Transcript Enhancing Vocabulary Instruction

Enhancing Vocabulary
Instruction
April 21-23, 2011
Lauren Quarles
Session 1:
The Importance of Word Choice
• Knowing the challenge teachers face in choosing important
words to teach, aligned with the fact that most students learn
between 3,000-4,000 new words each year, Isabel Beck and
colleagues developed a three-tier model for selecting words to
teach.
• Vocabulary instruction is an extremely important task for ALL
teachers, not just reading teachers. Students are introduced to
challenging vocabulary in all content areas, including math,
science, and social studies.
• As educators, we must make vocabulary word choice
intentional, choosing the words we plan to introduce with care
and thoughtfulness.
Beck’s 3 Tiers of Vocabulary Words
(adapted from http://www.slideshare.net/laurelpollard/effective-vocabulary-instruction-for-all-levels)
Tier 3
Tier 2
Tier 1
Low frequency, content specific words,
such as morpheme, peninsula, similes,
nucleus
Academic words to teach that are key to
comprehension and used by “mature
language learners”. Examples include
curious, gaze, mysterious, stingy.
Basic words that generally do not
require instruction, such as
house, mom, car, toy.
Beck’s 3 Tiers of Vocabulary Words
Tier 1
Tier 2
Tier 3
eat
consume
masticate
food
nutrients
sustenance
garbage
litter
refuse
skin
hide
epidermis
guess
predict
prognosticate
Which Words Do I Teach?
• The focus of regular vocabulary instruction should be
mostly on Tier 2 words. These words are used by
adults everyday in conversation, reading, and writing
and are most likely to be encountered by students.
• While Tier 3 words are important as well, they
should be taught as they are encountered, most
commonly during content-area instruction.
• Teach words that are
– critical to understanding the text
– likely to be encountered many times
– difficult and need interpretation
Beck & McKeown, 2002
Let’s give this a try.
Get in groups of two please.
You will need something to
write with.
(Use Tier 2 Words handout)
Types of Vocabulary Learning
• Direct learning and indirect learning
are two ways students learn vocabulary.
• Direct learning: teacher explains
words and meanings
– Traditional, direct, explicit teaching
– Beginning learners need more direct
learning opportunities than advanced
learners.
Types of Vocabulary Learning
• Indirect learning: students “pick
up” word meanings through their
own experiences.
– Incidental, communicative learning
– Beginning and advanced learners
need indirect learning experiences.
Quick Strategies for Vocab. Practice
(see handout)
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Vocabulary Cards
Dictionary use
Act it out
Students teach it
Use pictures
Grab bag
Disappearing vocabulary list
Put it into Practice
Get in groups of 4.
I will provide each group with a strategy.
In your groups, use your handout to
study the strategy, and use it.
You have 15 minutes.
At the end of the time, groups will
present strategies to all participants.
Thank you for your
participation in Session 1.
I look forward to being back
with you for Session 2:
Strategies and Assessment.
Session 2:
Strategies, Strategies, Strategies!
(and a little bit of assessment, too)
Materials for Today:
1. A content passage of text
2. Pen and highlighter
3. Laptop with word processing
software
Word Sort
• A word sort is a word study activity where
children compare, contrast, and sort words
according to specific features.
• Word sorts allow children to form
hypotheses, explore concepts, and make
generalizations about written words. These
activities help students link words to the
familiar ones they already know (make
connections and activate prior knowledge).
http://activemindsactivebodies.wikispaces.com/Word+Sorts
Video: Calvin Does a Word Sort
http://youtu.be/TErmLS3IWpk
2 Types of Word Sorts
Closed Sort: The teacher chooses
the words to be sorted, and
designates the categories in which
students will place the words.
Open Sort: The students select the
categories for sorting words.
Participation Activity
Now you will get to complete an
open word sort.
Get in groups of four.
I will bring each group a set of cards.
Come up with ways to sort the
words.
Share with all participants.
Vocab-O-Gram
(a.k.a. Predict-O-Gram)
• This strategy allows students to make
predictions about how words will be
used in the story.
• Students organize vocabulary words in
relationship to the structure of the text
selection, causing them to go beyond
the definition to consider application of
the word within the text.
Classroom Example
• Deron McGinnis, third grade teacher,
planned to read the selection, Why
Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears.
• Prior to reading, he chose a list of vocabulary
words for the class to see and discuss.
• He then organized students into groups of
four to fill out the Vocab-O-Gram handout.
(Refer to Vocab-O-Gram handout examples.)
Participation Activity
Discuss in your groups how you might
implement the Vocab-O-Gram strategy
in your classrooms.
Write down 2 ways you come up with to
share with all participants.
Do you think this is a strategy that could
be used in content areas? How?
Vocabulary Self-collection Strategy
(VSS)
• The VSS strategy places the responsibility for
learning words on the students.
• First, students listen to a selection, while writing
down 2-3 words they believe the group should learn
(important words).
• Second, students get into groups and share their
“important” words with one another.
• Then they decide as group which words will be
included in their VSS chart. (See handouts.)
• Finally, the groups share their words as the teacher
makes a list for students to see.
It’s Time for Assessment!
• Vocabulary cannot be appropriately assessed
using traditional measures (multiple choice,
matching, fill in the blank), because there are
several stages of word knowledge that must
be considered.
• Knowing a word’s definition does not mean a
student truly knows the word.
