Teaching Grammar & Vocabulary in Context

1. Teaching Grammar & Vocabulary in Context English Language Arts Boot Camp Grades 6-12 June 2014

2. Agenda • Teaching Grammar in Context • Vocabulary Instruction and the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts

4. College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Language Conventions of Standard English • Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. • Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

6. Key Points in Grammar Instruction • Students must USE grammar skills in writing and speaking; no more grammar in isolation. • Teachers should use good mentor texts to teach grammar skills. • Teach grammar through what students are reading. • Use student’s writing to help teach grammar. • Students need to know the rules AND how to apply those rules.

7. Common Core State Standards for Language Grades 9-10 2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. • Use a semicolon (and perhaps a conjunctive adverb) to link two or more closely related independent clauses. • Use a colon to introduce a list or a quotation. • Spell correctly.

8. Jeff Anderson’s Invitational Grammar “Think of grammar as a creational facility rather than a correctional one.” ~Jeff Anderson

9. Mentor Sentences • Choose sentences from the text you are reading that: • connect to students’ worlds—their interests, humor, or problems • show a clear pattern that is easy to observe, imitate, or break down • model writer’s craft and effective writing—powerful verbs, sensory detail, or voice

10. Common Core State Standards for Language Grades 9-10 2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. • Use a semicolon (and perhaps a conjunctive adverb) to link two or more closely related independent clauses. • Use a colon to introduce a list or a quotation. • Spell correctly.

11. Invitation to Notice “The ghetto was ruled by neither German nor Jew; it was ruled by delusion.” -Elie Wiesel, Night, p.12

12. Invitation to Imitate Independent clause independent clause ; .

13. Invitation to Share & Celebrate • When we celebrate what is right, we intentionally reinforce correctness. What gets celebrated, gets repeated. • Share student writing. • Make collections by sentence pattern. • Post sentences on the wall. • Clap!

14. Work Session #1Mentor Sentences Locate Work Session # 1 Directions: • With your table, identify one mentor sentence from the text. • Refer back to slide 8 about how to choose a mentor sentence. • On the chart paper provided, write your table’s mentor sentence and the 8th grade language standard your mentor sentence represents.

15. Vocabulary “The importance of students acquiring a rich and varied vocabulary cannot be overstated.” Taken from the CCSS Appendix A

16. College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Reading Craft and Structure 4. Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.

17. College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Language Vocabulary Acquisition and Use 4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases by using context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting general and specialized reference materials, as appropriate. 6. Acquire and use accurately a range of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when encountering an unknown term important to comprehension or expression.

19. PARCC Model Content Framework Study and apply vocabulary: To focus vocabulary instruction on words that students would be encouraged to use in writing and speaking, students should be given 5–10 Tier 2 academic words per week for each text (L.8.4–6). Students require multiple exposures to targeted vocabulary words in authentic contexts to retain an understanding of the words’ meaning(s) and use the words effectively when writing and speaking.

21. Tiered Vocabulary

22. Tier One Words • Words used in everyday speech • Learned in early grades, albeit not at the same rate by all children • Not considered challenging to native speakers • NOT the focus of discussion

23. Tier Two Words • “General academic words” • More likely to appear in text than speech • Represent subtle or precise ways to say simple things • Appear across many types of text • Less well defined by context clues • Need specific focus in instruction

24. Tier Two Words Tier Two words are frequently encountered in complex written texts and are particularly powerful because of their wide applicability to many sorts of reading. Teachers thus need to be alert to the presence of Tier Two words and determine which ones need careful attention. Taken from the CCSS Appendix A

25. Tier Three Words • “Domain-specific words” • Key to understanding a new concept in a specific field or domain • Closely tied to content knowledge • More common in informational text • Often defined or explained by context clues

26. Examples of Tiered Vocabulary Terms

27. Work Session #2 Locate work session #1. Directions • With your table, categorize the vocabulary found in the excerpt from Night as Tier One, Tier Two, or Tier Three. • Find 5-7 examples of each. • Be prepared to share.

28. Criteria for Selecting Words • Is the word, in general, a useful word? • Does the word relate to other words and ideas that students know? • Is the word important in helping students understand the text?

29. Vocabulary Instruction • Contextualize the word • Provide student-friendly definitions • Connect to prior knowledge • Engage the students in interacting with the word • Identify examples/non-examples • Discuss synonyms and antonyms • Create word maps

30. Word Map

31. Implications for Instruction • No more vocabulary in isolation • Teach fewer words • Focus on Tier 2 (high utility) words to know, use, and remember • Provide definitions for Tier 3 (domain-specific, technical) words

32. Resources Anderson, J. (2005). Mechanically Inclined. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishing. Anderson, J. (2007). Everyday Editing.Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishing. Wiesel, E. (1958). Night. New York, NY: Hill and Wang

33. Resources Common Core Website www.corestandards.org MDE Curriculum and Instruction Website www.mde.k12.ms.us/ci MDE Common Core Website www.mde.k12.ms.us/ccss MDE SharePoint Website https://districtaccess.mde.k12.ms.us PARCC Website www.parcconline.org

34. Contact Information Office of Curriculum and Instruction 601.359.2586 commoncore@mde.k12.ms.us Nathan Oakley - Director of Curriculum noakley@mde.k12.ms.us Marla Davis - Mathematics mdavis@mde.k12.ms.us Vincent Segalini -English/Language Arts vsegalini@mde.k12.ms.us Chauncey Spears - AP/Gifted/SocialStudies crspears@mde.k12.ms.us Robin Lemonis - Early Childhood Literacy/Dyslexia/RtI rlemonis@mde.k12.ms.us