Regional Literacy Team
Friday, November 21, 2014
BIG PICTURE
Implementation of the ELA CCSS
The Three Shifts in English Language Arts
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1. Regular practice with complex texts and their academic
language
2. Reading, writing, and speaking grounded in evidence from
texts, both literary and informational
3. Building knowledge through content-rich nonfiction
Today’s Learning Targets
Understand the links between reading, vocabulary and
academic performance (Shift 1)
Gain greater understanding of what the ELA CCSS look
like in classroom (Shift 2 and 3)
Unpack a SBAC Performance task to clarify what is being
asked of
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Teachers
Students
And link those expectations to
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Current resources and tools including the Digital Library
(All 3 Shifts)
Agenda
9:00 Welcome, Learning Targets, Getting to Know You
9:20
The Case for Vocabulary Instruction: Part 1
10:20
Break
10:40
The Case for Vocabulary Instruction: Part 2
12:00
LUNCH
12:30
What Does the CC Look Like in Practice?
1:30
Break
1:45
Unpacking a SBAC Performance Task
2:45
Review Learning Targets
2:50
Survey
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4
7 Norms of Collaboration
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1. Pausing
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2. Paraphrasing
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3. Probing
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4. Putting ideas on
the table
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5. Paying attention to self and
others
6. Presuming positive intentions
7. Pursuing a balance
between advocacy and inquiry
Getting to Know You
West Side of the Room
Thanksgiving
Appetizers
Black Friday
Holiday Shopping is done
and wrapped
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East Side of the Room
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Christmas
Dessert
Sleep In
December 24th is just fine
The Case for Vocabulary Part 1
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Thought Partners
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Some Statistics to Think About
 Predicting
Course Failure
 Poor reading in 8th grade predicts
course failure-students in the lowest
quartile were 3.5 times more likely than
students in the NEXT highest quartile
of reading
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Alliance for Excellent Education, 2007
Consider
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Students in the lowest 25 percent of their class in
reading are 20 times more likely to drop out then the
other 75%
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US Department of Education, 2003
Of the 7,000 students who drop out of high school
every school day- 75% end up incarcerated
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Alliance for Excellent Education, 2007
In fact…
 70
percent of prisoners in state and
federal systems can be classified as
illiterate
 85 percent of all juvenile offenders rate as
functionally or marginally illiterate
 43 percent of those whose literacy skills
are lowest live in poverty
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National Institute for Literacy
However, it is never too late!
 Inmates
have a 16 percent chance of
returning to prison if they receive literacy
intervention compared to those who do
not receive help who have a 70 percent
chance of re-incarceration.
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Ruben Rosario
What we know about Struggling Readers
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Difficulties in decoding and word recognition
are at the core of most reading difficulties
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( Lyon, 1997)
Because our language is alphabetic, decoding is
an essential and primary means of recognizing
words. There are simply too many words in the
English language to rely on memorization as a
primary word identification strategy
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(Bay Area Reading Task Force, 1996)
Struggling Readers, Continued…
 In a sample of 54 students, Juel found that
there was a 88% probability of being a poor
reader in fourth grade if you were a poor
reader in first grade. (Juel, 1988)
 Assuming students will “catch up” with
practice as usual is not wise. Catching up is a
low probability occurrence.
 The bottom 20-25% of struggling readers will
require a very different kind of effort in both
the short and long run.
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Reading as a Gateway Skill
75%
of variance in
academic achievement is
attributable to reading.
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Reflect with Thought Partner #1
 What
stood out to you from the
statistics presented?
 What types of reading intervention are
practiced in your school or district? What
are the results?
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Reading and Vocabulary
Federal studies suggest a student’s reading
performance may not improve until they have a
better grasp of vocabulary
 Knowledge of word meanings(vocabulary) is
critical to reading comprehension
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 Learning
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First Alliance, 2000, National Reading Panel, 2000
Vocabulary skills nationwide closely track
Reading Comprehension
U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics, 2013
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Vocabulary: Nationwide Progress
 The
top 25% of readers turned in an
average 255 point vocabulary score on a
500 point scale; the weakest 25% scored
only 177 points.
 The average 4th grader scored 218 in
2011, essentially unchanged from 2009
 The average 8th grader scored 265
unchanged from 2009
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U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics, 2013
The Gap
 The
vocabulary gap that exists when
students enter school continues into
adulthood.
 Schools aren’t helping narrow the
vocabulary gap despite the fact we know
the best way to teach it.
 For younger students, teachers tend to
use vocabulary students already know
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Sharon Darliing, President of the National Center for Family Literacy
Hart, B. & Risley, T.R. “The Early Catastrophe: The 30 Million
Word Gap by Age 3” (2003)
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The finding that children living in poverty hear fewer than
a third of the words heard by children from higherincome families has significant implications in the long run.
When extrapolated to the words heard by a child within
