The Study of Words

1. The Study of Words You will have written exceptionally well if, by skillful arrangement of your words, you have made an ordinary one seem original. Horace, 65-8 B.C., Ars Poetica

2. Bringing Words To LifeIsabel L. Beck, Margaret G. McKeown, and Linda Kucan • First-grade children from higher-SES groups knew about twice as many words as lower SES children. (Graves, Brunetti, & Salter, 1982; Graves & Slater, 1987) • High school seniors near the top of their class knew about four times as many words as their lower-performing classmates. (Smith, 1941) • High-knowledge third graders had vocabularies about equal to lowest-performing 12th graders. (Smith, 1941).

3. Why? • Taking on the task of providing effective vocabulary instruction is a very high priority for our educational system. • Vocabulary instruction is to be robust—vigorous, strong,and powerful in effect. • A robust approach to vocabulary involves directly explaining the meanings of words along with thought-provoking and interactive follow-up. • The findings of our studies show that robust instruction is quite effective not only for learning the meanings of words but also for affecting reading comprehension. (Beck, McKeown, Kucan)

4. How? • Frequent encounters with words • Introduce 7-10 words (10 words maximum) per week • Present activities around the words daily activities • Attend to each word 8-10 times during the week • Include the words from previous weeks in the activities so that the words are maintained (Beck, McKeown, Kucan)

5. How? • Richness of instruction • Use the words. • Explore facets of word meaning. • Consider relationships among words. (Beck, McKeown, Kucan)

6. How? • Extension of word use beyond the classroom • Challenge students to take their word learning outside the classroom. • Assist students in understanding that knowing words will enhance their literacy. (Beck, McKeown, Kucan)

7. WordsRoot Study – to aid in understanding(from Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte) • Misanthrope • mis – dislike, hatred (Greek) • anthropos – man (Greek) • Solitary • solus – alone (Middle English) • Philanthropist • phil – love, fond of (Greek) • anthropos – man (Greek)

8. WordsContextual – to aid comprehension(from Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte) Misanthrope – someone who dislikes and distrusts humanity Examples: Solitary – existing alone: remote from civilization Examples: (Beck, McKeown, Kucan)

9. Why? • Students must encounter words in context more than once to learn them. Research suggests that students need to be exposed to a new word at least six times before they have had enough experience with the word to learn and remember its meaning. • Students remember best if they can visualize a word, organize and internalize the information.

10. How? • We must be careful not to assume that the words chosen by the textbook company are the only words, or even the words, that we need to use with students. • Teachers need to select the words that introduce key concepts, which are ideas that will reappear in students’ studies and lives.

11. Facets of Meaning • A misanthrope is defined as someone who dislikes and distrusts humankind, but the misanthrope is a part of humanity. • Does the misanthrope distance himself from humans because he loathes them? • Healthcliff maintains his distance from human society. Why? (Beck, McKeown, Kucan)

12. Facets of Meaning and Relationships Among Words • What kind of feeling does solitary give you? • Does the word imply loneliness? • How is it used in the opening paragraph of the novel? • Does Heathcliff keep himself apart? (Beck, McKeown, Kucan)

13. Facets of Meaning and Relationships Among Words Discuss the words in groups or as a class and then ask students to write sentences. • Can you think of anyone you would call a misanthrope? What does he or she do that would cause you to label him or her so? • Do you ever feel solitary? What does it feel like? (Beck, McKeown, Kucan)

14. Relationships Among Words • A philanthropist is a lover of humankind and seems to be the opposite of a misanthrope. However, the term philanthropist is used to designate individuals who give large sums of money to charity and does not generally signify persons who enjoy the company of others. Discuss words that may be the opposite to misanthrope. (Beck, McKeown, Kucan)

15. Relationships Among Words • Gregarious is to seek and enjoy the company of others and seems to be in opposition to solitary. Discuss. (Beck, McKeown, Kuran)

16. Word Study • Students must build their understanding of words through the study of the roots of words and the use of words in context. Through the use of both the students develop their vocabulary and their global word awareness.

