Building Academic Language
Tiered Vocabulary
PD Module 2: October 29, 2015
Today’s Goals
Demonstrate the importance of Tier 2
vocabulary (mortar words)
Explore “Pulling Out” Tier 2
Vocabulary and the implications of the
“Vocabulary Gap” for our learners
Practice vocabulary strategies/games
Vocabulary JENGA!
4 Volunteers or ”Voluntolds” sit at the
the JENGA Table
Remaining Participants “Fishbowl”
around in a circle to observe
Play/Observe Vocabulary JENGA
Whole Group Debrief
How was the “Pulling Out Tier 2 Word
Game” a metaphor?
As you sorted the Jenga words, what
words did you have conversations
about? Were there words that were
both Tier 2 and Tier 3?
30 Second Blast
At your table, generate a list of “meanings” the
following word has:
BAR
At your table, create as many sentences as
possible of the “multiple meanings” for the
following 2 word phrasal verb:
PUT OUT
30 Second Blast
BAR:
 Soap
 Sand (water/ocean)
 Iron on window
 Stop
 Lawyer
 Place to drink
 Place to keep adult beverages
 “none” – nothing better than
 Metal lump
 Musical term
30 Second Blast
Put Out:
 Inconvenience
 Set something out
 (Inappropriate Meaning)
 Horse to pasture
 Extinguish
 Publish
 Maximum effort
 Ships to sea
 Baseball
Bricks & Mortar
Bricks/Tier 3 Words = specific content vocabulary of
subject (i.e. radius; sedimentary rock)
Mortar/Tier 2 Words = general academic vocabulary
and ways of using language that span subjects (i.e.
concept; analyze; process; according to)
Need to help students learn both the bricks and the
mortar, especially the mortar/Tier 2 “portable” words.
Do you know what this means?
One ___________, there was a ____________ of producers in a food web.
As a result, the number of deer and wolves _______________. The reason
that both the deer and wolf populations __________________ is that:
A. producers are not as important as consumers in a food web
B. more consumers than producers are needed to ________________the
food web
C. organisms in this food web are _____________
C. populations __________ to stay _____________ in a _______________
(NYS Regents HS Exam; Living Environment Item 3, August 13, 2008)
Making Meaning
Tier 2Vocabulary
You will have 5 readings to examine
with the Tier 2 words removed
2. Silently, pick 1 or 2 pages and read
3. Try to find someone at your table read
the same pages
4. Attempt to make meaning of the text
1.
Were you able to
determine meaning
of the texts? How?
Given a learning task
or assessment
based on the
readings, how would
you perform?
Did discussing the
text with a partner
help increase your
understanding?
What connections
can you make from
this activity to those
of your struggling
readers you work
with?
Tier 2 words across grade levels
The same idea becomes more sophisticated as
students progress across grade levels.
and ⇨ also ⇨ additionally ⇨ moreover ⇨
furthermore
so ⇨ because ⇨ therefore ⇨ as a result ⇨
consequently (Causality)
end ⇨ last ⇨ finally ⇨ in conclusion ⇨ to sum up
I like ⇨ I think ____ ⇨ In my opinion ⇨ Based on
____ I believe
90% Rule for Comprehension
 Knowing 90% of the words used in a passage

•
•
•
helps students use context clues, cognitive
strategies, and inferring abilities that strengthen
reading comprehension and support learning
additional words.
90% Comprehension Rule:
Frustration Level: Below 90% Comprehension
Instructional Level: 90% - 95% Comprehension
range
Independent Level: 95% Comprehension
Tier 2 Vocabulary Instruction
Watch the video demonstration of
Marzano’s Six Step Process to teach
tier two vocabulary
2. Observe and identify the teacher
actions and behaviors that focus the
lesson on vocabulary and/or are
“sound” instructional practice
3. Describe the student actions and
behaviors/interactions with
vocabulary
1.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9DPKgBrJQE
Whole Group Debrief
Marzano’s 6 Step Vocabulary Lesson
 Teacher Behaviors/Actions:
 Student Behaviors/Actions:
Tier 2 vs Tier 3
These are parallel processes happening in your work
every day by explicitly teaching and using:
 Transition words
 Signal words
 Task words
 Multi-meaning words
When teaching content vocabulary, the process
becomes as important as the product.
Vocabulary
Charades
Jenga Sort
Talk a Mile a
Minute
What
vocabulary
activites do
you do with
students?
Building Academic Language
Next Workshop
PD Module 3: December 10, 2015
Remember to Complete Your Homework!!