the first four years of their life these results reveal a 30
million word difference. That is, a child from a highincome family will experience 30 million more words
within the first four years of life than a child from a lowincome family. This gap does nothing but grow as the
years progress, ensuring slow growth for children who
are economically disadvantaged and accelerated growth
for those from more privileged backgrounds.
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And Yet…
A
rich vocabulary is absolutely key to
student’s academic success- previous
research suggests it’s the single biggest
indicator of a student’s future
achievement
 Vocabulary is the “Skill of Skills”
 Demographics isn’t destiny…but
vocabulary might be
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Robert Pondiscio, The Core Knowledge Foundation
Common Core and Vocabulary
Increased demands in content and academic
vocabulary
 Common Core asks teachers to teach fewer
subjects with more depth
 SBAC testing will require greater vocabulary
and more higher-order thinking using that
vocabulary
 Assigning words to memorize will not workSBAC tasks will not ask students to define
words in isolation, but use words in context
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From Classroom Instruction that Works
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One of the most generalizable findings in the
research is the strong relationship between
vocabulary and several important factors, such
as
 Intelligence ( Davis, 1944; Spearitt, 1972;
Thorndike and Lorge, 1943)
 One’s ability to comprehend new information
(Chall, 1958; Harrison, 1980)
 One’s level of income (Stitcht, Hofstetter, &
Hofstetter, 1997)
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Reflect with Thought Partner #2
How could the information
provided be used ~
in your classroom?
in your school ?
in your district?
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Vocabulary Instruction
“In fact, some researchers have concluded that systematic
vocabulary instruction in one of the most important instructional
interventions that teachers can use, particularly with low-achieving
students.” (Becker, 1977)
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What it looks like to read with 80%
accuracy
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He had never seen dogs fight as these w____ish c__f____t,
and his first ex____t____t him an unf_____able l_____n. It
is true, it was a vi___ex_____, else he would not have lived to
pr__it by it. Curly was the v______. They were camped near
the log store, where she, in her friend__ way, made ad______
to a husky dog the size of a full-_____ wolf, the _____ not
half so large as ___he. __ere was no w__ing, only a leap in like
a flash, a met____ clip of teeth, a leap out equal__ swift, and
Curly’s face was ripped open from eye to jaw. It was the wolf
manner of fight___, to st__ and leap away: but there was more
to it that this. Th___ or forty huskies ran _o the spot and not
com___nd that s____t circle. Buck did not com____d that
s___t in___, not the e__way with which they were licking
their chops.
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Kame’enui, Simmons, Coyne, & Harn
Vocabulary and Performance on CCSS
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Research has clearly established that students
will achieve higher scores on standardized
tests if they know the vocabulary of the
standards.
Tileston, D. Closing the RTI Gap
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How Did Fourth Graders Respond?
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“The boys were puzzled that there were no ducks.”
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The word “puzzled” means:
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A. Trying to follow the ducks
B. Hoping to play games with the ducks
C. Surprised that there were so many ducks
D. Confused that there were no ducks
Only 51% correctly chose “confused that there were no
ducks”
Take Heart, Difficulties with Vocabulary is
Not New
 “More
than eleven-twelfths of the
children in our schools do not
understand the meaning of the words
they read.”
 Horace Mann, 1838
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“Vocabulary Skills Nationwide Closely Track
Reading Comprehension” U.S. DOE, 2013
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If reading is the “gateway skill” and vocabulary is the “skill
of skills,” then….
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Each K-12 or Birth through 20 system needs a strong
foundational reading skills program
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The CCSS calls out for Foundational Skills as part of Tier 1 or Core
Instruction
If vocabulary instruction improves reading performance,
then…
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Each K-12 or Birth through 20 system also needs a systematic
means of providing vocabulary instruction
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CCR Anchor Standards for Reading (4): Interpret words and phrases
as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative
and figurative meanings and analyze how specific word choices shape
meaning or tone.
Systematic Vocabulary Instruction
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This is a TEST:
1. Which would you prefer: Explicit instructions or
implicit instructions when assembling a bookshelf? Why?
2. What advantages does Choral Response offer when
presenting information? For the students? For the
teacher?
3. According to brain research, what is Rule #1 for getting
information into long-term memory?
4.What instructional practice do you think is least
effective when students are learning new vocabulary
words? Why?
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Answers
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1.
2.
3.
4.
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Explicit= leave nothing to the imagination
Implicit= implied, not stated
For Students: Everyone is engaged, everyone is
responding/processing
For Teachers: Everyone is engaged; opportunity
to monitor student responses- ensure perfect
practice
Repetition, Repetition, Repetition, Repetition
Your thoughts?
Sources and Related Books
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Clear Teaching ~ Shepard Barbash
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Talent is Overrated ~ Geoff Colvin
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Conceptual Learning ~ Siegfried Englemann
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Brain Rules ~ John Medina
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Explicit Instruction ~ Anita Archer
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Words to Know
