Transcript Building Background Knowledge

Building Background
Knowledge and Vocabulary
st
in Kindergarten and 1 Grade
Presented by
Toni Wilson
OUTCOMES…
By the end of today:
 You will understand the importance of
effective vocabulary instruction.
 You will understand how to select words
for instruction.
 You will have strategies and ideas for
teaching vocabulary to your students.
Academic Background
Knowledge
Although a certain level of innate intelligence
is important to academic success, learned
intelligence is the stronger correlate of
success in school.
(Rolfhus and Ackerman, 1999)

Academic background knowledge has a
dramatic impact on success in school.

Studies have also shown its relationship to
occupation and status in life (Sticht,
Hofstetter, and Hofstetter, 1997.)
If not addressed by schools, academic
background knowledge can create great
advantages for some students and great
disadvantages for others.
(Building Background Knowledge, Marzano, 2004)
Building Background Knowledge
for Academic Achievement
Robert J. Marzano, 2004
•Probably one of the most interesting characteristics of
background knowledge is that it does not have to be detailed to
be useful. Even surface-level background knowledge is useful.
•The clear message from research is that schools can make a
difference. If the knowledge and skills that students from
advantaged backgrounds possess is learned rather than innate,
then students who do not come from advantaged backgrounds
can learn it, too.
•Direct vocabulary instruction enhances academic background
knowledge.
The Lost Opportunity to Build the Knowledge that
Propels Comprehension
(Kate Walsh, American Educator, 2003)
What Houghton-Mifflin (and every
other ELA series) doesn’t do well:
 Build word and world
knowledge
Therefore,
…a critical way to build
vocabulary and world
knowledge is through stories
that teachers read aloud, and
through the discussion that
follows.
Read alouds:
The language in children’s books is more
complex and contains more rare words
than expert-witness testimony in court,
college graduates talking to friends or
spouses, or prime time television shows.
 Provide a virtual field trip for students to
other times and settings.

Scott, Skobel, and Wells, The Word Conscious Classroom , (2008)
To increase students’ word and world
knowledge,
…students must be exposed to more
rigorous content
 Teacher read-alouds should be roughly two
grade levels above the students, and
students’ basal stories should ideally
develop the same bodies of knowledge that
have been introduced in the teacher readalouds.

Moreover,
…significant chunks of time – say 15
minutes daily – should be devoted to
discussion during and/or after each
read-aloud.
THE
IMPORTANCE
OF
VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION
It is clear that a large and
rich vocabulary is the
hallmark of an educated
individual.
Vocabulary knowledge is strongly related
to reading proficiency and school
achievement.
The problem is that there are profound
differences in vocabulary knowledge among
learners from different ability or
socioeconomic (SES) group from toddlers
through high school.
 First-grade children from higher SES groups
knew twice as many words as lower SES
children. (Graves & Slater, 1987)
 3-year-olds from professional families use more
words than parents in low income families.
(Risley & Hart, Meaningful Differences in Everday
Experiences of Young American Children)
 Most frightening is that once established, such
differences appear difficult to remediate.
Factors That Affect
Vocabulary Development
Vocabulary Gap
 First Language vs. English
 Spoken vs. Written Language
 Knowledge vs. Application

Two Ways Children Learn Vocabulary

Indirectly
 Children learn the meaning
of words through everyday
experiences with oral and
written language
○ Engage in oral language
daily
○ Listen to adults read to
them
○ Read extensively on own
 Many natural contexts are
not informative enough from
which to derive a word’s
meaning

Directly
- Specific Word Instruction
○ Pre-reading
○ Extended
○ Repeated exposure
 Word Learning Strategies
○ Dictionaries
○ Word parts
○ Context clues
○ Appositives
Research shows that learning new words in
context does occur, but in very small increments.
 Studies estimate that of 100 unfamiliar words met in
reading, 5 –15 of them will be learned (Nagy, 1985).
 First students must read widely to encounter lots of
words, but students in need of vocabulary
instruction do not engage in wide reading (Kucan &
Beck, 1996).
 To acquire word knowledge from reading requires
adequate decoding skills (Beck, 2002).
Struggling readers do not read well enough to
derive meaning from text.
Most authors want to tell a story not convey the
meaning of set words in stories.
Thus, depending on wide reading as a source of
vocabulary growth leaves at-risk students with a
serious deficit (Beck, 2001).
Research shows that students learn 3-20
words a day for an average of 7 words per day (Miller,
1978).
At-risk students are learning less than 1-2
words per day or none at all.
But there are too many words in the English
language to teach!
Not all words call for attention (Beck,2001).
Based on Nagy and Anderson’s research, Dr.
Beck suggests teaching 400 words per year.
Number of Exposures Needed to
Learn a New Word
Significantly above average
intelligence = 20
 Above average = 30
 Average = 35
 Below average = 40
 Mild cognitive impairment = 45
 Moderate cognitive impairment = 55

