SUMMER MATH ACADEMY K-6 2011

Evidence Based Learning

Teaching Academic Vocabulary

Piper RiddleSheri Ebert

WHY TEACH ACADEMIC VOCABULARY?

According to Marzano (2005) the strongest action a teacher can take to ensure that students have the academic background knowledge to understand the content they will encounter is providing them with direct instruction of these terms. When students understand these terms, it is easier for them to understand the information they will read and hear in class.

WHAT THE RESEARCH SAYS ABOUT VOCABULARY KNOWLEDGE

Children who enter school with limited vocabulary knowledge become more discrepant over time from their peers who have rich vocabulary knowledge. (Biemiller & Slonin, 2001)

The relationship between reading comprehension and vocabulary knowledge is strong and unequivocal. (Bauman & Kame’enui, 1991; Stanovich, 1986)

DIFFERENCES IN VOCABULARY GROWTH

Student A Student B2 words per day 8 words per day750 words per year 3,000 words per year

Children from advantaged homes have receptive vocabulariesthat are five times larger than children who come from low

SESHomes.(Hart & Risley, 1995, 1999)

WHY?Parents spoke significantly fewer words to their children.

Children hear more imperative speech or commands rather than

expansive conversations.

ACADEMIC VOCABULARY While four encounters with a word did not reliably

improve reading comprehension, 12 encounters did (McKeown, Beck, Omanson, and Pople, 1985).

The same student placing at the 50th percentile in reading comprehension with no direct vocabulary instruction, placed at the 83rd percentile when provided specific instruction in academic vocabulary (Stahl and Fairbanks, 1986).

HOW DO WE TEACH THEM?

Using the Frayer Model to deliver effective

vocabulary instruction.Characteristics & Model

Well-planned and purposeful instruction that provides students with deep understanding of key words.

Frayer Model

Characteristics & Model

1. Teaching a small number of words providing student-friendly definitions.2. Creating meaningful interactions with words that lead to deep processing.3. Providing multiple

exposures in a variety of contexts.Frayer

Model

Characteristics & Model

Frayer ModelOn Monday, teacher gives student-friendly

definitions for a small number of words, gives example sentences, then involves students in Think-Pair-Share using meaningful sentences.On Tuesday, students again interact with the words, adding gestures to the definition.On Wednesday, students use these words in a writing activity or game, practicing the use of the word in context.On Thursday, the new vocabulary words are placed on the math word wall and reviewed using choral response.

Characteristics & Model

Frayer Model

On Tuesday, teacher interrupts the math lesson to have students copy 15 words and their definitions from the student math book.On Friday, the students take a math test on the new vocabulary words.

LET’S TRY IT WITH A PARTNER

quadrilaterals

LET’S TRY IT AGAIN… FIRST ON YOUR OWN, THEN PAIR-SHARE

Equivalentfractions