Regional Coaches’ Meeting
October 2007
Train the Trainer
Vocabulary Session
1
Today’s Objectives:
• Review what research says about vocabulary
and reading comprehension.
• Discuss methods of selecting critical
vocabulary words for direct instruction.
• Examine a 4-step method of “deep instruction”
for selected vocabulary words.
• Discuss methods for practice and review of
vocabulary words.
2
Part 1: Research Related to
Strengthening Instruction in
Reading Comprehension
Edited from the work of Joseph K. Torgesen
Florida State University and the National Center for
Reading First Technical Assistance
Comprehension Conference, Spring, 2007
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Teach the Meaning of Critical,
Unknown Vocabulary Words
Children’s vocabulary in the early grades relates to reading
comprehension in the upper grades.
•
Preschool - Children’s vocabulary correlated with reading
comprehension in upper elementary school. (Dickinson &
Tabors, 2001)
•
Kindergarten - Vocabulary size was an effective predictor of
reading comprehension in middle elementary years.
(Scarborough, 1998)
•
First Grade - Orally tested vocabulary was a significant
predictor of reading comprehension ten years later.
(Cunningham & Stanovich, 1997)
•
Third Grade - Children with restricted vocabulary have
declining comprehension scores in the later elementary
years. (Chall, Jacobs, & Baldwin, 1990)
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Teach the Meaning of Critical,
Unknown Vocabulary Words
Why the vocabulary gap?
Children enter school with different levels of
vocabulary. (Hart & Risley, 1995)
– Cumulative Vocabulary (Age 4)
• Children from professional families
• Children from working class families
• Children from welfare families
1100 words
700 words
500 words
– Linguistically “poor” first graders knew 5,000 words;
linguistically “rich” first graders knew 20,000 words.
(Moats, 2001)
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Teach the Meaning of Critical,
Unknown Vocabulary Words
Why the vocabulary gap?
•
Children who enter school with limited vocabulary
knowledge grow more discrepant over time from their peers
who have rich vocabulary knowledge. (Baker, Simmons, &
Kame’enui, 1997)
•
Gap in word knowledge persists through the elementary
years. (White, Graves, & Slater, 1990)
•
The vocabulary gap between struggling readers and
proficient readers grows each year. (Stanovich, 1986)
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Teach the Meaning of Critical,
Unknown Vocabulary Words
Why?
• Vocabulary is causally related to reading
comprehension.
• “Indeed, one of the most enduring
findings in reading research is the extent
to which students’ vocabulary knowledge
relates to their reading comprehension.”
(Osborn & Hiebert, 2004)
7
How does vocabulary contribute to the
acquisition of reading comprehension?
The obvious way – knowing the meanings of the
words in text is necessary to understand the
message being conveyed.
Other probable, less obvious ways —
• Vocabulary contributes to the development of phonemic
awareness (Metsala, 1998).
• Vocabulary contributes more accurate decoding of words
whose printed form is unfamiliar (Ehri, 2002).
• Vocabulary contributes to reading fluency because it
leads to more accurate reading practice.
8
The Challenge of Vocabulary Instruction for
Reading First Schools
1. Biemiller (2005) found that average students knew about
6,000 root words by end of 2nd grade
2. Students in lowest quartile knew about 4,000 words
3. Students in lowest quartile enter kindergarten knowing
between 2000 and 2500 words, so must learn 3500 to
4000 words to “close the gap”
4. Currently, lowest quartile students learn about 500-600 words a
year
5. Must add another 500 words a year to even approach “closing
the gap”
9
The Challenge of Vocabulary Instruction for
Reading First Schools
“To have a useful impact on vocabulary growth, an
intervention would need to add several hundred root word
meanings per year. This is considerably more meanings
than are presently addressed in classroom programs.”
“Until schools are prepared to emphasize vocabulary
acquisition, especially in the primary grades, less
advantaged children will continue to be handicapped even if
they master reading written words”.
Biemiller, A. & Boote, C. (2006). An effective method for building meaning
vocabulary in primary grades. Journal of Educational Psychology, 98, 4462.
10
What do we know from research about the
best ways to teach vocabulary?
Primary conclusions from report of NRP (2000)
1. Vocabulary should be taught both directly and indirectly.
2. Repetition and multiple exposures to vocabulary items are
important.
3. Learning in rich contexts is valuable for vocabulary learning.
4. Vocabulary learning should entail active engagement in
learning tasks.
5. Dependence on a single vocabulary instructional method will
not result in optimal learning.
