building vocabulary one word at a time dr. peggy marciniec university of wisconsin – superior...

BUILDING VOCABULARY

One Word at a Time

Dr. Peggy Marciniec University of Wisconsin – Superior

pmarcini@uwsuper.edu

Vocabulary is….

all of the words of our language. used by or known by a child or adult. both expressive and receptive. closely linked to comprehension. specific to content and situation.

Words are….

labels for concepts. best learned by direct, purposeful

experiences.

Words and Concepts:

Concepts form mental images Are synonymous with forming

categories and relationships Are connected in our schema

Schema building supports vocabulary growth ------

Dr. Principal Smith, How r u? Just shooting you an em to ask u 4 the new txtbks. The class is going SFSG. BTW, thestudents have been asking abt the field trip. Couldyou pls em me back b4 2 long to work out the details? Thnx. TTYL.

Mrs. Jones

UNABRIDGED INSTANT TEXT MESSAGE DICTIONARY

http://www.net-comber.com/acronyms.html

We Will Rock You

Buddy you’re a boy make a big noisePlayin’ in the street gonna be a big man

some dayYou got mud on yo’ faceYou big disgraceKickin’ your can all over the place

We will we will rock youWe will we will rock you

………

Buddy you’re a young man hard manShoutin’ in the street gonna take on the

world some dayYou got blood on yo’ faceYou big disgraceWavin’ your banner all over the place

We will we will rock youWe will we will rock you

-Queen

Schema Building

animals

vertebrates invertebrates

mammals fish birds amphibians

Why Teach Vocabulary? Estimates find roughly 88,000 words appearing

in printed school English. By the end of high school, the average student

knows 44,000. If a child enters 1st grade knowing 6,000 words,

he must learn 3,000 new words/year. Children learn about 3,000 words/year, but only

300 from systematic instruction. 100 words account for 50% of all printed text. 300 account for 65% of words in text.

Principles - Teaching Vocabulary…. Chose words that will be encountered in

text and talking frequently.* for instructional relevance, not just archaic or difficult* key words that convey major concepts* words useful in a variety of contexts

* assume acquaintance, not friendship with words

Teach words in relation to other words.* synonym, antonym, homonym sum= add, all together, plus

..more principles…. Show how to relate new words to

background knowledge.* What do students already know that can

be an anchor point? Teach words in prereading activities and

use them in postreading response.* Actively choose the words and the activities.

Teach words systematically and in depth.* In order to process a word IN DEPTH, students must generate a novel product using the word (say, apply, manipulate).

…one more…..

Awaken interest in and enthusiasm for words.* It is more than vocabulary skill and drill…..

- share yours

(onomatopoeia, peninsula, arachnid…)- demonstration- word of the day

So What’s a Teacher to Do?

Make conscious choices in planning Focus on learning most words

BEFORE you teach Choose the words YOU think need to

be studied Determine the most effective way to

teach words Here are a few (16 or so) ways!

Word of the Day This week's theme

Words related to the names of fish

This week's words - Word.A.Day

tope PRONUNCIATION:(tope) MEANING:verb tr., intr.: 1. To drink (liquor) habitually and copiously.noun: 2. A small shark with a long snout (Galeorhinus galeus).noun: 3. A usually dome-shaped monument built by Buddhists. Also known as a stupa.

Multiple Meanings Words with multiple meanings

In content areas, common words might mean something different:(force, mean, table, bank, spring….)

1. Select words from text2. Have students predict word meanings3. Assign the reading – include page #s where

words can be found4. Have students verify their original predicted

meanings

Context Clues Definition

word appears directly and clearly in the sentence.

Antonym word appears after a signal word …. unlike, as

opposed to Synonym

word is used with similar words in the same sentence

Inference word can be inferred from the context

Contextual Redefinition

1.  Select unfamiliar words. 2.  Write a sentence which allows students to

guess the meaning through the use of contextual clues.

