Vocabulary Development in
the Content Area
Using a Strategic Plan for Vocabulary Development to Increase Student
Achievement
Presented by Dr. Dorian Giorgio
Ice Breaker
Using the laminated cards and tacky
create a poster that shows how you
teach math vocabulary with your class
Pick a partner to share
Note what you have in common
Did you use all the same cards? Share
with your table.
Agenda
 Research Review –
 Why Focus on Vocabulary?
 How Does the Brain Learn and Remember Vocabulary?
 Types of Vocabulary
 Marzano’s 6-Step Process for Developing Vocabulary
 Designing a Strategic Plan for Vocabulary Development in 2015-2016
 Share Out
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Why?
Comprehensive School Focus
Powerful District Message
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By the end of the session
You will:
 Understand the characteristics of effective vocabulary
instruction, and
 Apply a six-step process for direct instruction in
vocabulary.
Vocabulary Development Research
Marzano and Sims (2013)
Children from low economic families develop less working
vocabulary
Children from higher SES homes have more language-learning
experiences
Language development gap increases over time
Children develop vocabulary by socializing with important
people in their lives
Three Areas Affected by
Low Vocabulary Development
Marzano and Sims (2013)
 Reading Ability
 Independent Reading
 Mental Processes
Types of Vocabulary
 Tier 1 words
 Developed through conversation, reading and daily experiences
 May need support for ELL students and students from low SES
environment
 Tier 2 words
 General academic or literary words
 Need to be developed as they are encountered and during
vocabulary lessons
 Tier 3 words
 Domain specific words
 Must be systematically developed during content instruction
Process of Vocabulary Development
Adapted from Marzano and Sims (2013)
New
Even a little time spent on vocabulary development can enrich learners!
Process of Vocabulary Development
Adapted from Marzano and Sims (2013)
Familiar
Process of Vocabulary Development
Adapted from Marzano and Sims (2013)
Assimilation
Process of Vocabulary Development
Adapted from Marzano and Sims (2013)
Fluent
Step 1
The teacher provides a
description, explanation,
or example of the new
term
Discussion Starters for Types of Word
Types
People
(author, character, villain, narrator, guest
speaker, host, hostess, film director, political
cartoonist)
Events
(play, interview, simulation, chance event)
Key Feature Questions



What actions does this kind of person perform?
What is required to become this kind of person?
What physical or psychological characteristics does this kind of person have?

What people are associated with this kind of event?
What process or actions are associated with this kind of event?
What equipment, materials, resources, or contexts are associated with this kind of
event?
What setting is associated with this kind of event?
What causes and consequences are associated with this kind of event?
What process is associated with this kind of product?
What purpose is associated with this kind of product?
What people is associated with this kind of product?
What equipment is associated with this kind of product?
What process is associated with this kind of mental action?
What people are associated with this kind of mental action?
What location is associated with this kind of mental action?
What causes or consequences are associated with this kind of mental action?
What purpose is associated with this kind of group, institution, or organization?
What people are associated with this kind of group, institution, or organization?
What setting is associated with this kind of group, institution, or organization?

Intellectual, artistic, or cognitive products
(essay, argument, tessellation, proof, model)
Mental actions
(revise, edit, reflect, problem solve, prove)
Social/societal groups, institutions, or
organizations
(audience, Modern Language Association,
American Psychological Association, control
group, representative, sample population)













Shapes/direction/position
(order of events, introduction, conclusion,
polygon, coordinate plane, circumference,
data distribution)

Quantities/amounts/measurements
(time frame, pacing, Roman numeral,
cardinal number, greater than, function)