11
Current research indicates that the kind of vocabulary
instruction that is most likely to have an impact on
reading comprehension involves:
• Providing both definitional information about words and
experience accessing their meaning in multiple
contexts.
• Total amount of time spent learning words has an
impact on reading comprehension – more exposures
rather than fewer.
• It is also helpful to require students to actively work with
words, use in sentences, redefine, classify, etc.
12
If young children are introduced to many word
meanings briefly in K-2, can they use this initial
knowledge to further build word knowledge
through reading?
The concept of “fast mapping” (Cary, 1978)
• Direct, brief explanation of meaning can establish
initial “fast mapping” of meaning.
• As initially mapped words are encountered in other
contexts, their meaning is extended and deepened.
13
What is a “sight word”?
Confusion: Sight word vocabulary as in words students
can recognize by sight.
“Sight words are words that readers have read accurately on
earlier occasions. They read the words by remembering how they
read them previously. The term sight indicates that sight of the
word activates that word in memory, including information about its
spelling, pronunciation, typical role in sentences, and meaning”
(Ehri, 1998)
“Sight of the word activates its pronunciation and meaning in
memory immediately without any sounding out or blending
required. Sight words are read as whole units with no pauses
between sounds” (Ehri, 2002))
14
Take Away Message About
Vocabulary
• The most effective methods of teaching vocabulary
(in order to influence reading comprehension)
involve a balance of definitional information and
repeated exposure to words in multiple contexts.
• Vocabulary instruction, by itself, can be expected to
have a modest impact on comprehension.
• To address the large difference in vocabulary size
associated with differences in SES, we also have to
employ methods that provide at least brief instruction
in the meaning of many words.
15
Part 2:Today’s presentation is based
on an earlier presentation by:
Anita L. Archer, Ph.D.
archerteach@aol.com
503-295-7749
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Teach the Meaning of Critical,
Unknown Vocabulary Words
Preparation:
Selecting Words for
Vocabulary Instruction
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Teach the Meaning of Critical, Unknown Vocabulary Words
Select Words for Vocabulary Instruction
• Select a limited number of words for robust,
explicit vocabulary instruction.
• Three to ten words per story or section in a
chapter would be appropriate.
• Briefly tell students the meaning of other words
that are needed for comprehension.
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Teach the Meaning of Critical, Unknown Vocabulary Words
Select Words for Vocabulary Instruction
• General Guidelines:
– Select words that are unknown.
– Select words that are critical to passage
understanding.
– Select words that students are likely to
encounter in the future and are generally
useful. (Stahl, 1986)
•
•
Focus on Tier Two words (Beck & McKeown, 2003)
Academic Vocabulary
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Teach the Meaning of Critical, Unknown Vocabulary Words
Select Words for Vocabulary Instruction
Tier 1
Tier 2
Tier 3
•The most basic words
•Words on Dale-Chall
list
High frequency for mature
language users and found
across a variety of
domains
•Words that are critical to
the understanding of the
story (might be “show and
go” or fast-mapped words)
Frequency of use is low,
often limited to specific
domains.
•“Show and Go” Words
•Fast-mapped Words
Examples
clock, baby,
happy, work
absurd, maintain,
fortunate
peninsula, isotope,
isthmus
Instruction
Rarely require
instruction at
school
Instruction geared Best learned
toward these words when a specific
can be most
need arises
productive
Description
(Beck, 2002)
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Teach the Meaning of Critical, Unknown Vocabulary Words
Select Words for Vocabulary Instruction
• Another way to state it:
– “Goldilocks Words”
(Stahl & Stahl, 2004)
• Not too difficult
• Not too easy
• Just right
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Teach the Meaning of Critical, Unknown Vocabulary Words
Select Words for Vocabulary Instruction
Your Turn…Circle 3-5 Tier 2 words that you would teach using robust vocabulary
instruction and underline any words that you can “show and go” or “fast-map”.
Second Graders (Read Aloud)
First Graders (Read Aloud)
Enemy Pie by Derek Munson
Honk! By Pamela Duncan Edwards
perfect
swan
trampoline
ballet
enemy
perfect
recipe
crazy
disgusting
figures
earthworms
graceful
ingredients
practiced
horrible
love
nervous
amazing
invited
furious
relieved
collector
boomerang
opera house
22
Circle 4 words for Robust Vocabulary
Instruction and Underline 5 words for “show
and go” or “fast-mapped” words.
