Transcript Vocabulary Instruction - Illinois CEC Convention Wiki

Greg Conderman
[email protected]
Laura Hedin
[email protected]
Northern Illinois University
Illinois CEC Conference
Fall, 2013
To differentiate between direct and indirect methods of
teaching vocabulary
To provide a rationale for direct (explicit) vocabulary
instruction
To share a few vocabulary methods and strategies
To provide ideas for vocabulary activities (handout)
Passive, inferential, occurs naturally through reading
and listening
BUT “learning vocabulary during independent
reading is inefficient for students with disabilities”
(Jitendra et al., 2004, p. 300) due to:
Lack of strategies to learn words from context
Poor overall word knowledge
Therefore, students require some explicit instruction
with 300-400 words per year
Students with disabilities have inadequate reading skills
(decoding), vocabulary skills, and background
knowledge
Vocabulary instruction supports comprehension
Vocabulary instruction supports higher level thinking skills
Many disciplines have their own vocabulary
Common core standards
Teacher picks and isolates target words
Teacher systematically teaches word meanings
Teacher plans meaningful encounters with words for
the student to really “own” it (10 – 15 encounters)
Use words in contexts that reinforce meanings
Read
Write
Listen
Say
(As well as draw, demonstrate, connect, compare,
evaluate…)
1. Important words- needed to understand a concept or
text
2. Useful words- words students will be required to
recognize and use on a ongoing basis
3. Difficult words- words that pose particular challenges
for students such as multiple meanings, idiomatic
expressions, or where meanings are context specific
Activity: Selection: What are animal adaptations?
Pick no more than six target vocabulary words
Important words…
Useful words…
Difficult words…
Key word method/mnemonics
Cognitive strategies
Semantic feature analysis
Semantic mapping
Direct Instruction
Wide range of subject areas
Used to teach factual information
Help students with high incidence disabilities remember
main ideas in content areas
Used to teach vocabulary for standardized tests
Reconstruct term to be learned into
an acoustically similar
already familiar
easily pictured concrete term
A KEYWORD
Relate the keyword
___________
to the
to-be-learned
information
____________________
in an
interactive picture, image, or sentence.
Model how to retrieve the appropriate
response by thinking of:
The keyword
The picture
The “action” in the picture
Vocabulary Word: Apex
Definition: The highest point
Key word: Ape
(Acoustically similar, familiar and can be
drawn)
Interactive Image: Ape on highest point
Write a key word next to one of the words from your list
from the selection “What are animal adaptations”?
The key word should sound like the vocabulary word, be
known to the student, and be easily drawn
Example:
 Survive is the vocabulary word
 I’m alive is the key word
 My interactive image would be a person surviving an
accident saying, “I’m alive!”
Involves using a chart or grid [the relationship chart] to
compare and contrast words or concepts within a unit on a
similar topic
EX: The 4 types of paragraphs we have learned, the 5
types of governments we have studied, the planets, etc
Students (by themselves, pairs, groups, or as a class) rate
the relationship among items in that class by noting if the
specific characteristic is present (+) or not present (-)
Equilateral
Triangle
Isosceles
Triangle
Scalene
Triangle
Right
Triangle
+
+
+
+
Three angles +
add up to
180 degrees
+
+
+
All sides
equal
+
-
-
-
All angles
equal
+
-
-
-
Three sides
Use class discussion and a graphic organizer to build the
meaning of the word
Answer questions such as: What is it? What is it like?
What are some examples? What are some synonyms?
What are some antonyms? Etc
Place word in middle of page and build the meaning
through discussion by answering those questions
These are not “worksheets”; they need to be accompanied
by teacher instruction
Quiet
Loud
(Synonym 1)
(Antonym 1)
Tranquil
Peaceful
Violent
(Synonym 2)
(Antonym 2)
Involves explicit systematic presentation of a word and its
meaning
Highly structured lessons/scripted lessons
Can be used along with many of the methods described
Student reads: Response
Teacher says: Response means action an animal takes.
When a prairie dog sees an enemy, it has a response. It
takes action; it squeaks. What does response mean?
Student: Action an animal takes
Teacher: Yes, once more. What does response mean?
Student: Action an animal takes
[context dependent]

Choose one of the methods
◦ Key Word, Semantic Feature Analysis, Semantic Mapping,
Direct Instruction

Discuss with a partner how you would teach one of
your vocabulary words (or words typical for your
students) using that method



