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Vocabulary, Comprehension, Writing Supports. May 17, 2011. What are the universal literacy strategies that serve all content areas?. Why Study Vocabulary?. “It is clear that a large and rich vocabulary is the hallmark of an educated individual.”
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Vocabulary, Comprehension, Writing Supports May 17, 2011
What are the universal literacy strategies that serve all content areas?
Why Study Vocabulary? “It is clear that a large and rich vocabulary is the hallmark of an educated individual.” Beck & McKeowan, 2002 Region 10 Education Service Center
Why Study Vocabulary? “There is a strong relationship between vocabulary, intelligence, comprehension and future income.” Marzano, Pickering, and Pollock, 2001 Region 10 Education Service Center
Vocabulary Data • The average elementary student learns roughly 3,000 words a year. Many of the new words are learned through reading (Nagy, 1988). • Students who most need vocabulary instruction are frequently those who read the slowest (Fountas and Pinnell, 2001). • Disadvantaged students who do not perform well in school often have underdeveloped vocabularies (Biemiller and Slonim, 2001). Region 10 Education Service Center
Let’s Break it Down • Elementary children acquire and/or develop about 3,000 new words per year which comes to about 8 words each day. • Let’s say, an elementary student only acquires 2,000 new words per year. That means . . . by the time they’re in 8th grade, they are behind by 8,000 words which translates to more than two grade levels. Region 10 Education Service Center
More words read builds a wide vocabulary base Frequent reading builds confidence and positive reading self-concept Increased comprehension leads to wider knowledge-base which deepens cognition The Comprehension Cycle for Proficient Readers Region 10 Education Service Center
The Comprehension Cycle for Struggling Readers Fewer words read builds a limited vocabulary base Lack of comprehension causes frustration and impacts motivation Limited comprehension leads to limited knowledge which inhibits cognition Region 10 Education Service Center
And Beyond 12th Grade… “There is a strong relationship between vocabulary, intelligence, comprehension of new information, and future income.” Marzano, Pickering, and Pollock, 2001 Region 10 Education Service Center
Dictionary Danger? • Approximately 60% of sentences students wrote to demonstrate their knowledge of a new word, used the new words incorrectly. • Dictionaries often use vague language and do not explain how the word is different from other similar words. (Scott & Nagy 1989, 1997, Vacca & Vacca, 1996) Students must already have some knowledge of the word for the definition to make sense. Region 10 Education Service Center
Plugging into New Wordsthrough Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing “Vocabulary consists of the words that we understand and can actively listen to, speak, read, or write.” (Tankersley, 2005) Region 10 Education Service Center
Light Bulb Moments • Think of a word and its definition that you will NEVER forget. • What makes that word “stick” in your brain? • Did you learn your word in school? • Did you hear, see, or read your word? Region 10 Education Service Center
Value of Kinesthetic Involvement “The brain literally changes at the chemical level when our mind and/or body experiences something new… When we understand the key role the body plays in learning and encourage our students to explore the possibilities of movement, it can only enhance their learning.” Alana Morris/Vocabulary Unplugged Region 10 Education Service Center
Word Walls • Be selective (about 5 to 10 a week) • Practice regularly with a variety of review activities • Handy and easily accessible • Alphabetical Region 10 Education Service Center
Will the visuals help you remember the 10 KEY social studies vocabulary words? Number a sheet of paper from 1 to 10. As you see each picture appear, write the vocabulary word that goes with it. Region 10 Education Service Center
Reading “Vocabulary knowledge is among the best predictors of reading achievement.” Daneman, 1991 Region 10 Education Service Center
Reading “Reading is the single most important factor in increased word knowledge.” Anderson & Nagy, 1991; Baumann & Kameenui, 1991 Region 10 Education Service Center
Light Bulb Moment As a reader, what do you do when you come to an unfamiliar word? Region 10 Education Service Center
Reading PassagePhysics Textbook “So far, the circuits we have considered include batteries or generators that contribute only their emfs to a circuit. In reality, however, such devices also add some resistance.” Cutnell and Johnson Physics, 5th Edition Region 10 Education Service Center
Frayer Model Definition Visual Representation; characteristics Vocabulary Term Personal association or characteristic; Non-example Examples (Barton, M.L., Heidema, C., & Jordan, D. 2002) Region 10 Education Service Center
Ways to Discover Meanings of Unknown Words • Dictionary • Glossary • Context clues • Ask the expert • Find pictures • Look for known roots, prefixes, and suffixes • Use the index to find where the word is listed and read it in other contexts Region 10 Education Service Center
Teaching Word Parts “Knowing some common prefixes and suffixes (affixes), base words, and root words can help students learn the meanings of many new words" (Armbruster, Lehr, & Osborn, 2001). Region 10 Education Service Center
WritingWords are Colors on Your Palette One of the primary reasons to incorporate direct vocabulary instruction is to “improve range and specificity in writing.” Allen, 1999 Region 10 Education Service Center
Word Websites • www.behindthename.com • www.dictionary.com • www.etymonline.com • www.fun-with-words.com • www.wordfocus.com • www.wordspy.com Region 10 Education Service Center
