FACETS OFPURPOSEFUL VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION Provide rich and varied language experiences

discussion, focused attention on words, being read to, wide and frequent reading

Teach word-learning strategies Using context, using morphology (word parts), using a

dictionary

Foster word consciousness Awareness, interest in words and their meanings,

understanding of communicative power of language

Teach individual words (Graves, 2006)

PURPOSE FOR TEACHING To understand a specific text better

To learn a specific concept and its label

To improve comprehension of texts in general

To increase one’s understanding of some aspect of generative word knowledge

To improve writingNagy & Heibert, 2007, presentation

WORD HIERARCHY

(Beck, McKeown, 1985)

CRITERIA FOR WORD SELECTION Word Knowledge

prior knowledge necessary understanding

Frequency & Distribution rate of occurrence in

English text

Importance reading comprehension

(particular selection, general comprehension)

content-specific achievement

Utility outside of particular

school context instructional potential generativity morphology (word

parts) semantic-relatedness

(categories of meaning)

Conceptual difficulty

CONCEPTUAL DIFFICULTY Known concept that

can be expressed with a one-word synonym or familiar phrase Often found in narrative

text Often can be learned

from context or understand essential meaning of text without deep word knowledge

altercation (fight) apologize (to say you’re

sorry)

Unknown concept that can be learned from available experiences & information (background knowledge)

naive independence embarrassment nostalgia elation

(Nagy, Anderson, & Herman, 1987 adapted from Hiebert, 2008, presentation)

CONCEPTUAL DIFFICULTY Unknown concept

requiring learning of new factual information or related system of concepts Less likely to be learned

from context Understanding meaning

often necessary for comprehension of academic text

Often more abstract Often polysemus (having

multiple meanings)

divide (as boundary between drainage basins)

democracy

periodic sentence

(Nagy, Anderson, & Herman, 1987 in Hiebert, 2008, presentation)

How would you teach these words?(1) synonym, phrase, or picture (2) prior experiences (3) providing new information

revolution

amcheesecake

puzzled

staccato constellation

MORPHOLOGICAL FAMILIES Morpheme – smallest unit of meaning

bases, rootsprefixessuffixes

(http://www.wordworkskingston.com/)

"Morphological knowledge is a

wonderful dimension of the child's uncovering of "what's in a word," and one of the least

exploited aids to fluent comprehension" (Wolf,

2007, p. 130).

QUESTIONS WORTH ASKING Is this word unknown?

Is this word critical to understanding (the particular text, the particular subject matter)?

Is this a word students are likely to encounter again (in sophisticated language use, in this particular subject, in other domains)?

Is this word conceptually difficult (abstract, new concept, multiple meanings)?

Does this word have high instructional potential (morphology, connections to other words, word learning)?

CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE DIRECT VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION (MARZANO, 2004)

Effective vocabulary instruction does not rely on definitions.

Students must represent their knowledge of words in linguistic and nonlinguistic ways.

Effective vocabulary instruction involves the gradual shaping of word meanings through multiple exposures.

Teaching word parts enhances students’ understanding of terms.

CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE DIRECT VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION (MARZANO, 2004)

Different types of words require different types of instruction.

Students should discuss the terms they are learning.

Students should play with words.

Instruction should focus on terms that have a high probability of enhancing academic success.

RATE YOUR PRACTICE Rate your current vocabulary instruction

according to the characteristics of effective vocabulary instruction.

+ My instruction demonstrates this characteristic consistently and intentionally.

√ My instruction demonstrates this characteristic on occasion and/or with some intention.

- My instruction demonstrates this characteristic rarely.

QUICK INTRODUCTION Learning new words for known concepts in text

During read-aloud Before students read text

Read-aloud Provide known synonym/descriptive phrase after the

word (without disrupting the narration)

Prior to student reading Display or quick note with target word and known

synonym/descriptive phrase Preview descriptions provided in textbooks

(supplement as necessary)

CONTEXT-RELATIONSHIP Learning new words representing known

concepts

1. Create a brief paragraph that gives the meaning of the word.

2. Follow the paragraph with a multiple-choice item that checks students’ understanding of the word.  

3. Show the paragraph, read it aloud, and read the multiple-choice options.

4. Pause to give students a moment to answer the item, provide the correct answer, and discuss the word and any questions they have.

WORD INTRODUCTIONCommon Components from Experts1. Student Friendly Explanations

Characterize word and typical use Explain meaning in everyday language

2. Teacher-Created Contexts Develop instructional contexts that provide

strong clues to meaning Examples, Non-examples

3. Active Engagement with Words Short, playful, lively opportunities for

students to interact with words and meanings right away

BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY: THE SIX-STEP METHODMarzano, R. (2004). Building background knowledge for academic achievement. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Marzano, R. (2005). Building academic vocabulary: Teacher’s manual. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARYA SIX-STEP PROCESS

Massed Practice

initial word learning

Distributive Practice

periodically

all previous words

4. Engage students in word activities5. Discuss words6. Engage student “play” with words

1. Introduce word Student friendly descriptions, examples,

explanations, images, etc. Must connect to students’ prior knowledge

2. Students generalize meaning3. Students create nonlinguistic representation

STUDENT FRIENDLY EXPLANATIONS RESOURCES

Oxford Dictionary of American English Longman Dictionary of Contemporary

English The Free Dictionary.com The Collins English Cobuild Dictionary

ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH WORDS Consider curiosity Questions

Why would a person have a curiosity for hiking in a jungle?

