INTRODUCING WORDS: A FEW INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIESWhy? What? How?

Jen Madisonjmadison@esu6.org12.15.09

CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION Use a “tournament bracket” to study the

characteristics and decide which characteristics you find especially important and relevant:

Line up (or deal) the characteristics in random pairs. For each pair, decide which should advance

between the two cards based on the degree of importance and relevance toward your professional practice.

Once the winner and runner up are decided, choose one consolation card from any of the others.

FACETS OFPURPOSEFUL VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION Provide rich and varied language experiences

discussion, focused attention on words, being read to, wide and frequent reading

Teach word-learning strategies Using context, using morphology (word parts), using a

dictionary

Foster word consciousness Awareness, interest in words and their meanings,

understanding of communicative power of language

Teach individual words (Graves, 2006)

WHY SHOULD I TEACH SOME WORDS EXPLICITLY?Explain why teaching individual words explicitly is important.

DID YOU KNOW…? Read several of the “Did You Know…”

cards on the table.

Keep up to three that seem most important and relevant to your teaching.

Interaction SequenceThink – Pair – SharePurposeful Selection, Random Selection,

Volunteer Selection

Explicit vocabulary instruction “can deepen students’

knowledge of word meanings” to help them “understand what they are hearing or

reading” and well as “help them use words accurately in

speaking and writing.”

(National Institute for Literacy, 2003, p. 36)

WHAT CRITERIA SHOULD I CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING WORDS?

Understand conceptual difficulty as one criteria for selecting words to teach explicitly.

CRITERIA FOR WORD SELECTION Word Knowledge

prior knowledge necessary

understanding

Frequency & Distribution rate of occurrence in

English text

Importance reading comprehension

(particular selection, general comprehension)

content-specific achievement

Utility outside of particular

school context instructional potential generativity morphology (word

parts) semantic-relatedness

(categories of meaning)

Conceptual difficulty

QUESTIONS WORTH ASKING Is this word unknown?

Is this word critical to understanding (the particular text, the particular subject matter)?

Is this a word students are likely to encounter again (in sophisticated language use, in this particular subject, in other domains)?

Is this word conceptually difficult (abstract, new concept, multiple meanings)?

Does this word have high instructional potential (morphology, connections to other words, word learning)?

HOW MIGHT I INTRODUCE DIFFERENT KINDS OF TERMS MOST EFFECTIVELY?Know (and ultimately use) different types of instruction to explicitly teach different types of words.

FOR THE STRONGEST POSSIBLE RESULTS… Include both definitional and contextual information.

Involve students in active and deep processing of the words.

Provide students with multiple exposures to the word.

Review, rehearse, and remind students about the word in various contexts over time.

Involve students in discussions of the word’s meaning.

Spend a significant amount of time on the word.(Graves, 2006)

“Often, it will be necessary to teach words in ways that do not consume large amounts of time and

do not produce the strongest possible results…

…In these cases, think of your initial instruction on a word as just that—initial

instruction, an initial experience that starts

students on the long road to learning a full and rich meaning for the word.”

(Graves, 2006, p. 70)

QUICK INTRODUCTION Learning new words for known concepts in text

During read-aloud Before students read text

Read-aloud Provide known synonym/descriptive phrase or picture

with the word (without disrupting the narration)

Prior to student reading Display or quick note with target word and known

synonym/descriptive phrase Preview descriptions provided in textbooks

(supplement as necessary)

Reception Check

Full Bars…Decent Reception…Dropped Call?

INTRODUCING SPECIFIC WORDS1. Student Friendly Explanations

Characterize word and typical use Explain meaning in everyday language

2. Teacher-Created Contexts Develop instructional contexts that provide

strong clues to meaning

3. Active Engagement with Words Short, playful, lively opportunities for students

to interact with words and meanings right away

(Beck et al. 2002 in Diamond & Gutlohn, 2006)

STUDENT FRIENDLY EXPLANATIONS Consider resist

Dictionary: “to withstand the force or the effect of”

Student-friendly: “when a person struggles or fights not to give in to something”

Write a student-friendly explanation for one word you teach.

TEACHER-CREATED CONTEXTS Consider convey

Literary Context: “Of the Right Whale, the best outline pictures are in Scoresby; but they are drawn on too small a scale to convey a desirable impression” (Melville, Moby Dick).

Teacher Created: The speaker was successful in conveying his main ideas to the audience. They all understood what he said, and most agreed with him…

Write a few sentences using your word in context to clarify meaning.

ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH WORDSCHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING, REVIEW

Consider interior

Questions Jake thought it would be fun

to explore the interior of Alaska. Why might you want to spend time in the interior of Nebraska?

Example or Non-example? Which tells about the

interior of Oregon? On their vacation, the family

visited a lake in central Oregon.

On their vacation, the family visited the beaches and coast of Oregon?

Finish the idea After a trip to the coast,

we headed to the interior of the country because _____.

Have you ever…? Can you describe a place

you know about that is located in the interior of Nebraska?

Choices If what I say could be in

the interior of a big island, say “interior”…

A mountain An ocean beach

Reception Check

Full Bars…Decent Reception…Dropped Call?

