Institute on Beginning Reading II
Enhancing Vocabulary Instruction in
Core Reading Instruction (2-3)
For
Each
Student
Assessment
For All
Students
Instruction
Goals
Acknowledgments
 Oregon Department of Education
 Institute for the Development of Educational
Achievement, College of Education, University
of Oregon
 U.S. Department of Education,
Office of Special Education Programs
Coyne, Kame'enui, & Chard © 2003
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Content Development
Content developed by:
Edward J. Kame’enui, Ph. D.
Professor, College of Education
University of Oregon
Deborah C. Simmons, Ph. D.
Professor, College of Education
University of Oregon
Beth Harn, Ph.D.
University of Oregon
Michael D. Coyne, Ph. D.
University of Connecticut
David Chard, Ph. D.
University of Oregon
Additional support:
Patrick Kennedy-Paine
Katie Tate
University of Oregon
Nicole Sherman-Brewer
Oregon Reading First
Coyne, Kame'enui, & Chard © 2003
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Copyright
 All materials are copy written and should
not be reproduced or used without
expressed permission of Dr. Edward J.
Kame’enui or Dr. Deborah C. Simmons.
Selected slides were reproduced from
other sources and original references
cited.
Coyne, Kame'enui, & Chard © 2003
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IBR Foundational Features:
Translating Research into Practice
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IBR Guiding Questions
1.
2.
3.
Today’s
Focus 4.
5.
6.
Goals: What outcomes do we want for our students in our
state, district, and schools?
Knowledge: What do we know and what guidance can we
gain from scientifically based reading research?
Progress Monitoring Assessment: How are we doing? What
is our current level of performance as a school? As a grade?
As a class? As an individual student?
Outcome Assessment: How far do we need to go to reach
our goals and outcomes?
Core Instruction: What are the critical components that
need to be in place to reach our goals?
Differentiated Instruction: What more do we need to do
and what instructional adjustments need to be made?
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Objectives: What You Will
Learn and Do
The objectives of today’s session are to:
1. Understand the importance of vocabulary in
core reading instruction.
2. Identify methods to enhance core reading
instruction.
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The Importance of Vocabulary
Beginning readers should develop a
rich and functional vocabulary.
Learning, as a language based activity, is fundamentally
and profoundly dependent on vocabulary knowledge.
Learners must have access to the meanings of words
that teachers, or their surrogates (e.g., other adults,
books, films, etc.), use to guide them into contemplating
known concepts in novel ways (i.e., to learn something
new). (Baker, Simmons, & Kame'enui, 1998)
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The Importance of Vocabulary
 Importance of vocabulary knowledge to school
success, in general, and reading comprehension, in
particular, is widely documented. (e.g., Becker, 1977;
Anderson & Nagy, 1991)
 The National Research Council (1998) and National
Reading Panel (2000) recently concluded that
vocabulary development is a fundamental goal for
students in the early grades.
 However, very little instructional time is devoted to
vocabulary development in the primary grades.
(Biemiller, 2001; Foorman & Schatschneider, in press)
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What the Research Says About
Vocabulary
What we know from research:
 Children enter school with meaningful differences in
vocabulary knowledge as a result of differences in
experiences and exposure to literacy and language
activities. (Hart & Risley, 1995)
 The vocabulary gap grows larger in the early grades.
Children who enter with limited vocabulary knowledge
become more discrepant over time from their peers
who have rich vocabulary knowledge. (Biemiller & Slonim,
2001)
Coyne, Kame'enui, & Chard © 2003
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What the Research Says About
Vocabulary
Differences in Vocabulary Growth:
Student A
2 words per day
Student B
8 words per day
750 words per year 3,000 words per
year
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What the Research Says About
Vocabulary
Effective vocabulary instruction:
1. Teaches students the meanings of unfamiliar
words and concepts that are essential to
understanding text.
2. Provides students opportunities to learn
vocabulary through wide independent reading.
3. Nurtures an appreciation and consciousness of
words and their use.