What physical features are associated with this kind of shape, direction, or
position?
What uses are associated with this kind of shape, direction, or position?
What reference points are associated with this kind of shape, direction, or
position?
What relationships are associated with this kind of quantity, amount or
measurement?
What referents are associated with this kind of quantity, amount or
Step 2
Ask students to restate the
description, explanation, or
example in their own words
How we Remember
 Logogens use words
 Imagens use pictures
 Logogens and Imagens combine to provide meaning
 Sights, sounds, smells, and emotions provide stimulus to remember what we
learn
 Students need to engage is social learning experiences to create these
memories
Step 3
Ask students to construct
a picture, symbol, or
graphic representing the
word.
Vocabulary Notebooks
 Provide learning activities for students to explore new
terms
 Provide student choice in representing new terms
 Combine steps 2 and 3 in one activity
 Provide an opportunity to share and reflect with
classmates
 Provide students with a reference material for use during
mathematics
Complete One Vocabulary Organizer
 Pick one vocabulary organizer
 Pick a term from “horizontal”, “square” or “thousand”
 Write a definition for the term in your own words on the
organizer.
 Create an image to represent the term on the organizer.
Step 4
Engage students periodically in activities that
help them add to their knowledge of the
terms in their vocabulary notebooks
Choose two words from word list and
complete a Connect Two.
Line
Line Segment
Point
Polygon
Vertex
Two-Dimensional
Three-Dimensional
Length
Width
Perimeter
Closed Figure
Area
Plane Figure
Angle
Rectangle
Right Angle
Square
Ray
Circle
Choose one word and complete the
Examples and Non-examples Organizer
Line
Line Segment
Point
Polygon
Vertex
Perimeter
Area
Angle
Right Angle
Ray
Two-Dimensional
Three-Dimensional
Length
Width
Closed Figure
Plane Figure
Rectangle
Square
Circle
Step 5
Periodically ask
students to discuss
the terms with one
another
Discourse Time
Taken from Discourse Time! Developing the Argumentative Literacy in the Math Classroom by David Singer (2007)
 Small group discussion used to solve a problem while an outside group of
equal size monitors and scores
 Problem should not necessarily have a clear right or wrong answer
 Problem should not be given to students to solve on their own
 Problem should include previously taught vocabulary terms
 Students use their vocabulary notebooks to support their thinking
 Use a set scoring system
 Sit scorers outside the group and across from the person they are scoring
Discourse Time Scoring Suggestions
 State an opinion relevant to the problem (1 point)
 Draws another person into the discussion (1 point)
 Makes a connection – does not need to be math based (1 point)
 Supports an opinion with factual evidence (1 point)
 Asks a question that moves the discussion – pushes the group’s thinking (2 points)
 Proves some else's opinion with evidence (2 points)
 Uses term from vocabulary notebook correctly (2 points)
 Takes away from value of D. T. (-1 point)
Sample Discourse Problem
 In a two-boat sailing race, one boat, Windsprite, rounds the final buoy and
sails straight for the finish line at 12.0 knots. Exactly 4 minutes after Windsprite
rounds the final buoy, the other boat, Porpoise, reaches that point and
heads for the finish line at 12.7 knots. Windsprite reaches the finish line 49
minutes after rounding the last buoy. Who wins the race? Why?
Windsprite
Porpoise
Discourse Time Vocabulary List
 Sailboat
 Knot
 Distance
 Rate
 Minutes
 Difference
Step 6
Involve students periodically
in games that allow them to
play with terms
 Pictionary
 Memory
 Jeopardy
 Charades
 Name that Category
 Bingo
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Working with ESL Students
Step 1 (ESL): Provide a description, explanation,
or example of the new term (along with a
nonlinguistic representation).
Step 2 (ESL): Ask students to restate the
description, explanation, or example in their
own words in their own language.
Step 3 (ESL): Ask students to construct a picture,
symbol or graphic representing the term or
phrase. Students should create their own
representation and not copy yours from Step 1.
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Working with ESL Students
Step 4 (ESL): Engage students periodically in
activities that help them add to their knowledge
of the terms in their notebook. Allow students to
use their native language as much as possible.
Step 5 (ESL): Periodically ask students to discuss
the terms with one another. Pair students of the
same language together.
Step 6 (ESL): Involve students periodically in