Before reading
During reading
After reading
Not just for early childhood!
Especially helpful with informational text
Hare, prairie dog, etc.
Older students- survey chapter, WARM UP
Preview using oral language
In oral discussion, use new terms in ways that support
comprehension (model new vocabulary)
Prompt student comment: What do you see in this
picture?
Student: The rabbit is hiding in the snow.
Recast with new term and more detail:
Yes, the hare is blending in with the snow, so it is
safe…Hares are a kind of rabbit.
Definition cannot be derived from context
Familiar words are used in unusual ways
Hare versus hair…burrow (dig) versus burrow (home
underground)
Words are difficult to decode and are critical to
comprehension
Use when verbal explanations are inadequate or
inappropriate
The teacher acts it out, shows it, shows a picture of it, has
the class act it out, or shows a video of it
The most “concrete” method
Helpful for students who are ELL of for young children
with limited language skills
Teacher provides a synonym of the word
Our character today is described as gorgeous; that is, she
is very pretty.
Need to know student’s language
May not capture the richness or subtleties of the word
Most abstract
Use definitions that are kid-friendly:
Use words students already know
Include words that are easy to understand
Use a succinct definition
Demonstrate how the word is used in a sentence
(Conderman, Hedin, Bresnahan, 2012)
After presenting the KFD, provide three examples that
illustrate the use of the word that students can identify
with
Then provide three non-examples
Next, ask students for their examples and non-examples
Finally, ask several yes/no questions to assess student
understanding of the word
Word
Dictionary Definition
KFD
rebel
One who rebels or
participates in a rebellion
A person who goes against
the law
disagree
To differ in opinion
When you say or think an
idea that is not the same as
someone else’s idea
scornful
Full of scorn,
contemptuous
When you really do not like
something or someone and
you show it with your face,
words, or body in a
disrespectful way
Think of a word and how you might present it through:
 Modeling
 Synonyms
or
 Defintions
Compare/contrast
Anchor in background knowledge
Shades of meaning:
Let’s look at the colors in this box of crayons…
Cornflower?
Azure? Teal?
Baby blue
Midnight blue
Same “shades” work for some other vocabulary
angry, happy,
friendly/unfriendly
big/small
miniscule
enormous
Context sentence for dedicated word wall:
The NICE boy scout helped the old lady cross the
busy street.
KFD: Nice means: Thinks of others and helps them
Pre teach: We will see this sentence in our passage today
Her friends were very considerate of her feelings
Underline considerate
Considerate is a synonym for NICE, let’s add it to
our word wall for NICE
Teach students meanings of affixes (pre and suffixes) and
how those change the meaning of the root word
Er means “one who”
Farmer is one who farms; teacher is one who teaches etc
Check for understanding: What does a writer do? A
singer? A dancer?
Especially helpful for advanced classes and content areas
with specialized vocabulary
Similar to word-part clues
Teach students origins of a word part
Tract means pull
This helps students remember meanings of tractor,
attraction, distraction, etc
Make a list of words with that word part
Competition
Competitor
Compete
Competing
Competitive
Directly teach context use
Read around the word
Restate definition---look for punctuation
Highlight definition, so it serves as reference
Substitute synonym and reread
Use pictures and diagrams
Contextual analysis- using the sentence to figure out the
meaning of the unknown word
Call on student to read passage: Aunt Phoebe has things.
Things and things and things. She has a collection.
Call on a student to find the words that tell the meaning
of the underlined word. Ask: What words in the passage
tell what a collection is?
Check for understanding: Do you have a collection? Tell
about it. Do you know anyone who has a collection?
Tell about it.
Adaptations Passage, p. A11
Word
Definition from text
Synonym
Example from text
Stimulus
Response
If goal is to expand vocabulary,
students should be able to use words meaningfully
Speak
Write
Do
See handout with some activities
My
Animal:
ADAPTATIONS: (write definition)
What is the
animal’s
environment
like?
Source 1
(textbook)
Source 2
(internet)
Source 3
(video)
Summary
from
sources
How does
the animal
act?
What body
parts?
More
information
Show relationships between concepts in the text
Reflects the structure (organization) of the text
Avoid:
Just giving a list of words for students to look up or
memorize
Only assessing meaning through matching quizzes
Providing activities such as word searches that are void of
meaningful context
Introducing every new word through pre teaching
Do:
Vary your instruction based on your objectives, the text,
the word, and student’s skill
Pre teach a few key terms per short unit or story
Relate the term to student’s background
Teach students various strategies for unlocking new terms
Assess through authentic activities
Beck, I. L., McKeown, M. G., & Kucan, L. (2002). Bringing
words to life: Robust vocabulary instruction. New York:
Guilford.
Conderman, G., Hedin, L., & Bresnahan, V. (2012). Strategy
instruction for middle and secondary students with mild
disabilities: Creating independent learners. Thousand Oaks, CA:
Corwin Press.
Current Practice Alerts. (2010). A focus on vocabulary
instruction. 18, Division for Learning Disabilities.
Jitendra, A., Edwards, L., Sacks, G., & Jacobson, L. (2004). What
research says about vocabulary instruction for students with
learning disabilities. Exceptional Children 70 (3), 299-322.
http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2008/04/06/
the-best-websites-for-developing-academic-english-skills-vocabulary/
Edutopia: http://www.edutopia.org/blog/vocabulary-instruction-teachingtips-rebecca-alber
Nagy, W. (2008).
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&
ved=0CCwQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcurry.virginia.edu%2Freadingprojects%2Fprojects%2Fgarf%2FPowerPoints%2FNagy%2520Georgia%2
520RF.ppt&ei=Zhd5UqyWIMbXyAH_4YC4BA&usg=AFQjCNE3bcuqFspoJfaUtBRz_LIDqVHaA&sig2=k0m9VZMpbRGcbkOs3gDEyg&bvm=
bv.55980276,d.aWc