Transcript Reading webinar2 - National Centre of Literacy and Numeracy

Working with learners who are
reading at starting points
a focus on vocabulary
Sue Dymock & Sue Douglas
Overview of webinar
– Introduce the on-line learning course
– Outline of Module 2- Vocabulary
– The Vocabulary Assessment tool
– A closer look at teaching vocabulary
On-line learning course: Reading
• Four modules:
1.Getting started
• finding out about learners’ language & literacy
practices
• assessing and teaching decoding knowledge & skills
2 Vocabulary
3 Reading comprehension
4 Developing a reading programme
Which learners?
three main profiles:
• Profile 1: Adults who have good listening comprehension skills but poor
decoding skills. They can understand texts they hear, but cannot read
these texts efficiently by themselves. This group includes adults who may
have dyslexia.
• Profile 2: Adults with poor listening comprehension and good decoding
skills. They can decode texts, but not understand them well. This group
will include adults whose first language is not English.
• Profile 3: Adults with poor listening comprehension and poor decoding
skills. This group will have multiple instructional needs, and will be more
likely to need individualised support.
Key ideas
• Programmes for learners at this level need to
provide:
– focused, intensive instruction
– plenty of opportunity for supported practice
– close monitoring and on-going refinement
Outline of Module 2: Vocabulary
Learners’ vocabulary is critical to their ability to
read.
Module 2 covers:
•
•
assessing learners’ vocabulary
building learners’ vocabulary
Assessing Vocabulary
• new Vocabulary Assessment Tool
– addresses specific need to find out about New
Zealand adults’ vocabulary
– assesses receptive vocabulary using items that the
learner can either listen to or read
– locates a learners’ score on a measurement scale
and categorises their vocabulary knowledge as
emerging, extended, or expanding.
Extended (scores ≥ 616 scale units)
• Learners in this range have an extended vocabulary
that allows them to make sense of many general
academic and specialised words. They are likely to
understand when words and phrases have been used
figuratively and can make sense of a range of idioms.
Learners towards the top end of this step will have
access to many low frequency words.
Expanding (scores ≥ 509 but < 616)
• Learners in this range have an expanding vocabulary
that is likely to include some general academic and
specialised words. They understand that words can
have more than one meaning and can sometimes
recognise when a word has been used figuratively.
They are beginning to make sense of some popular
idioms, such as “business as usual” and “look up to”.
Emerging (scores < 509)
•Learners in this range have an emerging
vocabulary. They will be most comfortable with
concrete nouns and frequently used verbs,
adjectives and adverbs. These will usually be words
used at home and in the community, or words
specific to workplaces with which they are familiar.
Learners towards the top end of this step will be
able to make sense of some lower frequency words,
particularly when these are presented with
contextual supports.
Questions & answers
• Any questions about
the Vocabulary
Assessment?
Teaching Vocabulary
Our richest source of learning new words
beyond the age of 10 is through reading (e.g.,
newspapers, books, magazines). Adults with
decoding difficulties have been unable to
access these print sources. Over time this can
have a negative impact on vocabulary.
Poor decoding  less reading  smaller
vocabulary  poor comprehension
What to focus on?
• General development through strong oral
language dimension to reading programme
• Building vocabulary before reading a text
• Building vocabulary during and after reading a
text
Before reading
• General discussion about subject (activating or
building prior knowledge) and vocabulary
associated with that subject
• Pre-teach specific vocabulary in order to
enhance comprehension
During and after reading
• Words with multiple meanings
– 67% of everday words have more than one
meaning
• fine
During and after reading
• Word association
During and after reading…
• Words families
Questions & answers
• Any questions?