(Gates, 1931; McCormick, 1999)
WHAT SHOULD TEACHERS DO?
Create a word conscious
classroom!
 Motivate
through your own
enthusiasm.
 Recognize juicy words and vivid
language.
 Select high quality literature for read
alouds that you enjoy!
 Develop word detectives…
According to research,
teachers must make
vocabulary instruction robust,
vigorous, strong and powerful
to be effective.
What makes vocabulary instruction
robust?

A robust approach to vocabulary
instruction involves directly explaining
the meanings of words along with
thought-provoking, playful and
interactive follow-up.
Goal
 400
words/year
(Beck, McKeown, and Kulcan, 2002)
 Word
learning must be strategic
and accelerative rather than pure
memorization!
Specific Vocabulary Lessons and
Integrated Instruction
Instruction must include intentional
conversations with students about word
meanings in all reading and writing contexts.
 Instruction should be interactive.
 Instruction should be integrated so that
students make connections across
instructional contexts.

Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Fountas and
Pinnell, 2006
PROCESS FOR TEACHING NEW
TERMS AND PHRASES
 Six
Step process
(Building Academic Vocabulary,
Teacher’s Manual, Marzano and
Pickering, 2005)
Step 1:
 Present
students with a brief
explanation of the new term or
phrase.
Step 2:
 Present students with a
nonlinguistic representation
of the new term or phrase.
Step 3:
 Ask
students to generate their
own explanations or
descriptions.
Step 4:
 Ask students to create their
own nonlinguistic
representation.
Step 5:
 Periodically ask students to
review the accuracy of their
explanation and
representation.
Step 6:
 Involve
students periodically
in games that allow them to
play with terms.
WHICH WORDS SHOULD BE
TAUGHT?
Meaning Vocabulary
Houghton Mifflin / Open Court
 Social Studies / Science / Math
 Academic Language

 Building Background Knowledge for
Academic Achievement (Marzano, 2004)
Selecting words for direct teaching…