Reading Level: 2nd
Lemonade for Sale
Series: Harcourt Trophies
Passage:
announced
members
neighborhood
arrived
rebuild
lemonade
glum
squawked
clubhouse
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Teach the Meaning of Critical, Unknown Vocabulary Words
Select Words for Vocabulary Instruction
• Also, teach idioms (A phrase or expression in
which the entire meaning is different from the usual
meaning of the individual words.)
“The car rolling down the hill caught my eye.”
“Soon we were in stitches.”
“The painting cost me an arm and a leg.”
“The teacher was under the weather.”
24
Teach the Meaning of Critical, Unknown Vocabulary Words
Prepare Student Friendly Definitions
•
•
Student-Friendly Explanation (Beck, McKeown, & Kucan, 2003)
–
–
Uses known words.
Is easy to understand.
–
“When something that was difficult is over or never
happened at all, you feel relieved.”
Dictionary Definition
–
Relieved - (1) To free wholly or partly from pain, stress, pressure.
(2) To lessen or alleviate, as pain or pressure
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Teach the Meaning of Critical, Unknown Vocabulary Words
Prepare Student Friendly Definitions
• Student-Friendly Definition Example
– Dictionary Definition
• Attention - (a.) the act or state of attending through
applying the mind to an object of sense or thought
(b.) a condition of readiness for such attention involving a
selective narrowing of consciousness and receptivity
– Explanation from Dictionary for English Language
Learners (Elementary Learner’s Dictionary published by
Oxford)
• Attention - looking or listening carefully and with interest
26
Online Web Dictionaries
•
www.wordsmyth.net
•
www.ldoceonline.com
•
www.wordcentral.com
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Teach the Meaning of Critical, Unknown Vocabulary Words
Select Words for Vocabulary Instruction
Your Turn… Write student-friendly definitions for these
four words.
Dictionary Definition
Student-Friendly
Explanations
disgusting - to cause to feel disgust; be
sickening, repulsive, or very distasteful to
fragile - easily broken, damaged, or
destroyed
gratitude - a feeling of thankful
appreciation for favors or benefits
received
loitering - to linger in an aimless way;
spend time idly
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Teach the Meaning of Critical,
Unknown Vocabulary Words
• View Video #1
• What instructional steps (routines) are used to
introduce each of the words?
• What other good practices do you observe?
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Teach the Meaning of Critical,
Unknown Vocabulary Words
• Robust, Explicit Vocabulary Instruction
–
Attributes of good vocabulary instruction
• Multiple exposures
• Definitional information and contextual
information
• Sufficient amount of instructional time to
insure understanding of words
• Active engagement in instruction
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Teach the Meaning of Critical,
Unknown Vocabulary Words
Instructional Routine
(Note: Teach words AFTER you have read a story to your students and
BEFORE students read a selection.)
B * (T)
D
A
Instructional Routine for Teaching
Critical, Unknown Vocabulary Words
Procedures:
Use Word
in Combination
Complete
Diagram or Four
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Introduce the Word
a. Write the word on board.
b. Read word. Students repeat.
c. Repeat for unfamiliar words.
Present a Student-Friendly
Definition
a. Tell students explanation,
or,
b. Have students read
explanation with you.
Illustrate the Word with Examples
• Concrete examples
• Visual representations
• Verbal examples
Check Students’ Understanding
Option 1:
Option 2:
Option 3:
Option 4:
V
with Page
Template
#17.
Square
with 4 new
vocabulary words.
Deep processing
questions
Examples/Nonexamples
Students generate
examples
Sentence starter
Example
“This word is reluctant.”
“What word?”
“Reluctant means you are not sure you want
to do something.”
“When you are not sure you want to do
something, you are …”
“If your mother asked you to try a new
food, you might be reluctant.”
“You may be reluctant to watch a scary
movie.”
“Why would a student be reluctant to go to
a new school?”
“Would you be reluctant to go to recess on
a warm, sunny day?”
“Tell your partner something you would be
reluctant to do.”
“Tell your partner something a cat might be
reluctant to do.
Start your sentence by saying, ‘A cat might
be reluctant to . . .’ Then tell why.”
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Teach the Meaning of Critical,
Unknown Vocabulary Words
Instructional Routine
• Step 1: Introduce the word
A. Write the word on the board.
B. Read the word. Students repeat.
C. Repeat for unfamiliar words.
“This word is relieved. What word?” __________
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Teach the Meaning of Critical,
Unknown Vocabulary Words
Instructional Routine
• Step 2: Present a Student-Friendly
Definition
A. Tell students an explanation, or
B. Have the students read the
explanation with you.
