: Ask students to restate the description,
explanation, or example in their own words, either
orally or in writing
– Allow them to work with a partner or in small
groups to discuss terms
– Monitor students closely to clear up any major
confusions or errors as they work.
– Students should have a number of
opportunities to discuss the terms
Marzano and Pickering, 2005
)
Six-Step Process for
Teaching Vocabulary
• Step 3: Ask students to construct a picture,
symbol, or graphic representing the term
• Particularly important to ELL learners
– Graphic organizers
– Pictographs
– Pictionary
– Symbols
– Use of ‘nonlinguistic representations’
(Marzano and Pickering, 2005)
Example of “Nonlinguistic
Representation”
• Students can draw a symbol for the word.
• Example: law enforcement
Six-Step Process for
Teaching Vocabulary
• Step 4: Engage students periodically in
activities that help them add to their
knowledge of the terms in their
notebooks
Analogy Example:
• Bar graph is to pie chart as ________is
to _______.
Concept Mapping:
• Concept mapping is the use of word maps
and charts that help students expand word
meanings and discover relationships.
• They also help students develop elaborate
definitions of words rather than simple one or
two word definition, and help kids learn words
independently.
‘Definition Map’ - Concept Mapping
What is it?
Word
Examples:
What is it like?
What is it?
What is it like?
sweet
Dessert made of ice and juice
Word
frozen
SHERBET
fruity
Examples:
Rainbow
Lemon
Raspberry
Semantic Feature Analysis:
• Links key vocabulary to major ideas
contained in a content selection
• Helps in selecting only those words that
are essential to developing the major
concepts in a selection
• Develops an understanding of
relationships among the words and key
concepts
Semantic Feature Analysis
Animal
Fur/ha
Warmir
Wings Feelers Legs blooded
snake
lion
+
bluejay
+
butterfly
+
lizard
elephant
Scales
Eyes
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
Coldblooded
+
+
+
+
+
+
A Little Goes a Long Way….
• Limit the amount of time spent on graphic
organizers. Often we are spending much
of class completing them rather than
focusing on the primary text. Be careful
when using graphic organizers!! Use them
wisely to support the text, not replace it…
Six-Step Process for
Teaching Vocabulary
• Step 5: Periodically ask students to
discuss the terms with one another
– Pair students together
– Particularly good for ELL students
(Marzano and Pickering, 2005)
Six-Step Process for
Teaching Vocabulary
Step 6: Involve students periodically in
games that allow them to play with the
terms
– Vocabulary Charades
– Pictionary
– Jeopardy
(Marzano and Pickering, 2005)
Six-Step Process for
Teaching Vocabulary
Step 6: Involve students periodically in
games that allow them to play with the
terms
– Vocabulary Charades
– Pictionary
– Jeopardy
(Marzano and Pickering, 2005)
Online and PowerPoint Games
•
•
•
•
•
Jeopardy
https://jeopardylabs.com/
Password
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
http://www.y8.com/games/who_wants_to_b
e_a_millionaire
Reminder:
Words to Teach Briefly
(Introductory)
• Specialty words that are not likely to
be encountered again soon because
they are unique to the setting or
theme of that text.
Reminder:
Words to ‘Explicitly’ Teach
(Intensive)
• Words critical to the understanding of the
text/selection
• Words with general utility likely to be
encountered many times
• Difficult words that need interpretation
(metaphors, abstractions, nuanced)
5 Simple Steps for Effective
Vocabulary Instruction -review
1. Know the key characteristics of effective
vocabulary instruction
2. Identify and sort key vocabulary into three tiers
3. Create a print rich environment
4. Identify and master evidence based
instructional strategies
5. Choose digital tools that support word learning
Actions We Can Take Right Now!!
1. Focus on Knowledge – bring forward the
themes of literature, even in primary
grades
2. Create Connections
3. Activate Your Students’ Passions
4. Develop a Strong Vocabulary Base
5. Increase the Volume of Reading
References
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Brewer, C and Gann, J. (2003). Balanced literacy: a learning focused approach.
Boone NC: Learning Concepts.
Cunningham, A. E., & Stanovich, K. E. (1998). What reading does for the mind.
American Educator, 22(1-2), 8-15
Ebbers. S. (2005). Language links to Latin, Greek, and Anglo-Saxon. PowerPoint
Presentation at the International Reading Association Conference, San Antonio, TX.
Susan@readingway.com
Harris, T.et al (1995). The literacy dictionary; The vocabulary of reading and writing.
International Reading Association.Newark, DE.
Marko, J.E. and MEDO, M. (2013). Classroom strategies for dynamic teachers. Stone
Cottage Publishing.
Marzano, R. and Pickering, D. (2005). Building academic vocabulary.. Alexandria VA;
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development..
Marzano, R. (2004). Building background knowledge for academic achievement:
Research on what works in schools. Alexandria, VA : Association for Supervision and
Curriculum Development.
Santa, C., Havens, L., Maycumber, E. (1996). Project CRISS: Creating
independence through student-owned strategies. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt
McKeown, M.G. (2008). REV Up Vocabulary Instruction. PowerPoint Presentation,
IRA Convention. Atlanta, GA.
www.presentationmagazine.com
Contact
Winnie R. Huebsch, Ph.D.
Independent Educational Consultant
wrhuebsch@yahoo.com
414-963-0911 (home)
414-975-5569 (cell)