17. Beyond the Classroom • Challenge students to find the target words (misanthrope and solitary) outside of the classroom. • Use newspapers and magazines in the search for the words. • Listen for the words within songs, television programs, or the news. (Beck, McKeown, Kuran)

18. Assessment Considerations • What kind of learning is the goal? • Multiple-choice tests present distracters which can introduce ideas that may confuse a learner by interfering with what the learner knows about a word. • Or, if the distracters are very different from the meaning of the target word, a learner can get the item correct even with very limited knowledge of the word. • However, if a multiple choice test is used in conjunction with a task that can assess deeper levels of word knowledge, then it seems to be an effective measurement tool. (Beck, McKeown, Kuran)

19. Assessment Suggestions • Ask the student the meaning of the words. • Have the students create examples such as these: • Describe how someone acts that shows they are diligent. • Tell about a time you were perplexed. • Describe some things that could make a person feel miserable. (Beck, McKeown, Kuran)

20. Assessment Suggestions • Use the words in writing responses and in speaking. • Create a word wall in the classroom and direct the students to use the words when writing and speaking. • Develop a word journal in which each student collects the weekly words, the definitions, the relationship and extension activities. (See handout.)

21. Words, Words, Words by Janet Allen • Recent research shows the connection between word knowledge, concept development, and prior knowledge and the impact these have on reading comprehension indicates that some drastic changes in our teaching methods are warranted.

22. Knowledge Chart(Refer to the handout in the packet.) • Word • Prior knowledge about (word) – complete before the reading • New knowledge about (word) – complete after the reading (Allen)

23. Concept Ladder(Refer to the handout in the packet.) • A tool for helping students understand critical characteristics of a concept; it asks students a variety of questions related to the concept. • For example: a rotary engine • Or, change the questions for a more abstract concept, such as prejudice: Effects of? Roots of? Related to? Caused by? Seen in? Connected to? Examples of? Eliminated by? (Allen)

24. Vocabulary Lessons from fcpsteach/English/Vocabulary Resources • 4-Square Approach • Vocabulary Anchors • Cinquan Vocabulary Poems • Context Clue Sentences • Concept Definition Maps • Denotation and Connotation • Vocabulary Frames • Index Card Memories • Logograph Pages • Vocabulary Skits • Super Word Web • Synectics Study • Vocabulary Thermometer • Word Jar and KIM Chart

25. Memory Squares • Refer to handouts. • Follow with the charts.

26. Teaching Vocabulary • Help students to: • Connect • Organize • Internalize

27. Consider • Students must encounter words in context more than once to learn the words. • Students need to be exposed to a new word eight to ten times to learn and to remember the meaning. Reluctant readers may need to be exposed to a new word forty times to learn and to remember the meaning. (Beck) • Students gain access to content if they know the vocabulary. • Students take state and national assessments (MSA, HSA, PSAT, SAT, ACT) that require extensive knowledge and use of content vocabulary. • FARM students are likely to be impoverished in vocabulary. We need to significantly increase their vocabulary if we are to help close the gap. • Students with learning disabilities typically have memory concerns since vocabulary acquisition link to memory. Without strong vocabulary instruction, we are unlikely to close the achievement gap for these students.

28. Amidst • The word grabbed her attention, as words will do to those who love them, and held her in its power. It wasn’t the word alone, but the fact that she had thought it, had actually used it in a sentence in her own private thoughts, that so fascinated her (that) she sat unable to move. Here I am amidst their possessions. It was so literary, so antiquated, that word. How in the world had it found a place in her head? Silly girl, she said to herself, your head is the perfectplace for words nobody else uses. Your head, she thought, is an orphanage for words. from The Watcher by James Howe

29. And, finally, the importance of words, or just one . . .

30. One kind word can warm three wintermonths.Japanese Proverb

31. Production Crew • Carrie Mehl, Director, Researcher, Typist • Brad Mehl, Technology Support and Quick Responder