Not all words call for attention.
Which words may not be known?
Which words will be most useful in helping
the student to understand the text?
Which words may come up again in
reading?
Limit the number so that there is the
opportunity to learn the words well.
THREE TIERS
OF
VOCABULARY WORDS
Tier One Words
First Tier Words rarely require instructional
attention. (Beck, 2001)
They consist of basic words.
Examples are: baby, clock, happy, walk, jump,
hop, slide, girl, boy, dog
Tier Three Words
Tier Three words are made up of words whose
frequency of use is quite low and often
limited to specific domains.
 Examples are: Isotope, lathe, peninsula,
refinery
 These words are best learned when a
specific need arises such as a geography
lesson.
Tier Two Words
Tier Two words contain high frequency
words that are found across a variety of
domains.
 Examples are: coincidence, absurd, regret,
fortunate, rambunctious, magnificent,
reluctant, venture, prepared, mention…
 Rich knowledge of words in this tier can
have a powerful impact on verbal
functioning (Beck,2001).
Useful Words/Levels of Utility
Tier One
Consists of most basic words
rarely requiring instruction in
school.
Tier Two
High frequency words for
mature language users and
thus instruction in these words
can be productive to the
student’s language ability
Tier Three
Includes words whose
frequency of use is quite low,
often being limited to specific
domains and probably best
learned when needed in
content areas.
Teaching Tier 2 Words
 Select words that students are able to
define using words they already know.
 Select words that offer students more precise
or mature ways of referring to ideas they
already know.
 For example: “merchant” a
student probably knows the
meaning of “merchant” as a
salesperson.
Read the following paragraph.
Johnny Harrington was a kind master who
treated his servants fairly. He was also a
successful wool merchant, and his
business required he travel often. While he
was gone, his servants would tend to the
fields and maintain the upkeep of his
mansion. They performed their duties
happily, for they felt fortunate to have such
a benevolent and trusting master.(Kohnke,
2001)
Define the underlined words in
student terms
 Students can use the word “tend” in
their own vocabularies after being told
it means “to take care of.”
 Students are also familiar with the word
“kind” and therefore could begin using
“benevolent” as a more mature way of
saying “kind.”
Teacher Activity
 Read the text selection and identify 2 - 3 Tier Two
words. Tier Two words are words that students
should have an understanding of their meaning.
 Work with a partner to do this activity.
 Make a list of your words and define them using
vocabulary a student would use.
Example:
Tier Two Words
Student Definition
Mention
Tell
Emerging
Coming out
The barn was very large. It was very old. It
smelled of hay and it smelled of manure. It
smelled of the perspiration of tired horses and the
wonderful sweet breath of patient cows. It often
had a sort of peaceful smell – as though nothing
bad could happen ever again in the world. It
smelled of grain and of harness dressing and of
axle grease and of rubber boots and of new rope.
And whenever the cat was given a fish-head to
eat, the barn would smell of fish.
Wilma Rudolph was born in Bethlehem,
Tennessee, in 1940. Just before her fifth
birthday, Wilma became very ill. Her illness
caused her to lose the use of her left leg.
Wilma was determined to walk. She did
exercises every day to make her leg stronger.
Even though doctors had put a steel brace
on her leg, Wilma practiced walking every
day without it. When she was 12 years old,
she took off her brace for good.
Two Penguins Once Collided
Two penguins once collided –
both were in a nasty mood
and quickly started bickering…
They were extremely rude.
Those penguins argued on and on
without an interlude,
and that was the beginning of their famous frozen
feud.
Jack Prelutsky
I Am Loudmouse
I am Loudmouse, and by far,
loudest of all mice that are,
of all mice that ever were,
of all mice that might occur.
Surely there will never be
another mouse as loud as me.
I am utterly unique…
I am Loudmouse, hear me squeak!
Jack Prelutsky
Tier Two Words for K-1
 Use words from trade books that the teacher
reads aloud to students instead of books children
read on their own (Beck, 2001).
 The teacher can briefly explain the meaning
of the word while she is reading then follow
the 6 Step process afterward.
 The context of the story will also aid in
understanding the unknown word.
What Makes a Word Inappropriate for
Instruction?
 A word that cannot be explained in known
terms for the students. Kindergarteners can
apply and understand the word “nuisance”
to mean a disruptive classmate.
 A word that cannot be used by students in
their everyday lives. K-3 students have little
opportunity to use the word “portage”.
ACTIVITIES
FOR
STUDENTS
Motor Imaging

Draws on physical-sensory, as well as
cognitive and affective domains of
learning.

Particularly effective with English
Language Learners.
Activity: Super Duper Words from
Raising Ravenous Readers by Linda Schwartz
(Copyright 1998)
Super Duper Words are thought-provoking, fun
words to look for as you read.
Write the word on 3” X 5” card.
Post the word in the classroom and look for
the word during the week as you read books,
magazines, newspapers, or any printed matter.
Decide on a prize or bonus for anyone who finds
the Super Duper Word before the week is up.
Each week look for a new super duper word as
well as the Super Duper Word from the previous
weeks.
Have fun watching your robust vocabulary grow!
 Word Associations: Associating a known
word with a newly learned word reinforces
the meaning of the word.
 Word Associations are not just synonyms,
students must develop a relationship
between the new word and unknown
word for learning to occur.
Examples of Word Associations
 “Accomplice” and the known
word “crook” can be tied
together by a student stating,
“An accomplice helps a
crook.”
 Students must explain their
reasoning in order to
process the new word.
Have You Ever…?

Students are asked to “Describe a time when
they might (urge, banter, commend)
someone.”
Applause, Applause!

Students are asked to “clap” to indicate how
much they would like to be described by the
target word. (Example: vain, stern, impish)
Idea Completions

Provide students with “sentence stems” that
require them to integrate a word’s meaning into
a context to explain the word.
 Example: I knew he was a “novice” at skiing
because……
OTHER
STRATEGIES and
RESOURCES
TEACHER ACTIVITY
Identify 3 tier two words in the picture
book.
 Come up with a student friendly
definition for each word and a
nonlinguistic representation.
 Think through 6 step lesson
 Be prepared to share the selected words
(and why) along with the definition.

Sharing