Jobbernowl- A stupid person, blockhead
 The jobbernowl drove the wrong way on a
one way street.
 Oojah- A doohickey or whatchamacallit
 My father asked me to hand him the oojah
when he couldn’t think of the name.
 Inglenook- A chimney corner
 The inglenook was chipped beyond repair.
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Match the vocabulary word to the definition
1.
Jobbernow
a. a chimney corner
2.
Oojah
b. a stupid person, blockhead
3.
Inglenook
c. a doohickey or whatchamacallit
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To complain
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Kvetch
Cruciverbalist
One who loves doing crossword puzzles
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Snollygoster
A shrewd, unprincipled person, especially a politician
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Flivver
A compact car of poor quality
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Vocabulary
What Students Need to
Learn
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The meanings for most of
the words in the text so
they can understand what
they read
How to apply a variety of
strategies to learn word
meanings
How to make connections
between words and
concepts
How to accurately use
“new” words in oral and
written language
How We Teach It
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Provide opportunities for students
to receive direct, explicit
instruction in the meanings of
words and in word learning
strategies
Provide many opportunities for
students to read in and out of
school
Engage children in daily
interactions that promote using
new vocabulary in both oral and
written language
Enrich and expand the vocabulary
knowledge of ELLs
Actively involve students in making
connections between concepts
and words
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Kame’enui, Simmons, Coyne, & Harn
How Do We Help Student’s Build
Vocabularies?
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To be effective, a program of vocabulary instruction should
provide students with opportunities for word learning by:
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Exposing students to high-quality oral language
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Promoting word consciousness
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Knowledge of and interest in words
Playing with language
Word games
Encouraging wide reading
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Use rich vocabulary
Read stories (Read alouds)
Audio Books
Proficient reading
Wide level reading (simple and challenging)
Hour per day
Explicit Vocabulary Instruction
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Explicit Instruction of Specific Words
 Explicit instruction of specific words and their
meanings will contribute greatly to vocabulary
development
 Use both definitional and contextual information
about word meanings,
 Involve students actively in word learning, and
 Use discussion to teach the meanings of new
words and to provide meaningful information
about the words.
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From Classroom Instruction That Works
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1. Students must encounter words in context more than
once to learn them. (6-40 times)
2. Instruction in new words enhances learning those
words in context.
3. One of the best ways to learn a new word is to
associate an image with it.
4. Direct vocabulary instruction works.
5. Direct instruction on words that are critical to new
content produces the most powerful learning.
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Jenkins, Stein and Wysocki, 1984
Nagy and Anderson, 1984
Stahl and Fairbanks, 1986
Classroom Instruction That Works Process
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Step 1. Present students with brief explanation or
description of the new term or phase.
Step 2. Present students with a nonlinguistic
representation of the new term or phrase.
Step 3. Ask students to generate their own explanations
or descriptions of the term or phrase.
Step 4. Ask students to create their own nonlinguistic
representation of the term or phrase.
Step 5. Periodically ask students to review the accuracy of
their explanations and representations.
Step 6. Involve students periodically in games that enable
them to play with terms.
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Anita Archer’s Explicit Vocabulary
Instruction
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http://explicitinstruction.org/?page_id=317
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This is the main page for Anita’s Vocabulary Work, it
includes an embedded video and her protocol for explicit
teaching vocabulary.
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Thought Partner #2
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What squares with your
thinking about teaching
vocabulary?
What challenges your
thinking about teaching
vocabulary?
Use Definitional and Contextual Information
Such as:
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Teach synonyms
Teach antonyms
Rewrite definitions
Provide example sentences
Provide non-examples
Discuss the difference
between the new word and
related words.
Have students create
sentences that contain the
new word
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Use more than one new
word in a sentence.
Discuss the meaning of the
same word in different
sentences
Create a scenario
Create silly questions: For
the words actuary, hermit,
philanthropist, and villain,
their questions might include
“Can an actuary be a
hermit?” “Can an actuary be
a philanthropist?” “Can a
philanthropist be a hermit?”
Teaching Vocabulary
 HEAR
words in context
 SEE the BIG IDEA
 SAY words and organize thoughts
 DO…Act and copy your model
 Teach
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the language of the lesson- many
times
Wayne Callender’s Plan
1. Screen language to identify students at risk.
 2. Have a powerful and immediate plan for
providing intervention.
 3. Provide intentional, explicit vocabulary
instruction targeting key academic words.
 4. Align instructional efforts to brain research
regarding long-term memory retention.
 5. Assess vocabulary purposefully and often
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Step One
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Screen Kindergarten and First Grade Students to identify
students at Language risk
Provide a minimum of 1 to 2 years of Systematic
Intervention- 30-45 minutes a day
Screen older students using vocabulary benchmark
assessments- provide systematic intervention for students
below the 10th percentile