Adapted from
Stahl, K.D. & Bravo, M.A. (2010). Contemporary classroom vocabulary assessment for content areas. The Reading Teacher, 63(7), 566-578.
Dale’s 4 Stages of Word Knowledge
Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3
Stage 4
Never having seen the term before
Knowing there is such a word, but
not knowing what it means
Having context-bound and vague
knowledge of the word’s meaning
Knowing the word well and
remembering it
Taken from:
Stahl, K.A.D & Bravo, M.A. (2010). Contemporary classroom vocabulary assessment for content areas. The Reading Teacher, 63(7),
566-578.
Vocabulary Knowledge Scale
(a.k.a. Knowledge Rating Chart)
• Using Dale’s 4 stages of word knowledge,
the Vocabulary Knowledge Scale (VKS) was
created so students can self-report their
word knowledge.
• This strategy can be applied to any grade
level in any content area. See handouts for
examples.
• This is the strategy I am using for your PD
pre and post tests! (See handouts)
Vocabulary Recognition Task (VRT)
• The VRT combines self-report with
demonstrated knowledge and can be used as a
pretest and a posttest.
• For the pretest, the teacher provides students
with 25 words: 18 relating to the text, 7 foils or
false alarms. Students circle words they are able
to read and know relate to the topic.
• As a posttest, students are required to
categorize the words under separate headings.
• See VRT handouts.
Participation Activity!
• Using the content text you brought
and your laptop, create a VRT
pretest and posttest you can use
with your students. Refer to your
handouts if needed.
• When everyone is finished, a few
participants can share with the
group.
Thank You!
This is the end of Session 2.
I appreciate your participation
and look forward to seeing you
back for Session 3: eVoc
Strategies.
Session 3: eVoc Strategies
Materials needed for this session:
-Laptop
-Vocabulary list from a unit you
teach
What is an eVoc Strategy?
• An eVoc strategy is an electronic, or
technology-based strategy that teachers can
use to develop students’ vocabulary learning
and interest in words.
• “Improving students’ vocabulary is an area of
urgent need if we are to develop the
advanced literacy levels required for success
in [21st century life] school and beyond.”
Dalton & Grisham, 2011
eVoc Strategy 1: Word Clouds
• Word clouds are free web applications
that allow you to create a collage of
words based on the frequency of
words in a text.
• They can be used to stimulate
student’s thinking about word meaning,
importance of words, and the
relationship between the words in the
word cloud.
Word Cloud
Examples
Where to Create Word Clouds
• www.wordle.net
• www.tagxedo.com
• http://www.makeuseof.com/dir/worditoutword-cloud-creator/
• www.wordsift.com
Participation Activity
• Use your unit vocabulary to create
a word cloud to be used as a preunit “hook” to engage students in
what is to come.
• Explore the word cloud generators
to find the one that best fits your
needs.
Video: How to save a Wordle word cloud
as a .pdf file
http://www1.teachertube.com/viewV
ideo.php?video_id=225393&title=
Wordle
Some Questions to Ask When
Presenting a Word Cloud
• What does the word cloud suggest the
text is about?
• What seem to be the most important
words?
• How do these words go together?
• Why do you think the word cloud is a
certain shape?
eVoc Strategy 2: Media
• Using different types of media to focus
on vocabulary engages students on
many levels.
• Students can insert pictures into
Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, or other
programs and create dialogue or
captions using targeted vocabulary.
Example:
• Target vocabulary word: contribute
Student written dialogue:
Student written caption:
“The children are
contributing their skills and
working together to build a
birdhouse.
Kate: Look at the birds. They
look like the need a place to nest.
Bob: Maybe I will build them a
bird house. Look, there’s Joe!
Joe: What are you doing?
Kate: building a birdhouse. Do
you want to help?
Bob: We can all contribute.
Participation Activity
• Use your laptops to find a picture
you can use with one of your
target vocabulary words.
• Prepare this strategy to implement
with your students.
eVoc Strategy 3: Vocabulary
Learning + Social Service
• www.freerice.com is a free online vocabulary
game.
• This game offers students the chance to
engage with words while helping others.
• For each correct answer, United Nations
World Food Programme donates 10 grains
of rice to countries in need.
Screen Shot of Freerice.com
Support for Using Freerice.com
http://www1.teachertube.com/viewV
ideo.php?video_id=30610&title=Fr
ee_Rice_and_SciVee
Participation Activity
• Get on your laptops and play on
www.freerice.com.
• Share with a neighbor how you
could use this program in your
classroom. (Think social studies!!)
The End!
Thank you for participating in this
professional development. I have enjoyed
you! I hope you can take the strategies you
learned to immediately implement in your
classroom. Please take a few moments to
complete the PD posttest.
Sources
Brassell, D. (2009). Dare to differentiate: Vocabulary strategies for all students. The
NERA Journal, 44(2), 1-6.
Dale, E. (1965) Vocabulary measurement: Techniques and major findings.
Elementary English, 42, 895-901, 948.
Dalton, B. & Grisham, D.L. (2011). eVoc strategies: 10 ways to use technology to
build vocabulary. The Reading Teacher, 64(5), 306-317.
Stahl, K.A.D. (2008). The effects of three instructional methods on the reading
comprehension and content acquisition of novice readers. Journal of Literacy
Research, 40(3), 359-393.
Stahl, K.A.D. & Bravo, M.A. (2010). Contemporary classroom vocabulary
assessment for content areas. The Reading Teacher, 63(7), 566-578.