Closing the Vocabulary Gap

1. Closing the Vocabulary Gap Effective Strategies for Vocabulary Development October PDL Training Syracuse City School District Rhonda and KathyRhonda and Kathy

2. Are you smarter than an Eleventh Grader? Read the passage. How would you characterize your level of comprehension? Move to the appropriate corner. Talk in your corners about the reasons you are there�what makes you �smart�? �or not so �smart�? Rhonda�Insert set here. Maybe have participants read a highly technical chemistry passage, have them move into corners that best characterize their level of understanding with the passage. High level of comprehension, med-high, med-low, low�talk about why they feel they are where they are. Get them to say experience with the vocabulary. What could they figure out�how? (leave this for later?)Rhonda�Insert set here. Maybe have participants read a highly technical chemistry passage, have them move into corners that best characterize their level of understanding with the passage. High level of comprehension, med-high, med-low, low�talk about why they feel they are where they are. Get them to say experience with the vocabulary. What could they figure out�how? (leave this for later?)

3. Corners Very comfortable, high level of understanding Somewhat comfortable, moderate level of understanding Not very comfortable, understand bits and pieces Totally lost�alpha what??? Rhonda�Hopefully, this little exercise helps to illustrate what I�ll be referring to as the Vocabulary Gap�and just as there was a gap in this audience, there will be gaps in yours. Rhonda�Hopefully, this little exercise helps to illustrate what I�ll be referring to as the Vocabulary Gap�and just as there was a gap in this audience, there will be gaps in yours.

4. �It takes money to make money.� Turn and Talk� What does this quote mean? Kathy�Set for Vocabulary: It takes money to make money Kids need to have a word bank, bank of words�to invest� Matthew effect, rich get richer. Poor get poorer.Kathy�Set for Vocabulary: It takes money to make money Kids need to have a word bank, bank of words�to invest� Matthew effect, rich get richer. Poor get poorer.

5. Vocabulary Differences start early� Average child from a low-income family hears about 3 million words a year vs. 11 million from a professional family (Hart & Risley, 1995) By age 4, the gap in words heard grows to 13 vs. 45 million Children from a professional family spoke more words than parents in a low-income family KathyKathy

6. Practical Differences Children enter school with a listening vocabulary ranging from 2500 to 5000 words First graders from higher SES groups know twice as many words as lower SES children (Graves & Slater, 1987) Vocabulary differences at grade 2 may last throughout elementary school (Biemiller & Slonim, in press) College entrants need about 11 to 14,000 root words KathyKathy

7. The Bottom Line One of the most generalizable findings in research is the strong relationship between vocabulary and several important factors, such as Intelligence One�s ability to comprehend new information One�s level of income -References cited in Classroom Instruction that Works Marzano, Pickering, and Pollack, 2001 KathyKathy

8. Participant Outcomes Understand the importance of direct vocabulary instruction Become aware of research-based practices for vocabulary instruction Gain instructional strategies that will enhance vocabulary instruction and student comprehension of informational text Rhonda�.this is a cliff notes version of a full day workshop that we�ve condensed into two hoursRhonda�.this is a cliff notes version of a full day workshop that we�ve condensed into two hours

9. How Words are Learned Rhonda�Come back to previous activity�how did some of you learn those words? From classes, had a ---as a father, whatever�heard words in context? Rhonda�Come back to previous activity�how did some of you learn those words? From classes, had a ---as a father, whatever�heard words in context?

10. How Words are Learned Read it in a book, figured it out from context or looked it up Read it or heard it and figured out it�s meaning from it�s parts Learned it in a conversation Heard it on the television Learned it in a class Heard it from a family member RhondaRhonda