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Possible resources you already have:
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Easy CBM (paid version)
RM’s Language for Learning (K-1) and Language for Thinking (1-2)]
SRA Reasoning and Writing
Step Two
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1. Identify academic words to be taught (Science, Math,
Reading and Social Studies)
2. Create Kid Friendly Definitions
3. Create power point slide for each word that includes
the word, definition, and picture
4. Review instructional routines (templates provided)
5. Place vocabulary in context
6. Create vocabulary practice centers/stations
7. Create vocabulary mastery tests
8. Provide progress monitoring
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SIDE NOTE: How does the brain
learn new information ?
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You will need Thought Partner #3
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Slides 53- 57 provide a
review of current Brain
Research.
Read and review these
slides
Discuss how you might
incorporate this
information into your
classroom or job role.
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Begins with the rehearsal of a new skill in
the working memory
Repeated practice causes the brain to
assign extra neurons to the task
The quality of the practice and the
person’s knowledge base determines the
outcome of each practice session
Most memories disappear within minutes
but those that survive strengthen with
time
The way to make long-term memory
reliable is to incorporate new information
gradually and repeat it in timed intervals
PRACTICE MAKES PERMENENT,
PERFECT PRACTICE MAKES
PERFECT
Reminder: How the
Brain Learns
*Guided practice is used to
insure correct practice-teachers
provide feedback to improve
student practice
*AVOID independent practice
until students are likely to
practice it correctly.
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Conditions for Practice to Improve
Performance
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1. The Learner must be sufficiently motivated to improve
performance
2. The Learner must have all the knowledge necessary to
understand the different ways the new knowledge or skill
can be applied
3. The Learner must understand how to apply the
knowledge to deal with a particular situation
4. The learner must be able to analyze the result of that
application and know what needs to be changed to
improve performance in the future.
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The Teacher’s Role
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1. Select the smallest amount of material that will have
the maximum meaning for the learner.
2. Model the application process step by step. Studies
repeatedly show the brain uses observation as a means
for determining the spatial learning needed to master a
motor skill. (Petrosini, et al, 2003)
3. Insist the practice occur in the teacher’s presence over
a short period of time while the student is focused on the
learning
4. Watch the practice and provide the students with
prompt and specific feedback.
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Creating Ideal Learning Conditions
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Limit the amount of information presented per unit
of time and repeat it.
25-minute sessions, cyclically repeated throughout
the day.
Subject A is taught for 25 minutes constituting the
first exposure. Ninety minutes later the 25 minute
content of subject A is repeated and then a third
time.
Brain Rule: Memory is not fixed at the
moment of learning… repetition provides the
fixative!
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Remember
 The
relationship
between
repetition and
memory is
absolute.
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Resources and Relevancy
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Vocabulary Resources
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Each District Represented
Today Receives a CD:
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Critical Words Vocabulary
ELA Progress Monitoring
Probes
ELA Vocabulary
Language Screeners
Math Progress Monitoring
Probes
Math Vocabulary
Science Vocabulary
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In your packet
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Sample pages
Critical words
ELA, Math & Science
Instructional Templates
Vocabulary Resource Page
Ideas for Vocab Practice
Systematic Action Plan
High-Incidence Academic
Word List (Averil
Coxhead)
CCSS Appendix A:
Vocabulary
Wayne’s Vocabulary Plan
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Day 1&2
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Direct teaching using
vocabulary (V)template
Meaningful practice using one
or more of the strategies
from VP template
Day 3&4
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Vocabulary practice continues
from VP template
Differentiate practice-teaching
table, practice table,
independent table
Administer Mastery
Assessment at end of period
to determine focus for Day 5
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Day 5
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If 80% of class passes mastery
test, work with students that
did not- the rest would work
at centers to continue firming
up and extending practice
If less than 80% pass, direct
teach entire group using
vocabulary template (V),
followed by differentiated
practice
Identify words to be carried
over as review words from
mastery tests
Progress Monitoring
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At least every 4th week, have a “Review Holiday”reviewing all previously taught words.
Monthly, vocabulary progress probes are
administered
 Random words from all words
 15 words/ 16 definitions
 Matching
 5 Minute maximum time limit- check for
generalization and automaticity- expect to see
percent increase over course of year
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Vocabulary Activities
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With your table mates,
begin at one of the
vocabulary activities
posted on the wall.
A timer will tell you when
to move to the next
station.
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Vocabulary Mastery Test
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Vocabulary Word
1. Joobernowl
2. Kvetch
3. Oojah
4. Inglenook
5. Snollygoster
6. Flivver
7. Cruciverbalist
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
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What Does it Mean?
_________________
_________________
_________________
_________________
_________________
_________________
_________________
Vocabulary Mastery Test
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Vocabulary Word

