Effective Vocabulary Instruction for Multilingual Learners

Advanced Balanced Literacy Institute So Many Words, So Little Time: Vocabulary Instruction that WorksMultilingual Literacy- Vanessa Girard August 5, 2015

Session Outcomes Participants will: • Learn the four components of a comprehensive vocabulary program. • Participate in a series of lessons in which direct vocabulary words are taught directly. • Be able to introduce new vocabularywords using one research-based method. • Learn how to support the development of vocabulary words once they’re introduced. • Learn how to help students determine the meanings of unknown words.

Academic Vocabulary Instruction

Four Components of Academic Vocabulary Instruction • Encourage wide reading– reading a lot is the most reliable way of improving vocabulary. • Develop word consciousness— knowledge and attitudes necessary for students to learn, appreciate, and effectively use words • Teach vocabulary directly – students learn 300-400 words per year from teachers • Teach students how to learn vocabulary independently – students become independent strategic word learners --Baumann, Kame’enui, Ash, 2003

Academic Vocabulary Instruction Encourage Wide Reading

Encouraging Wide Reading Number of words students can learn each year through direction instruction in school: 300-400 ~Stahl (1999) Number of words students should learn each year to know one half of the approximately 88,000 words that constitute academic text through the twelfth grade: 2,000-3,000 ~Nagy as cited in Stahl (1999)

Academic Vocabulary Instruction Developing Word Consciousness

Word Consciousness Word consciousness refers to the knowledge and attitudes necessary for students to learn, appreciate, and effectively use words. Scott, J.A. & Nagy, W. E. (2004).

Syntactic Morphological Word Consciousness He saw the _____ car. He saw the car ____ . Imperfection Add Addend Addition Semantic Antonyms, Synonyms, Idioms Figurative and Literal Meanings Scott, J.A. & Nagy, W. E. (2004).

Developing Word Consciousness • Sentence lifting- Pull notable pieces of writing from text and spotlighting • Word Play- Hink-Pink, Mad Libs etc. • Think Alouds- Teacher explains how she chooses words and develops sentences • Wordsmithing- Text revisions • Provide Recognition- When students demonstrate word consciousness

Developing Word Consciousness Sentence lifting: They crept into the night with practiced silence. (p.73) The river was folding before her like a silver snake, hissing as the water tumbled across a stony bed. (p. 72) Colfer, Eoin (2001). Artemis Fowl. New York: Hyperion

Developing Word Consciousness Sentence lifting: As those who study them come to learn, bones make good witnesses—although they speak softly, they never lie and they never forget. ~ Dr. Clyde Collins, forensic anthropologist Jackson, D. (1995). The Bone Detectives: Boston: Little, Brown and Company.

Developing Word Consciousness Word Play- Hink-Pink, Mad Libs etc. • What’s a hink pink for a chubby kitty? What’s a hink pink for an obese feline?

Developing Word Consciousness Word Play- Puns Mad Libs etc.

Academic Vocabulary Instruction Teaching New Tier 2 Words Directly

Teaching Words Directly • Word Classification & Choosing Words Carefully • Providing Student Friendly Definitions • Introducing New Words • Developing Words

Word Classification Types of Words: Tier One – general, basic words, very high utility clock, go, chair, jump, homework, happy Tier Two – academic, across disciplines, high utility combine, demand, resource, appreciate Tier Three – technical, subject specific, low utility igneous, electorate, convex, tundra ~Beck, McKeown, Kucan, 2002 Some “gray area” words: atmosphere, labor, …

Tier 2: Teaching New Words For Known Concepts Superfluous If something is superfluous it is: • Not needed • Extra The scrap paper that the teacher handed out was superfluous; the test booklet already had work spaces for each problem.

Tier 3: Teaching NewConcepts and Labels “Country:” U. S. Mexico Vietnam Patriotism

Choosing Words Carefully Unison Response: Signaling As words appear on the screen, note which word among the three has more utility and therefore would provide greater academic returns for time invested in teaching. At the signal, use one, two, or three fingers to communicate your choice.

Choose words carefully Strategy Application • Using your own text, choose some powerful Tier Two vocabulary words to teach to students. • Share with a partner.

Direct Vocabulary Instruction Use Student Friendly Definitions • Comprehensible definition and explanation • Clearexample of the word used in a sentence

Direct Vocabulary InstructionStudent Friendly Definitions

Direct Vocabulary Instruction With a partner, create and hone a student friendly definitions and examples for one of the following words: adventure convince effective

Dictionary Use Dictionaries may not be very useful for learning new words: • Format: concise because of space restrictions • Meaning may not be captured in vague language E.g. remote: situated relatively far away in space • Weak differentiation E.g. conspicuous: easily seen

Dictionary Use Dictionaries are very useful for: • Comparing the dictionary definition with teacher’s and students’ definition • Pronunciations • Looking up word parts • Noting parts of speech • Comparing definitions of multiple dictionaries

Glossary Definitions (revised) natural • If something is natural, you are born with it. You don’t need to learn it– you just know it. It is natural for a mother bird to take good care of her babies.