games that allow them to play with terms. Pair
students of the same language together.
Using a Word Wall
taken from https://www.choiceliteracy.com/articles-detail-view.php?id=1329
 Add three to five high frequency words each week
 Introduce them with fanfare
 Have a brief, whole-group word wall activity every day
 Use an area of the classroom where the students can see the words and
may be working on activities that engage those words
 Don’t forget to have a “retirement party” for words that the students have
mastered, and remove mastered words
 Vocabulary for Common Core Standards Word Wall cards arranged by
grade level found at http://www.ncesd.org/Page/983
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Create a strategic plan
 Develop a list of terms
 1, 2, 3 terms per week for 30 weeks to teach target terms.
 Develop a weekly or unit plan for when and how each step in the 6 step
plan will be included in lessons
 Encourage students to add information to vocabulary notebooks after
working with terms on other learning activities
 Develop an assessment strategy
 Must include all 6 Steps
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Example of
Typical Two-Week Period
Monday
Tuesday
Provide
schema for
new term.
Students will
discuss and
write
understanding.
(Steps 1-2)
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Vocabulary Create nonlinguistic
game played representation.
right before (Step 3)
lunch
period.
(Step 6)
Comparison
Activity
(Step 4)
Vocabulary
game played
at end of day.
(Step 6)
Monday
Tuesday
Thursday
Friday
Provide
schema for
new term.
Students will
discuss and
write
understanding.
(Steps 1-2)
Vocabulary Create nonlinguistic
game played representation.
right before (Step 3)
lunch.
(Step 6)
Think-PairShare
Activity
(Step 5)
Comparison
Activity
(Step 4)
Wednesday
Lessons Learned –
From Kimberly Tyson at
http://www.learningunlimitedllc.com/2012/12/marzanos-6-step-vocabulary-process/
 As a teacher, you can’t teach every word which is why students also need to
be engaged in independent reading to build their vocabulary. However, for
targeted words that are key to mastering content or comprehending text, you
should try implementing the six-step process.
 Since Marzano’s six-step process has been around a number of years, he
reports several “lessons learned.” Keep these in mind as you implement the
six-step process:
 The process works best when you don’t skip any steps. Don’t pick and
choose which step you “like” best – do all 6 steps.
 Students need to generate their own definition of a term – sometimes I call
this a “kid friendly” definition.
 Step 3 – the nonlinguistic definition – is a powerful and important step.
When students visualize, create a pictogram, or act out a word, they learn it
well and achievement soars.
 Games – Step 6 – help students play with words and internalize word
meanings in a non-threatening atmosphere.
Your 6 Step Strategic Plan
 Use the planning tools in your handout to work with your colleagues to
develop your classroom plan.
 Determine when/how for each unit of instruction you will complete each of
the 6 steps
 Will you need a weekly schedule?
 Will you add mathematical terms to other vocabulary instruction?
 Will you use a vocabulary notebook that includes all vocabulary or design
one just for mathematics?
 What will be the layout for the notebook?
 What assessment strategies will you use and how can they be used
formatively?
Marzano’s 6-Step Process for Vocabulary Instruction
Step 1 – Describe – Provide students with a description, explanation or example (not a
definition) using common language • Determine prior knowledge • What do you think you
know about this term? • Use imagery
Step 2 – Restate – Students restate the description, explanation or example in their
own words • Discuss with a partner • Student record (notebook or journal)
Step 3 – Representations - Students represent the term non-linguistically • Graphic
representation illustrating process • Draw the thing • Draw a symbol • Dramatize the term •
Student record (notebook or journal)
Step 4 – Activities – Engage students periodically in activities that add to their
knowledge of the terms • Identify synonyms or antonyms • List related words • Write reminders
of common confusions • Draw an additional graphic • Write metaphors and analogies •
Compare terms • Classify terms • Student record (notebook or journal)
Step 5 – Discuss – Ask students to discuss terms with each other • Think-Pair-Share
about targeted terms • 2 minute vocabulary BUZZ • Add to or revise student record (notebook
or journal)
Step 6 – Games - Play games with your terms • Jeopardy • Pyramid • I have, who
has? Marzano (2004)
Thank you!
Have a great year.