What Does it Mean?

1. Joobernow

1. A stupid person, blockhead

2. Kvetch
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2. Complain
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3. Oojah
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3. Watchamacallit
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4. A chimney corner
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5. A shrewd, unprincipled person
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4. Inglenook
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5. Snollygoster
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6. Flivver
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6. A compact car of poor quality
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7. Cruciverbalist
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7. One who loves doing crossword
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especially a politician
puzzles
More Resources
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
Florida Center on Reading Research

for EDUCATORS

for RESEARCHERS

FAIR-FS

about FCRR

Student Center Activities
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Empowering Teachers

Principal Reading Walk-Through Checklists

Additional Documents

for EDUCATORS

Student Center Activities
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Student Center Activities Aligned to the Common Core State Standards

Use these charts to access Student Center Activities aligned to each of the Common Core State
Standards (Grades K through 5). Click on the grade level below to access the activities organized
by standard. A Center on Instruction document listing the standards addressed by each Student
Center Activity can be accessed here.

Reading Foundational Skills
Kindergarten | Grade 1 | Grade 2 | Grades 3 through 5

Reading Literary Text
Grades K and 1 | Grades 2 and 3 | Grades 4 and 5

Reading for Information
Grades K and 1 | Grades 2 and 3

Language
Grades K and 1 | Grades 2 and 3 | Grades 4 and 5

Writing
Grades K through 5

Speaking & Listening
Grades K through 5

Note:
All educators are welcome to make print copies of the Student Center Activities as long as
modifications are not made, the materials will only be used for non-profit educational purposes,
and the copyright remains the same. The resources on our site may be linked to but not
reposted, reproduced, modified or copied to other sites.
Marilee Sprenger Resources
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http://www.marileespreng
er.com/the-criticalwords.html
http://www.marileespreng
er.com/the-common-coreand-vocabulary.htm
http://www.edutopia.org/b
log/teaching-ccss-criticalvocabulary-marileesprenger
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
Critical Word List