Glossary Definitions (revised) camouflage • Camouflage means that something has the same colors as the things around it. Camouflage helps things hide. The bird did not see the frog on the rock because of its camouflage.

Introducing VocabularyThree Big Ideas • Students see and saythe word multiple times throughout the lesson • Students hear the word used in multiple contexts • Students use the word in sentences (w/ substantial teacher support)

Introducing New Vocabulary Example of one instructional routine for introducing new tier II words: Insalubrious

Introducing Vocabulary One Possible Sequence: • Read the context. Say the word and have students repeat it chorally. • Explain the meaning with student friendly definition and examples • Explain the meaning in context (if students have already read the selection) • Provide several sentences in which the word is used in other contexts • Students provide their own sentences as teacher guides them with a) questions suggesting contexts; b) sentence frames • Teacher provides short-answer questions to hone understanding • Group chorally repeats the word

Direct Vocabulary Instruction Develop an introductory vocabulary lesson using the steps on the “Introducing Vocabulary” worksheet for one of the words you chose earlier. Be prepared to share your lesson.

Developing Words The Teacher’s Role In addition to reinforcing the connection between words and their meanings, teachers have students: • Make Choices on Examples and Non-Examples • Provide Their Own Examples • Add more information • Use Kinesthetic/Drama • Suggest Ways to Use A Word • Build Connections to Other Words • Apply Word to New Situations See Handouts, p. 11

Developing Words The Teacher’s Role Provide Incentives for Students to Notice and Use Vocabulary Words • Use your current management system to build in rewards for vocabulary use (group points, free time, etc.) • Begin a Word Wizard program ala Beck • Hold ongoing competitions for who can use more vocab words: teachers against students; students against students

Developing Words The Teacher’s Role Vocabulary Assessment: All vocabulary exercises can be used as assessments, provided the students have previously worked with them.

Vocabulary Instruction Teaching Students to Learn Words Independently

Independent Word Learning Teach: • Morphological Analysis (Word Parts) “LOOK INSIDE THE WORD” • Contextual Analysis (Context Clues) “LOOK OUTSIDE THE WORD”

Independent Word Learning Morphological Analysis (Word Parts) Involves the use of intraword linguistic information to derive a word’s meaning. Looking Inside A Word

Independent Word Learning Morphological Analysis (Word Parts) Word parts: What’s a morpheme? morpheme roots affixes prefixes suffixes inflections derivations polite ception (in, re, con) un- re- sub- add (v.) addition (n.) additional (adj.) jump jumps jumped jumping

Independent Word Learning Morphological Analysis (Word Parts)

Independent Word Learning Root Origins: • Greek: Specialized vocabulary, mostly in science though some are common (television, thermometer, photograph) • Latin: Technical, academic vocabulary used more in formal settings (corrupt, inspector, transported) • Anglo-Saxon: Common, everyday words used in ordinary situations (milk, eat, drink, mother, dog, have, the, hill)

Independent Word Learning Word Parts Activity: • With a partner, think about the definitions of the words on the following slides. • Use what you know about roots, affixes and other words to discern the meanings of the word parts in these words. • Be ready to share your answers.

Independent Word Learning For example: Hydrophobia – Greek • Hydro = water • Phobia = fear of

Independent Word Learning • Photograph – Greek • Oxymoron – Latin • Ambidextrous – Latin • Incredulous – Latin • Euphemism - Greek

Independent Word Learning Contextual Analysis Involves the use of interword linguistic Looking Outside Of A Word The river eroded the cliff, leaving a gaping hole in the trail.

Independent Word Learning Types of Context Clues: Linked appositives and synonyms: “Democracy, or rule by the people, was developed by the Greeks.” • Clues: commas, dashes Contrast: “Instead of his usual happy mood, today he seemed dejected.” • Clues: instead of, unlike, rather than, etc. ~Dulin, 1970 as cited in Irwin, 1991

Independent Word Learning Types of Context Clues: Direct description: “The gargoyle, with its ugly face, flapping wings, and extended claws, was a frightening sculpture.” • Clues: that is, in short, in summary, thus Cause-effect: “Because she wanted to impress all her dinner guests with the food she served, she carefully studied the book of culinary arts.” • Clues: because, since, therefore, thus, so

Effective Vocabulary Instruction for Multilingual Learners