(Bauman, Kame’enui, & Ash, 2003)
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What the Research Says About
Vocabulary
Effective vocabulary instruction:
Teaches the meanings of unfamiliar words
The Role of Direct Vocabulary Instruction
300 - 400 new word meanings can be taught a
year through direct instruction. This is a
significant proportion of the words that many
students will learn.
(Stahl & Shiel, 1999)
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What the Research Says About
Vocabulary
Effective vocabulary instruction:
Promotes wide independent reading
The best way to foster vocabulary growth is
to promote wide reading
“Research has shown that children who read even
ten minutes a day outside of school experience
substantially higher rates of vocabulary growth
between second and fifth grade than children who
do little or no reading.” (Anderson & Nagy, 1992, p. 46)
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What the Research Says About
Vocabulary
 A student in the 20th
percentile reads books
.7
______
minutes a day.
 This adds up to
21,000
_________words
read
per year.
 A student in the 80th
percentile reads books
14.2 minutes a day.
______
 This adds up to
1,146,000 words read
__________
per year.
Percentile
Rank
Minutes Per
Day
Books
Words Read Per
Year
Text
Books
Text
98
65.0
67.3 4,358,000 4,733,000
90
21.2
33.4 1,823,000 2,357,000
80
14.2
24.6 1,146,000 1,697,000
70
9.6
16.9
622,000 1,168,000
60
6.5
13.1
432,000
722,000
50
4.6
9.2
282,000
601,000
40
3.2
6.2
200,000
421,000
30
1.8
4.3
106,000
251,000
20
0.7
2.4
21,000
134,000
10
0.1
1.0
8,000
51,000
2
0
0
0
8,000
Coyne, Kame'enui, & Chard © 2003
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What the Research Says About
Vocabulary
Effective vocabulary instruction:
Nurtures an appreciation of words and their use
Good vocabulary teaching makes students
excited about words and leads them to
attend more closely to them. (Stahl & Shiel,
1999)
word consciousness – An understanding of and
interest in words, how they are used, and their
importance in learning and communicating
Coyne, Kame'enui, & Chard © 2003
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What the Research Says About
Vocabulary
Ms. K:
Darleen:
Melissa:
Daniel:
Ms. K.:
Beth:
Thomas:
Laura:
Jorge:
Good afternoon.
Salutations, Ms. K.!
Greetings!
Hello!
So, how was recess?
Invigorating.
Exhausting. We played football!
Delightful. There was a lovely breeze.
Abbreviated. It was too short for me!
(Beck, McKeown, Kucan, 2002, p. 116)
Coyne, Kame'enui, & Chard © 2003
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Vocabulary Assessment
Vocabulary development is
difficult to assess.
However, children who are experiencing reading
difficulties are also at risk for falling behind their peers
in vocabulary development.
 Children who learn to read easily, enjoy reading, read more, are
exposed to more complex and varied vocabulary, learn the meanings of
more new words, and exhibit greater comprehension. All of which
results in even better reading skills.
 Children who struggle with reading, become frustrated with reading,
read less, encounter fewer new words, learn less vocabulary, and
understand less of what they read. All of which results in increased risk
of reading difficulties.
(National Research Council, 1998; Stanovich, 2000)
Coyne, Kame'enui, & Chard © 2003
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Objectives: What You Will
Learn and Do
The objectives of today’s session are to:
1. Understand the importance of vocabulary
in core reading instruction.
2. Identify methods to enhance core reading
instruction
Coyne, Kame'enui, & Chard © 2003
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Two Ways to Enhance Core
Instruction
1.
What we teach: Design
a) Curriculum maps
b) Selecting words to teach
2.
How we teach: Delivery
a) Demonstrate explicit steps and strategies
b) Model multiple examples
c) Provide multiple opportunities to practice
d) Structure ample review opportunities
Coyne, Kame'enui, & Chard © 2003
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Design: Curriculum Maps
Using the curriculum maps, read through the instructional priorities
for vocabulary. Write down the high priority skills that should be
the instructional focus for this year. _______________________
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Design: Curriculum Maps
Using the curriculum maps, read through the instructional priorities
for vocabulary. Write down the high priority skills that should be
the instructional focus for this year. _______________________
Coyne, Kame'enui, & Chard © 2003
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Design: Selecting Words
Selecting words to teach
Select 3-5 vocabulary words to teach from books you
are reading aloud, from text that students are reading
independently, or that are related to the content of
instruction (e.g., science, social studies).