“When something that is difficult is over or never
happened at all, you feel relieved. So if something that
is difficult is over, you would feel _______________.
33
Teach the Meaning of Critical,
Unknown Vocabulary Words
Instructional Routine
• Step 3: Illustrate the word with
examples
– Concrete Examples
– Visual representations
– Verbal examples
“When the spelling test is over, you feel relieved.”
“When you have finished giving the speech that you
dreaded, you feel relieved.”
34
35
36
How to get vocabulary
pictures?
Santa Maria Bonita School District Web Site (Houghton Mifflin
Vocabulary pictures):
http://www.smbsd.org/page.cfm?p=1445
Google for Images!!
Web
Images
Groups
News
Maps
Advanced Search
Preferences
Google Search
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Teach the Meaning of Critical,
Unknown Vocabulary Words
Instructional Routine
• Step 4: Check Students’ Understanding
–
–
–
–
Option 1:
Option 2:
Option 3:
Option 4:
Deep Processing Questions
Examples and Non-Examples
Students Generate Examples
Sentence Starter
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Teach the Meaning of Critical,
Unknown Vocabulary Words
Instructional Routine
• Option 1: Ask deep processing questions.
When the students lined up for morning recess, Jason said,
“I am so relieved that this morning is over.” Why might
Jason be relieved?
When Maria was told that the soccer game had
been cancelled, she said, “I am relieved.” Why
might Maria be relieved?
39
Teach the Meaning of Critical,
Unknown Vocabulary Words
Instructional Routine
• Option 2: Have students discern between
examples and nonexamples.
“If you were nervous singing in front of others, would
you feel relieved when the concert was over?”
Yes “Why?”
“If you loved singing to audiences, would you feel
relieved when the concert was over?”
No “Why not?” It was not difficult for you.
40
Teach the Meaning of Critical,
Unknown Vocabulary Words
Instructional Routine
• Option 3: Have students generate their
own examples.
“Tell your partner a time when you were
relieved.”
41
Teach the Meaning of Critical,
Unknown Vocabulary Words
Instructional Routine
• Option 4: Provide students with a story starter.
Have them say a complete sentence.
Sometimes your mother is relieved. Tell your
partner when your mother is relieved. Start
your sentence by saying, “My mother is
relieved when________.”
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Teach the Meaning of Critical,
Unknown Vocabulary Words
Instructional Routine
• Instructional Routine Checklist:
Did the teacher:
1. Introduce the word?
2. Present a student-friendly
explanation?
3. Illustrate the word with examples?
4. Check students’ understanding?
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Teach the Meaning of Critical,
Unknown Vocabulary Words
Instructional Routine
• Vocabulary Review:
•
•
After teaching the group of vocabulary words,
review the words using a “word association”
activity.
Words written on board or overhead:
enemy, disgusting, invited, relieved
“Tell me the word that I am thinking about.
Someone that hates you might be called an ________.
If you didn’t like a food, you might say it is ________.
When a test is over, you often feel _________.
When you are asked to a party, you are _______.”
44
Another Vocabulary Review Idea
The students all have a page with the vocabulary pictures. The teacher asks questions
and the students point to pictures or chorally respond to questions.
Examples:
•“Touch the picture that shows a
‘troop’.”
•“Touch the picture that shows that
someone is ‘victorious’. What does
it mean to be ‘victorious’?”
•“Touch the picture that shows
someone is happy about something
they did. What is the vocabulary
word?”
•“Touch a picture that shows
someone has done something that
is hard. What is the vocabulary
word?”
•“Touch the picture that shows
‘farewell’. What does ‘farewell’
mean?
45
Teach the Meaning of Critical,
Unknown Vocabulary Words
•View video #2
Did the teacher:
1. Introduce the word?
2. Present a studentfriendly explanation?
3. Illustrate the word
with examples?
4. Check students’
understanding?
5. Review the words?
46
Teach the Meaning of Critical,
Unknown Vocabulary Words
• What other good practices did
you observe?
47
Practicing Vocabulary Words
Use in combination with Template #17.
Instructional strategies for
practicing Vocabulary Words
B
D
A* (T)
Procedures:
VP
Use in combination with Template #17.
Examples
1.
Yes/No/Why
Would it be disgusting to eat earthworms? Why?
Would a disgusting trash can smell good? Why?
2.
Completion
Activity
I was very persistent when (_____________).
Things that can be confined are (________________________).