3.  Present the words in isolation and elicit students' predictions and guesses.

4.  Present the words in the sentences you've written.

5.  Have them revisit their guesses and make changes.

6.  Use the dictionary to verify definitions.

Contextual Redefinition…….Example:1.  carapace______________________________

Without its carapace, the turtle would be subject to certain death from its enemies or the elements.

2. insipid________________________________________

His teaching lacked spit.  He presented the lesson in a dull manner, failing to challenge or stimulate the students.  The teacher knew he had made an insipid presentation.

Morphemic Analysis meanings of words can be determined or inferred by

examining their meaningful parts (i.e., prefixes, suffixes, roots, etc.)

morpheme Math terms Means….bi biangular ?(TWO) bilinear  ?

bimodalbinomial 

cent centimeter(HUNDRED) percent

centigram

Analogies require students to draw inferences and

identify the more subtle aspects of a word's meaning. 

noun: subject :: verb:________Gandhi: India :: Martin Luther King: _______

Analogies Grid       Vocabulary Term Relates to How?

Gandhi India Gandhi lived in India

Knowledge Rating

word Know it well 1

Think I Know It 2

Don’t Know It 3

caribou

reindeer

tundra

migrate

lichen

graze

marsh

mosquitoes

Possible Sentences Activates prior knowledge/schema * Generate a list of 8 to 10 words prior to

reading* Have students create 5 possible sentences by using two words in each

sentence until all words are gone. * Teach your lesson on the topic. * Have students look at their sentences and mark them + or –

* For sentences marked incorrect, students should write a corrected sentence.

Possible Sentences…example

Sample Words for an lesson about the Internet:

network modem ISP URLwebpage hyperlink graphic textweb browser AUP  

POSSIBLE SENTENCES:1. 2.3.

Word Sorts

Students engage in critical thinking as they examine sight vocabulary, concepts, or

word structure.

Open Sort – student defined Closed Sort – teacher defined

TO BEGIN: make cards with words to sort

Sort example……parts of speech

night knight sway

cooking walked wonderful

kitchen turkey albino

shoveling shovel pound

Synonym Continuum(Semantic Gradient)

Look up word in a thesaurus: designate Synonyms might be

indicate, name, specify, pinpoint, choose, nominate, assign, identifyChoose 4 to 6 to make a continuum:

nominate choose select pinpoint designate assign

Concept Circles

ferry

kayak

canoe

_________________

Concept Circles

Concept Circles

Concept Circles

__________

_________

___Green Stuff__

__________

Cube It!

Cubing Use a pattern for a cube. Have students

Write the vocabulary word. Define it.Student writes a personal connection.

Write a synonym. Write an antonym and illustrate it. 

Hang the various vocabulary cubes in a mobile form.

Connect Two! Select key words Enter them on a

circle graphic After reading, have

students tell how words next to each other connect

“Bum connects with castle because…”

bum

fiercest

dragon

smashed

burned up

castle

THE PAPERBAG PRINCESS

Semantic Feature Analysis

shape 4-sided?

CurvedLines?

# of line segments?

# of right angles?

triangle no no 3 ???rectangle yes noparallelogram

circle

trapezoid

square

rhombus

Four Square

word

precipitation

Personal connection

bad hair day

definition rain, snow, or hail, all of which are formed by condensation of moisture in the atmosphere and fall to the ground

picture

Vocabulary Mapping

quiz

presentation report

quick write

observation

INFORMAL ASSESSMENT

Collect Words

Teacher modeling! Select a word that is interesting (or

difficult, or long, or foreign) Enter it on a chart or mark it with a

Post It note. Tell why it was chosen. Where (context) did it appear? Define it (try logic/context first)

Some cool words to leave you with….

TornadicThere was tornadic activity along I-35 today.

SkankDoes this shirt make me look like a skank?

ResplendentHe stood resplendent in his rented tux.

CantankerousI wonder if that old coot can be any more cantankerous?

SnarkyShe made a snarky remark about the President.

fromThirteen Cool Wordsby Christine Kane