Target vocabulary should include:
 Words that are important for understanding the text
or content (and that are not explained within the text).
 Words that students will encounter often, functionally
important words.
(Stahl, 1986)
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Design: Selecting Words
Tier 1
Tier 2
Tier 3
Description
Basic words that
most children
know before
entering school
Words that appear
frequently in texts
and for which
students already
have conceptual
understanding
Uncommon words
that are typically
associated with a
specific domain
Examples
clock, baby,
happy
sinister, fortunate,
adapt
isotope,
peninsula, bucolic
(Beck, McKeown, Kucan, 2002)
Coyne, Kame'enui, & Chard © 2003
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Delivery: How We Teach
Modifications to Enhance Core Vocabulary
Instruction
Reviews of reading curricula indicate that core
programs vary widely in the quality of vocabulary
instruction. However, enhancements can make
instruction more effective for more learners.
Teachers can strengthen core programs by including the
following instructional enhancements:
1. Demonstrate explicit steps and strategies
2. Model multiple examples
3. Provide extensive opportunities to practice
4. Structure ample review opportunities
Coyne, Kame'enui, & Chard © 2003
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Delivery: How We Teach
Core vocabulary instruction is most
effective when:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Teachers demonstrate explicit steps and strategies to students
by presenting the meanings of words using clear, consistent and
understandable language.
Teachers model multiple examples of vocabulary words by
modeling both a simple definition or synonym and then modeling
the definition within the context of a sentence or story.
Teachers provide students with extensive opportunities to
practice using vocabulary words that foster a deeper and more
complex level of understanding.
Teachers structure ample review opportunities that allow
students to discuss words multiple times both within and across
lessons.
Coyne, Kame'enui, & Chard © 2003
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Delivery: How We Teach
Core vocabulary instruction is most
effective when:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Teachers demonstrate explicit steps and strategies to students
by presenting the meanings of words using clear, consistent and
understandable language.
Teachers model multiple examples of vocabulary words by
modeling both a simple definition or synonym and then modeling
the definition within the context of a sentence or story.
Teachers provide students with extensive opportunities to
practice using vocabulary words that foster a deeper and more
complex level of understanding.
Teachers structure ample review opportunities that allow
students to discuss words multiple times both within and across
lessons.
Coyne, Kame'enui, & Chard © 2003
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Demonstrate Explicit Steps &
Strategies
Teachers should present meanings of target words
through instruction that is direct and
unambiguous. Meanings should be presented
using clear, consistent, and understandable
wording.
Examples:
sturdy: soundly constructed or constituted
cottage: smallish frame dwelling
sturdy: strong
cottage: a little house
Coyne, Kame'enui, & Chard © 2003
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Delivery: How We Teach
Core vocabulary instruction is most
effective when:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Teachers demonstrate explicit steps and strategies to students
by presenting the meanings of words using clear, consistent and
understandable language.
Teachers model multiple examples of vocabulary words by
modeling both a simple definition or synonym and then modeling
the definition within the context of a sentence or story.
Teachers provide students with extensive opportunities to
practice using vocabulary words that foster a deeper and more
complex level of understanding.
Teachers structure ample review opportunities that allow
students to discuss words multiple times both within and across
lessons.
Coyne, Kame'enui, & Chard © 2003
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Model Multiple Examples
When introducing a new vocabulary word,
teachers should model both a simple definition
or synonym and then model the definition within
the context of a sentence or story.
Example:
(From Where the Wild Things Are)
Let the wild rumpus start!
“Rumpus means ‘wild play’. Now I’ll say the
sentence with the words that mean the same as
rumpus. ‘Let the wild play start.’”
Coyne, Kame'enui, & Chard © 2003
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Delivery: How We Teach
Core vocabulary instruction is most
effective when:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Teachers demonstrate explicit steps and strategies to students
by presenting the meanings of words using clear, consistent and
understandable language.
Teachers model multiple examples of vocabulary words by
modeling both a simple definition or synonym and then modeling
the definition within the context of a sentence or story.