Background on how she
pulled the words from the
CCSS

Edutopia article on
Critical Vocabulary
In Order to Proceed from Here…
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Develop a plan
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Which words? From which list?
One classroom, one grade level, whole school?
How many words per week?
Is there time to organize the lists by content or units?
What does CORE or Tier One vocabulary instruction look
like?
What would Tier 2 or 3/Interventions look like?
Do we screen?
Do we test for mastery weekly?
Do we progress monitor?
Will this help our students?
Team Thought Partners

Discuss with your district level or school level coworkers the relevancy of this learning for your context.
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When we know better, we do
better.
Maya Angelou
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LUNCH TIME
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What Does ELA CCSS Look Like
in Classrooms?
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NPR’s 4 Part Series: Reading in the
Common Core Era
We are going to look at the first two articles
in the series that highlight Washoe County
Schools in Reno, Nevada.
 These two articles address the Three Major
Shifts:
 Shift 1~Regular practice with complex text
 Shift 2~Reading, writing, and speaking
grounded in evidence from text
 Shift 3~Building knowledge through contentrich non-fiction

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Choose a Partner!
 Please
choose a partner to work with
and send one person up to get both
articles.
 Between the two of you, you can decide
who is going to read the first part and
who will read the second part.
 Read your articles and be prepared to
summarize for your partner.
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After you finish reading…






Guiding Questions for Two-Part Article:
Briefly summarize the highlights of each article with your
partner.
Then use these questions to guide your conversation:
Why might the showcase district or any district have
established the former approach of teaching reading?
Where is evidence of the shifts these teachers
experienced?
As these teachers mucked about with core-aligned
lessons, what remained familiar with past practice and
what did they do to augment current practice?
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Please go back to your tables
Debrief
with your district
group what surfaced in
your partner conversations.
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Look what was found in the Digital Library!



http://vimeo.com/54871
334
“Students Cite Evidence
From Informational And
Literary Text-Common
Core Lit”
Secondary
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


http://vimeo.com/85789
658
Exploring Narrative
Non-Fiction
Primary
Brief SBAC Update: Achievement
Level Recommendations
http://www.k12.wa.us/
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Unpacking SBAC Performance
Tasks
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Unpacking SBAC Performance Tasks




Goal: Get a clear picture of how the CCSS and the SBAC
performance tasks can inform and will impact classroom
instruction
Activity: There are three SBAC Performance Tasks to
choose from: 4th Grade, 6th Grade and 11th Grade.
Choose the one closest to the grade level you serve.
Find a partner to work with and send one person up the
for materials while the other partner accesses the SBAC
website and web browser.
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Activity
Read through the overview and all steps for
the Performance Task first.You can do this
online or we have a few hard copies available.
 Read through stimuli (resources provided for
tasks.) Resources have been provided.
 Skim Task Specifications and Scoring Rubrics
 Complete Performance Task Analysis

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Graffiti Wall
 On
the poster pages provided on
the wall, quickly jot down an “ahha” or other appropriate
response.
 What came to mind when you
were unpacking and analyzing the
Performance Task?
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How Did We Do on Today’s Learning
Targets?



Understand the links between reading, vocabulary and
academic performance
Gain greater understanding of what the ELA CCSS look
like in classroom
Unpack a SBAC Performance task to clarify what is being
asked of



Teachers
Students
And link those expectations to

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Current resources and tools including the Digital Library
AESD ELA Survey

http://www.surveygizmo.c
om/s3/1823990/AESDELA-PD-Reflection




OR Scan




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ESD: Olympic Educational
Service District 114
Course Title: Other
Enter: RLT#2
Date: 11/21/2014
Clock Hours: 6
Note: Not all questions on
this survey fit the learning
targets for each RLT, please
select “Not Applicable” to
question 10: D, E, and F
Thank You for Your Participation
Today in our Regional Literacy
Team!
AND HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM KATHLEEN AND
SANDY!
See you on January 23, 2015 for the next RLT
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