Example or Non-example? Which do you think people

might have a curiosity about? Hiking in a jungle or hiking

in a desert? Riding on a cruise ship or

riding in a row boat?

Finish the idea After watching the movie

advertisement, they had a curiosity to see the movie because _____.

Have you ever…? Have you ever had a

curiosity to learn something new?

Choices If what I say might be

something people have a curiosity for, say curiosity”…

Reading an adventure book Trying a new candy Picking out white socks at the

store

STUDENT RESPONSESANITA ARCHER

What good instructional practices did you observe?

APRIL’S VIDEO - 2 GROUPS

A’s – Observe the steps from vocabulary planning guide that are used

B’s – Observe the response techniques that are used

637 percentile pts.

higher than… …students who kept repeating definitions.

421 percentile pts.

higher than… …students who were using the terms in a sentence.

Students who used imagery to learn vocabulary, on average, performed…

# of studies

(Pickering, 2007, ASCD presentation)

RESEARCH ON IMAGERY AS ELABORATION

MASSED VS. DISTRIBUTED PRACTICE 24 focused practices to achieve 80%

competency

Massed Practice

Distributed Practice

(Marzano, Pickering, & Pollock, 2001, p. 67)

MASSED & DISTRIBUTED PRACTICE

Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5

Important Assumption:“Learning” implies that students can recall, understand, and use information for the long term.

FREQUENT STUDENT SELF-ASSESSMENT

Students self-rate level of word knowledge. Encourages student reflection, discussion

1 I’ve never heard this word before.

2 I’ve heard this word, but I don’t really know what it means.

3 I know the general meaning of this word, though I cannot specifically define it.

4 Whether spoken or written, I know this word well and understand its meaning.

STUDENT-CREATED DICTIONARIES Students maintain a collection of words

and elaborative information that is periodically reviewed, expanded, and shared.Synonyms, antonyms, semantically-related

words, pictures, authentic text, etc.

Various formsTeacher-created template, note cards, matrix,

using table of contents, electronic databaseTeacher-generated lists, student-generated

lists

ASCD. (2005). Building Academic Vocabulary: Student Notebook. Retrieved

September 20, 2006, from http://shop.ascd.org/productdisplay.cfm?productid=105154e

WINK BooksWords I Need to Know

VOCABULARY MATRIX

< , >, ≤

Word Description

Word Parts Related Words

Visual

inequalitya relationship that is not equal

prefix: in- (not)root: equalsuffix: -ity (changes from adj to noun)

equalityequationequalinoperableinedibleintolerableIndependentjovialityindividualityneutrality

Vocabulary Rings

Provoke/Vocabogram

Word StormA-B C-D E-F G-H

I-J K-L M-N O-P

Q-R S-T U-V-W X-Y-Z

INSIDE-OUTSIDE CIRCLE Pass out cards to every student. (Duplicate

cards can be used.) Number off students by 1 (outside) and 2

(inside) Match up so that each person is facing a partner. Outside circle shares their word or definition;

inside circle provides answer SWITCH CARDS, outside circle rotate left

Word WallActivities

Exit Slip / Admit SlipWord HuntMr. & Mrs. PickySynonym or Antonym

I HAVE… WHO HAS…? Students practice pronouncing words,

speaking clearly, and reinforcing definitions.

Pass out cards randomly. Ex. I have a right triangle who has an angle that

is less than 90 degrees. Who has…?

Students respond as prompted.

50 points 50 points 50 points

100 points

100 points

200 points

Pyramid Game

motor trolley rail

harbor cargo

journey

50 points 50 points 50 points

100 points

100 points

200 points

Pyramid Game Unit Theme?

Interview a Word Select key words important to understanding a

concept or story. Divide your class into teams. Give each team a word and a list of questions. Have students “become” the word and answer

the questions. In front of the group, one person on the team

asks the questions. The team takes turns answering while everyone else listens.

After listening, the class tries to guess the word.

VOCABULARY CONTINUUM Encourage student discussion and

elaborative processing of meaning among synonyms or related words.

VOCABULARY CONTINUUM mistake error blunder

hatedislike loatheabhor

adore cherish blunder

Encourage student discussion!

CLASSIFYING Provide students with vocabulary cards

Have students place cards into categories label the categories see how other groups classified their cards or regroup

cards using a different criteria

VOCABULARY – ALIVE WRITING Provide a list of terms for students to use in a

single related piece of writing.

For Example:Use 15 of the 20 terms listed above

in a meaningful paragraph, story, poem or letter to convince me of your understanding. Put a check mark next to the terms you choose and underline them in the writing.

Write a paragraph using the words listed above in the word bank to describe the graph that is shown at the right.

intercept slope decreasing

parallel constant intersection

increasing quadrant perpendicular

NAME THAT CONCEPT!1. Partner A: Provide clues to your partner

without using the actual words, derivatives, or rhymes.

definitions, examples, descriptions, contexts

2. Partner B: Name the concept or component or say “pass” to move on to the next item.

Goal: Successfully communicate all items in one minute.

Encourage Word Consciousness & Excitement

Word of the Day

What is the purpose???

GAMES Apples to Apples Balderdash Boggle Charades Listen Up! Mad Gab Outburst

Oodles Password Scattegories Scrabble Taboo Upwords Win, Lose, or Draw

IDIOMS & METAPHORIC EXPRESSIONS

Colors Dogs Cats Body Parts Farm Animals Baseball

Football Space Sky Numbers Food Insects