11. Indirect Vocabulary Learning Students learn vocabulary indirectly when they hear and see words used in many different contexts; for example, through conversations with adults, through being read to, and through reading extensively on their own. Direct Vocabulary Learning Students learn vocabulary directly when they are explicitly taught both individual words and word-learning strategies. Direct vocabulary instruction aids reading comprehension. How Words are Learned Rhonda�How have you developed your vocabulary over the years? Early years? High school years? College Years? Adulthood? Much of the early vocabulary gap can be attributed to differences in indirect vocabulary learning, lack of exposure to words in general. Those discrepancies contribute to the difficulty that many kids have as schools try to teach them new words in context of schools. They have less words to connect new words to�back to that Matthew Effect. So teachers need particularly effective strategies for vocabulary instruction to help close that gap. I know you already know some things about teaching vocabulary�let�s find outRhonda�How have you developed your vocabulary over the years? Early years? High school years? College Years? Adulthood? Much of the early vocabulary gap can be attributed to differences in indirect vocabulary learning, lack of exposure to words in general. Those discrepancies contribute to the difficulty that many kids have as schools try to teach them new words in context of schools. They have less words to connect new words to�back to that Matthew Effect. So teachers need particularly effective strategies for vocabulary instruction to help close that gap. I know you already know some things about teaching vocabulary�let�s find out

12. What you already know� Write the 5-10 words or phrases that represent what you already know about vocabulary instruction, each on a separate post-it note. With your table teams, group like words or phrases on a piece of chart paper. As a team, decide on a label for each group of words. Make sure everyone at your table is prepared to share out. One stray as a sharing structure. As groups report out, I can list the headings and make checkmarks next to headings that are repeated. They can come back to these at the end if they want to for ideas for their NCAA boards? (if they have good ideas!)One stray as a sharing structure. As groups report out, I can list the headings and make checkmarks next to headings that are repeated. They can come back to these at the end if they want to for ideas for their NCAA boards? (if they have good ideas!)

13. Research Shows:Indirect Vocabulary Instruction Speak Content Language Give students ample opportunities to read on their own Engage students in discussion around content Active participation/engagement with text (Reader�s Theatre, discussion protocols) creates better vocabulary gains than passive listening to text RhondaRhonda

14. Direct Vocabulary Instruction What the Research Shows RhondaRhonda

15. Research Shows �Marzano Effective Vocabulary Instruction: Multiple exposures Previewing words helps Image association Direct instruction works Focus on most important words KathyKathy

16. Research Shows:  �Heidi Hayes-Jacobs Immersion in Grouped Words Teach the right words High-Frequency Words Specialized Terminology Embellishments RhondaRhonda

17. Research Shows:  �Janet Allen Build background knowledge Teach words critical to comprehension Develop conceptual frameworks for themes, topics, and units of study Assess students� understanding of words and concepts RhondaRhonda

18. Research Shows:  �Beck, McKeown, and Kucan Frequent encounters with the words Richness of instruction Extension of word use beyond the classroom KathyKathy

19. Putting it all Together Choosing Words Okay, so we�ve brought forward what we already know about effective vocabulary instruction and I have shared what the research is showing about it. So, now let�s put it all into practice (operationalize it so to speak). The first step in effective vocabulary instruction is to choose the right words.Okay, so we�ve brought forward what we already know about effective vocabulary instruction and I have shared what the research is showing about it. So, now let�s put it all into practice (operationalize it so to speak). The first step in effective vocabulary instruction is to choose the right words.

20. Words Matter You can�t pre-teach every hard word Critical to meaning Not defined in context Likely to be seen again High utility Figurative speech or idiomatic expressions

21. What Words to Teach Tier Two Words (Beck) Larry Bell�s Twelve Words Heidi Hayes Jacobs Marzano�s Academic Vocabulary Common Sense Kathy first four bullets Rhonda�last bullet, talk about the use of texts, not just going with what they say, critical lens when selecting which words you choose to spend time on. (whereupon)Kathy first four bullets Rhonda�last bullet, talk about the use of texts, not just going with what they say, critical lens when selecting which words you choose to spend time on. (whereupon)

22. Reflection� Think about the words teachers (or the reading series) typically identify as important vocabulary words. How can you support your teachers in choosing the most appropriate words for direct vocabulary instruction? Turn and Talk?Turn and Talk?

24. Cracking Vocabulary�s CodeHarvey Silver Beck says this, Marzano says this�students need to interact with the words!Beck says this, Marzano says this�students need to interact with the words!