Teachers provide students with extensive opportunities to
practice using vocabulary words that foster a deeper and more
complex level of understanding.
Teachers structure ample review opportunities that allow
students to discuss words multiple times both within and across
lessons.
Coyne, Kame'enui, & Chard © 2003
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Opportunities to Practice
Teachers should provide children with multiple
opportunities to discuss target words in extended
discourse before and after reading. Additionally,
teachers should provide children with structured
discrimination and generalization tasks that challenge
them to process word meanings at a deeper and more
complex level.
Ways to provide varied and rich opportunities to practice
 Finding a synonym or antonym
 Making up a novel sentence with the word
 Classifying the word with other words
(e.g., concept maps, word maps, semantic maps)
 Relating the definition to one’s own experience
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Opportunities to Practice
Examples that Encourage Deep Processing:
Which word goes with fabulous - o.k. or super?
Why does super go with fabulous?
Is it fabulous if you fall and scrape your knee?
What would it be?
Maria thought her car was fabulous because. . .
The family had a fabulous time at the park.
How could a family have a fabulous time?
When have you had a fabulous time?
Is a masterpiece fabulous? Why?
The concert was the best he had ever heard. Every note
seemed perfect. Am I talking about fabulous or discover?
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Opportunities to Practice
Examples that Encourage Deep Processing:
What is it?
What is it like?
long
animal
scaly
reptile
legless
snake
slithery
serpent
scary
cobra
What are some
examples?
python
king
copperhead
cottonmouth
(Foil & Alber, 2002)
Coyne, Kame'enui, & Chard © 2003
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Delivery: How We Teach
Core vocabulary instruction is most
effective when:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Teachers demonstrate explicit steps and strategies to students
by presenting the meanings of words using clear, consistent and
understandable language.
Teachers model multiple examples of vocabulary words by
modeling both a simple definition or synonym and then modeling
the definition within the context of a sentence or story.
Teachers provide students with extensive opportunities to
practice using vocabulary words that foster a deeper and more
complex level of understanding.
Teachers structure ample review opportunities that allow
students to discuss words multiple times both within and across
lessons.
Coyne, Kame'enui, & Chard © 2003
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Evaluating A Lesson
Curriculum Example: Developing Story Vocabulary
 Print each word below on an index card. Display each card
and read the word, then have the children repeat it. Then
read the word again and provide the definition with
students repeating.
 Have children open their books to page 37 for sentence
reading. Have them read the first sentence and identify the
vocabulary word. Call on volunteers to re-read the
sentence replacing it with the definition. Repeat with
remaining sentences.
breaks—splits into parts
sown—planted
grew—got bigger
brewed—boiled with tea leaves
Coyne, Kame'enui, & Chard © 2003
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Evaluating A Lesson
Rating the Lesson
Examine the instructional language.
Does the lesson demonstrate explicit
steps and strategies?
Count the number of modeled
examples. Does the lesson model
multiple examples?
Count the number of opportunities to
practice. Does the lesson provides
multiple opportunities to practice?
How well do you feel the lesson will
meet the needs of the students?
Coyne, Kame'enui, & Chard © 2003
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Fix-Up for the Lesson
Areas Targeted for Enhancement
Criteria
How to Enhance
Explicit steps &
strategies
(NA)
Number of modeled
examples
Add modeled examples.
Opportunities to
practice
Provide students with additional
opportunities to practice using
and discussing words at a deeper
level.
Coyne, Kame'enui, & Chard © 2003
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Fix-Up for the Lesson
Curriculum Example: Developing Story Vocabulary

Print each word below on an index card. Display each card and read the
word, then have the children repeat it. Then read the word again and
provide the definition with students repeating.
breaks—splits into parts
sown—planted

grew—got bigger
brewed—boiled with tea leaves
Have children open their books to page 37 for sentence reading.
“I’ll read the first sentence. After the seeds were sown, Jack went inside for
the night. I noticed that one of our new words was in that sentence – sown.
Sown means planted. Now I’ll read the sentence again with our definition.
After the seeds were planted, Jack went inside for the night.