3.
Graphic Organizer
depicting
relationship
between vocabulary
words
Same
hermit-loner
protection-shell
Opposite
Go Together
No Relation
X
hermit-odd
X
X
Have students explain why they marked each box.
4.
Word Lines
5.
Sentence Substitution
6.
Meaningful Sentence
Writing
How surprised would you be if . . .
....a dog started bantering you?
....a rabbit trudged through the garden?
Least Surprised. . . . . . . . . . . . . Most Surprised
When the math test was over, Poloma was very happy.
When the math test was over, Poloma was very . . .
(relieved).
Students write a sentence answering who, what, when where,
why, how questions.
During the past week, what have you been urged to do?
Why would a teacher be impressed with one of her students?
48
Template #17
Card # 17 Side B
Vocabulary - Procedures for Specific Word Instruction
Specific word instruction includes, but is not limited to, the below opportunities for multiple exposures.
1. Direct Definitions
• If a thing is fabulous it means it is wonderful or marvelous
2. Use Synonyms and Antonyms
• Which word is the same as 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?
• The boy had a fabulous time at the park. Did he have a great time or a terrible time?
• The concert was the best he had ever heard. Every note seemed perfect. Am I talking about fabulous or discover?
3. Make Up a Novel Sentence
Students make up a novel sentence:
• How could a family have a fabulous time?
• Why is a diamond necklace fabulous? A diamond necklace is fabulous because…
Teacher makes up a novel sentence:
• Maria thought her car was fabulous because it was hot pink.
4. Classify With Other Words
• Name some things that are fabulous. Name some things that are not fabulous.
• The boy had a fabulous time at the park. Did he have a great time or a terrible time?
• The concert was the best he had ever heard. Every note seemed perfect. Am I talking about fabulous or discover?
5. Relate the Definition to One’s Own Experiences
• Describe a time that something fabulous happened to you.
•I know you had a fabulous time on the fieldtrip. Describe it.
• Name a time that your family had a fabulous time.
• What could happen that would cause you to have a fabulous time?
49
Vary the Types of Independent
Vocabulary Practice Activities!
Example of Independent Activities:
Day 1: Write new vocabulary words on vocabulary cards to add to a
vocabulary ring or vocabulary card file.
Day 2: Write student-friendly definitions on back of vocabulary cards.
Day 3: Complete Word Diagram or Four Square Page with 4 new
vocabulary words.
Day 4: Complete Word Diagram or Four Square Page with 4 new
vocabulary words.
Day 5: Partner up and test each other on vocabulary definitions (using
vocabulary cards students take turns saying the word and the other
student gives the student-friendly definition -- or -- one student gives
the student-friendly definition and the other student says the word).
50
Four-Square Vocabulary
Word
Examples
Definition
Non-Examples
51
Word Diagrams
Word
What it is
What it is like
Examples
Non-Examples
52
Planning for Vocabulary Instruction
If you have lesson maps:
If you do not have lesson maps:
Step 1: Write student friendly definitions for words
identified in lesson maps.
Step 1: Identify key vocabulary words from selected
lesson.
Step 2: Compare lesson map vocabulary and vocabulary
selected by the Core Reading Program. Are the
student-friendly definitions offered sufficient for your
students? Which words that are not selected would
you need to add to the list?
Step 2: Are the student-friendly definitions offered
sufficient for your students? Which words that are not
selected would you need to add to the list?
Step 3: Create student-friendly definitions for all the words on your list.
Step 4: Write words and student-friendly definitions on sentence strips to post on the classroom wall.
Step 5: Find and print appropriate pictures for the vocabulary words.
53
Practice Vocabulary Instruction
Directions:
Each person will get one chance to be the teacher. Rest of the group will be the students and
observers.
Teacher: Will teach vocabulary using the methods that have been discussed and modeled.
Students: Will act as the students of the teacher. Please act as an average student, no
behavior problems please. Be on task, but it’s okay if you make a “mistake” every once in a
while. Remember your job is to allow your partner time to practice these techniques in a safe
environment.
Observers: Will use the observation rubric below to provide feedback to your partner. Always
remember to offer 2-3 positive comments to one area of improvement. Keep your comments
brief and specific.
Observed or Not Observed
Introduce the Word
Observed
Not Observed
Present a StudentFriendly
Definition
Observed
Not Observed
Illustrate the Word
with Examples
Observed
Not Observed
Check Students’
Understanding
Observed
Not Observed
Notes
54
Questions???
55