25. Connect: Making Connections Students define word in context Provide examples and non examples Identify places, events, people or situations where you would find the word Make personal connection as well as academic connection to the word Kathy�Making Connections activity: -explain example of REPREHENSIBLE- connection made with people or places in the news or current events which the behavior was reprehensible. Students brainstormed examples and nonexamples where they might find reprehensible behavior, connected back to the characters in the story -this activity not only enhances understanding of words and concept, but also assists in deeper understanding of the text as students make connections with their own life. Kathy�Making Connections activity: -explain example of REPREHENSIBLE- connection made with people or places in the news or current events which the behavior was reprehensible. Students brainstormed examples and nonexamples where they might find reprehensible behavior, connected back to the characters in the story -this activity not only enhances understanding of words and concept, but also assists in deeper understanding of the text as students make connections with their own life.

26. When and Why Enhances vocabulary learning in all content areas when critical words will assist in understanding the concept. Making connections to the academic word and how the word is used in real world events builds on students background knowledge

27. Organize:Categories and Labels Focused on students� organization of information Clusters words by concepts Exposes and creates patterns of meaning

28. How Does It Work? Provide each student with a copy of key concepts and critical vocabulary. Read each of the terms aloud as students match pronunciation to print. Allow students to ask questions and remind them of places where they can find additional information about the words (if necessary). Assign student groups. Ask groups to discuss the words and decide on how to categorize the words into logical groups. Direct students to give each category a label. Ask students to justify their word groups and labels. This is used before exposure to text.This is used before exposure to text.

30. When and Why? Students access and gain background knowledge related to the topic. Through discussion around grouping, students create attributes of the words in relation to each other and the topic being studied. In labeling the words, students create a structure for remembering the words and the information they have gathered.

31. Deep Process:Concept Circles Adapted from Vacca, Vacca, and Gove 1987 Builds on relationships between words, creates conceptual understanding Can work for a variety of instructional and assessment purposes

32. How Do They Work? Put words or phrases in each section of the circle and ask students to write about the connections they see between the words and phrases. Why are these words together? Put vocabulary words in three sections. Ask students to choose a fourth and justify in writing. Ask students to choose four vocabulary words from their study of a topic or a text and use those four words to write about what they have learned about the topic. (Teacher can generate list) Ask students to shade either the words that go together or the word that doesn�t fit with the others. Students can then talk or write about what attributes caused a word to be included or excluded.

33. Concept Circles Students would be asked to describe the meaning and relationships between and among the words in each of the sections of the concept circle. Get with a �like� content partner and develop some concept circles, using your own Tier 2 words you can think of from your content area as well as some content-specific vocabulary.Students would be asked to describe the meaning and relationships between and among the words in each of the sections of the concept circle. Get with a �like� content partner and develop some concept circles, using your own Tier 2 words you can think of from your content area as well as some content-specific vocabulary.

34. Concept Circles Students would be asked to describe the meaning and relationships between and among the words in each of the sections of the concept circle. Get with a �like� content partner and develop some concept circles, using your own Tier 2 words you can think of from your content area as well as some content-specific vocabulary.Students would be asked to describe the meaning and relationships between and among the words in each of the sections of the concept circle. Get with a �like� content partner and develop some concept circles, using your own Tier 2 words you can think of from your content area as well as some content-specific vocabulary.

35. When and Why? When you want students to think conceptually about content. Can be used to focus students� discussions, to review word meanings and word families, or to support students� writing. Can be a simple assessment tool of what students have learned about a concept or topic of study.

36. Exercise:NCAA Board Work with your shoulder partner. Together, come up with eight important words associated with vocabulary instruction. # and write your words on the far left side of a sheet of paper. Listen for directions. Closure for vocabulary: NCAA board, have them write most important words about vocabulary, then do the activityClosure for vocabulary: NCAA board, have them write most important words about vocabulary, then do the activity

37. When and Why Provides opportunities for students to evaluate importance of vocabulary words Students have to discuss all of the words in order to make decisions Multiple exposures to the words!!

38. Classroom Application Think of a topic, concept, theme, or unit of study where this strategy could support students� vocabulary development or overall understanding of the content. Talk with your shoulder partner about how using these strategies could benefit your students.

39. A Cool Web Site!! www.freerice.com

40. Thank you! Rhonda and Kathy