Vocabulary Instruction

1. Vocabulary Instruction JoAnn Yaworski, Ph.D. Department of Literacy West Chester University of Pennsylvania

2. Vocabulary Research • What is a word? • What does it mean to know a word? • What is the most efficient way to assess word knowledge? • Does vocabulary knowledge increase comprehension? • What instructional methods should be used for the acquisition of vocabulary knowledge?

3. Do word endings count as separate words? (e.g., walk, walking, walked, walks Do derived words count as separate words? (e.g., home, homeless, homebase) What is a Word?

4. Never saw it before heard it: but do not know what it means recognize it in context knows it well (can use it correctly) 1- unknown 2- acquainted 3- established What does it mean to know a word?

5. Word Knowledge • Known words • New meaning for Known Words • New words representing known concepts • new words representing new concepts • clarifying/enriching meanings of known words • productive vocabularies

6. Depth of Vocabulary Knowledge • No knowledge • Generalization, e.g, Cats are animals • Application-- uses the word correctly • Breadth-- number of situations you can apply it to • Precision-- can give precise meaning of word • Availability-- can use it readily; working vocab.

7. How do you measure word knowledge? • Multiple Choice Limitations • distractors may interfere w/ what student knows • may elicit a correct response when, in fact, student does not know the word • does not distinguish between words that are well known and words that are known vaguely • Multiple Choice can: • measure relative range or an individual’s vocabulary • do correlate strongly with comprehension and intelligence • rank student’s vocabulary development in relation w/ peers

8. How many words should a person Know?First grade-- 2,500- 26,000College Student-- 15,000- 200,000General agreement on 2,700-3,000 words/yr.7 new words/day

9. Incidental conversations movies books magazines intentional direct instruction dictionaries consulting sources learning situations Sources for Word Learning

10. What is True about Vocabulary Research? • All methods are better than no instruction • no method has been consistently superior • A variety of techniques create an advantage • Repeated exposures creates an advantage

11. Ways to Develop Vocabulary

12. Teaching Sight Words • Seeing (Chalkboard, flashcard, paper, labeling objects, labeling pictures) • Hearing (Spoken in Context) • Discussing (relate to children’s environment, experiences, interests) • Using (children name synonyms, use in phrases & sentences) • Defining (in their own words-- what does this word mean to you?) • Writing(children write words alone and in context)

13. Usage Synonym Antonym Classification Exemplification Characteristics Categorization Comparison Physical Relationship Listing Component Parts Expansion of Meaning Vocabulary

14. Usage • Define each word by using it in a sentence. • Smell (We could smell the bacon frying.) • though (I went to bed at seven though I wasn’t really tired.)

15. Synonym • Define each word by writing another word that has a similar meaning. • Car automobile • rock stone • place put

16. Antonym • Define each word by writing a word that has a meaning opposite to the word. • lovely ugly • loud soft • liquid solid

17. Exemplification • Define each word by providing an example, a picture, or the specific object. • Animal One type of animal is a dog. • Dog Lassie is a dog. • Painting The Mona Lisa is a famous painting.

18. The Importance of Categories • (1) explain the theory behind definition through characteristics, classification, and categorization • (2) show students instructional strategies that foster the development of these mental models • (3) have students create instructional activities that teach children how to define words through categorization.

19. Categories are Central to both Schema Theory and Connectionism • Schema Theory • info fits into categories to create plans, skits, scenarios, plays • new info interpreted through prior knowledge • info w/in categories adjusts to accommodate new info • example: War of the Ghosts

20. Categories Central... • Connectionism • pattern made up of bits of info • parts adjust to create new categories • Frisbee Model • What is a Dog? • Marching Band Formations- the information is in the pattern • Idea is category & we arrange bits of info to form the category to create and make sense of concepts

21. Women, Fire, & Dangerous Things • I. Bayi: (human) males; animals • II. Balan: (human) females; water; fire; fighting • III. Balam: nonflesh food • IV. Bala: everything not in the other classes

22. Classification • Define each word by indicating its semantic features • woman A woman is an adult female human being. • Lunch Lunch is a light meal served at midday. • Watch A watch is a time piece, some of which can be worn on the wrist.

23. Characteristics • Concepts have properties or attributes • Animals ingest food and oxygen • Pets are domesticated • Dogs bark, have hair, exhibit loyalty • Collies have long, shaggy hair

24. Characteristics (Cont.) • Property relationships interact with the class relationship: • If Fido is a member of the classes • collie • dog • pet • animal • then he inherits all the characteristics of members of these classes.

25. Categorization • In each group of words below, cross out the word that does not belong. On the line above each group, write a heading showing how the three remaining words are related. • __________________________ • Brazilian Highlands • Brazilian Interior • Amazon Basin • Brazilia

26. Comparison • Define each word by providing an example and a statement of how the example differs from the referent. • Ocean An ocean is like a lake but larger. • Yam A yam is like a potato but sweeter. • Pen A pen is like a pencil but it uses ink.

27. Physical Relationships • Define each word by showing the relationship of a part to the whole and to the other parts which adjoin it. • Arm An arm is a part connected to the hand and shoulder of the human body. • Page A page is a part of a book between the and connected to the binding. • Sleeve A sleeve is part of a shirt or jacket connected to the shoulder and the cuff.

28. Phonetic Analysis • Project- 16 Phonics Routines

29. Structural Analysis • Prefixes • Suffixes • roots • inflectional endings • compound words • contractions

30. circum- circumvent equi - equidistant, extra - extracurricular intra - intravenous, intro - introvert mal - maladjusted mis - misunderstand non - nonprofit syn - synonym Bi -bicycle de -devalue fore -forecast in - indoors pre -preschool pro -pro-life semi -semicircle re - recall un - unlock Common and Invariant Meaning Prefixes

31. Suffixes • 86 of 100 suffixes invariably indicate a the part of speech to which they are affixed • Most of these 86 provide additional clues to word meaning

32. Compound Words • B is of A. (A fishbone is a bone of a fish) • sunburn, handshake, cottonball, riverbank) • B is from A. (Goatskin is skin from a goat.) • sawdust, moonlight, horsehair, starlight, deerskin) • B is for A. (A dogleash is a leash for a dog.) • bathroom, wallpaper, tearoom dishpan) • B is like A. (A boxcar is a car like a box. A bulldog is a dog like a bull) • cottontail, Batman, catfish, frogman • B is A. (A nobleman is a man who is noble.) • blueprint, blackbird, bluebird, pipeline, courtyard) • B does A. (A racehorse is a horse that does race.) • scrubwoman, towtruck

33. Playground sportsday headband lunchtime piggyback handlebar red-haired Ringmaster afternoon The Bicycle Man

34. Teaching Compound Words • Break compounds apart • Put words together to form compound • Vary the order of the list of word parts • Add appropriate and Inappropriate words to list. • Word Puzzles • To live in a tent + earth = ___________ • (camp) (ground) • Write definitions, draw pictures, use in sentences • Underline compounds in a paragraph

35. Contextual Analysis • Project- Strategies for encouraging children to recognize and use context clues