(Lesson repeats same modeling procedure with the next sentence.)
Coyne, Kame'enui, & Chard © 2003
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Fix-Up for the Lesson
Curriculum Example: Developing Story Vocabulary

“Now its your turn. Lets read the next sentence together. That night, the
beanstalk grew. Raise your hand if you noticed one of our new words.”
(Have students identify the vocabulary word and provide the definition.)
“Yes, that’s right. Grew means got bigger. Now lets read the sentence with
our definition. That night, the beanstalk got bigger.”

(Use the following questions to facilitate discussion of the word grew.
Encourage students to use the word grew in their responses. Ensure that all
students have an opportunity to contribute to the discussion.)
“Have any of you every planted anything that grew? What?”
“The (tree, puppy, fire, etc.) grew because…”
“Do you think a (rock, river, building) ever grew? Why or why not?”
“Before Jack knew it, the beanstalk was taller than the house. Am I
talking about brewed or grew?”
(Lesson repeats same practice procedure with the remaining words.)
Coyne, Kame'enui, & Chard © 2003
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Fix-Up for the Lesson
Curriculum Example: Developing Story Vocabulary
Enhancements:
 Modeled multiple examples of providing the
definition and using it in the context of the
sentence.
 Provided students with opportunities to
practice providing the definition and using it in
the
context of the sentence. Facilitated
using and
discussing words at a deeper
level.
Coyne, Kame'enui, & Chard © 2003
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Evaluating A Lesson
Curriculum Example: Preteaching Story Vocabulary
 Display Transparency 5 to introduce and discuss the following
words:
 Tease: to disturb by persistent irritating or provoking: The brother
teased his sister with a piece of candy.
 Stiff: something not easily bent; rigid: The piece of plastic pipe
was very stiff.
 Seriously: thoughtfully; sincerely: My dad said he would seriously
consider letting me go on the trip.
 Have students read the word, definition, and sentence. Ask for
volunteers to use the target word in their own sentence.
 Have students enter new vocabulary words in the notebooks
with a sentence.
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Evaluating A Lesson
Rating the Lesson
Examine the instructional language.
Does the lesson demonstrate explicit
steps and strategies?
Count the number of modeled
examples. Does the lesson model
multiple examples?
Count the number of opportunities to
practice. Does the lesson provides
multiple opportunities to practice?
How well do you feel the lesson will
meet the needs of the students?
Coyne, Kame'enui, & Chard © 2003
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Fix-Up for the Lesson
 What skill is being taught: ____________
 Is it a high priority skill? Yes No
Areas Targeted for Enhancement
Criteria
How to Enhance
Explicit steps &
strategies
Ensure that definitions are clear and
easily understandable.
Number of modeled
examples
Model using the definition in the context
of the sentence.
Opportunities to practice
Provide students with opportunities to
use the definition in the context of the
sentence. Provide practice using and
discussing words at a deeper level.
Coyne, Kame'enui, & Chard © 2003
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Fix-Up for the Lesson
Curriculum Example: Preteaching Story Vocabulary
 Display Transparency 5 to introduce the following
words:
 Tease: kept bothering: The brother teased his sister with a
piece of candy. (Read the definition and the sentence. Then
read the sentence with the definition. The brother kept
bothering his sister with a piece of candy.)
 Have students read the word, definition, and
sentence. Ask for volunteers to use the definition in
the sentence.
(Lesson repeats same modeling and practice procedure with
the remaining words.)
Coyne, Kame'enui, & Chard © 2003
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Fix-Up for the Lesson
Curriculum Example: Preteaching Story Vocabulary
Enhancements:
 Rewrote definition to make more clear and
understandable
 Provided students with opportunities to
practice providing the definition and using it in
the
context of the sentence.
How could you enhance students’ opportunities to
use and discuss words at a deeper level of
understanding? ___________________________
________________________________________
Coyne, Kame'enui, & Chard © 2003
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Evaluating A Lesson in Your Core
Program
 Using your adopted core reading
materials, identify an initial lesson
teaching vocabulary and complete the
included Application Activity.
 What things do you want to follow-up on
within your team reading meetings?
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