INTRODUCING SPECIFIC WORDS1. Student Friendly Explanations

Characterize word and typical use Explain meaning in everyday language

2. Teacher-Created Contexts Develop instructional contexts that provide

strong clues to meaning

3. Active Engagement with Words Short, playful, lively opportunities for students

to interact with words and meanings right away

(Beck et al. 2002 in Diamond & Gutlohn, 2006)

VOCABULARY INSTRUCTIONAL ROUTINE Learning new words representing

known concepts

1. Introduce the word2. Present a student-friendly

explanation3. Illustrate the word with examples4. Check understanding5. Review a group of words

(Anita Archer, http://www.scoe.org/pub/htdocs/archer-videos.html)

CONTEXT-RELATIONSHIP Learning new words representing known

concepts

1. Create a brief paragraph that gives the meaning of the word.

2. Follow the paragraph with a multiple-choice item that checks students’ understanding of the word.  

3. Show the paragraph, read it aloud, and read the multiple-choice options.

4.  Pause to give students a moment to answer the item, provide the correct answer, and discuss the word and any questions they have.

INDOLENCEFortunately, none of my English 9 students could be described as indolent. Whereas an indolent student would try to sleep during class, slouch in her seat, procrastinate, and generally avoid exerting any effort, my students are diligent, hard-working, eager, and achievement-driven. I would be worried if someone described an English 9 R student as indolent, because it is worse than just occasional tiredness or laziness. Indolence implies a tendency to be lazy much of the time.

INDOLENT MEANSA. often lazyB. sometimes lazyC. often hardworkingD. sometimes hardworking

Reception Check

Full Bars…Decent Reception…Dropped Call?

BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY:

THE SIX-STEP METHODMarzano, R. (2004). Building background knowledge for academic achievement. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Marzano, R. (2005). Building academic vocabulary: Teacher’s manual. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARYA SIX-STEP PROCESS

Learning new words representing known or unknown concepts

4. Engage students in word activities5. Discuss words6. Engage student “play” with words

1. Introduce word2. Students generalize meaning3. Students create nonlinguistic representation

(Marzano, 2004)

Massed Practice

initial word learning

Distributive Practice

all previous words

PLEASE ANSWER: Should teachers focus their direct instruction

of vocabulary on sesquipedalian terms?

Rate your understanding of the word sesquipedalian.

1 I’ve never heard this word before.

2 I’ve heard this word, but I don’t really know what it means.

3 I know the general meaning of this word, though I cannot specifically define it.

4 Whether spoken or written, I know this word well and understand its meaning.

SESQUIPEDALIAN etymology (analysis of word origins &

parts)sesqui (Latin, half as much again)ped (foot)-ian (one that is, one who)

Examples:• antidisestablishmentarianism • pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis • floccinaucinihilipilification

SESQUIPEDALIAN

Everything that coruscates with effulgence is not ipso facto aurous

. --All that glitters is not gold.

<http://www.wordsources.info/words-mod-sesquipedalian-1-16.html>

“Nancy and Sluggo”

PLEASE: Rate your understanding of the word

sesquipedalian.

Should teachers focus their direct instruction of vocabulary on sesquipedalian terms?

1 I’ve never heard this word before.

2 I’ve heard this word, but I don’t really know what it means.

3 I know the general meaning of this word, though I cannot specifically define it.

4 Whether spoken or written, I know this word well and understand its meaning.

EXPERIENCE & OBSERVE Strategy observer

What steps/processes did you observe?

Participant observerWhat words, behaviors, evidence of

student learning did you notice?

ParticipantsWhat did you learn? What worked for you?

How did you feel as a learner using this strategy?

BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY

STEPS 1 - 3

Massed Practice

1. Introduce word Student friendly descriptions, examples,

explanations, images, etc. Must connect to students’ prior

knowledge

2. Students generalize meaning3. Students create nonlinguistic

representationCaution!

Monitor understanding carefully May require more than one session

637 percentile pts.

higher than… …students who kept repeating definitions.

421 percentile pts. higher

than… …students who were using the terms in a sentence.

Students who used imagery to learn vocabulary, on average, performed…

# of studies

(Pickering, 2007, ASCD presentation)

RESEARCH ON IMAGERY AS ELABORATION

Reception Check

Full Bars…Decent Reception…Dropped Call?

CRAFT KNOWLEDGE RECORD Add to your list!

HOW MIGHT I ENCOURAGE LASTING AND DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF IMPORTANT VOCABULARY?

Understand the importance of distributed practiceIdentify relevant strategies for classroom implementation

BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARYA SIX-STEP PROCESS

Learning new words representing known or unknown concepts

4. Engage students in word activities5. Discuss words6. Engage student “play” with words

1. Introduce word2. Students generalize meaning3. Students create nonlinguistic representation

(Marzano, 2004)

Massed Practice

initial word learning

Distributive Practice

all previous words

FREQUENT STUDENT SELF-ASSESSMENT Students self-rate level of word knowledge. Encourages student reflection, discussion

1 I’ve never heard this word before.

2 I’ve heard this word, but I don’t really know what it means.

3 I know the general meaning of this word, though I cannot specifically define it.

4 Whether spoken or written, I know this word well and understand its meaning.

CLASSIFYING Provide students with vocabulary cards

Have students place cards into categories label the categories see how other groups classified their cards or regroup

cards using a different criteria

VOCABULARY – ALIVE WRITING Provide a list of terms for students to use in a

single related piece of writing.

For Example:Use 15 of the 20 terms listed above

in a meaningful paragraph, story, poem or letter to convince me of your understanding. Put a check mark next to the terms you choose and underline them in the writing.

VOCABULARY CONTINUUM Encourage student discussion and

elaborative processing of meaning among synonyms or related words.

VOCABULARY CONTINUUM mistake error blunder

hatedislike loatheabhor

adore cherish blunder

Encourage student discussion!

STUDENT DISCUSSION Which of the words is more intense? Which word works best in a specific context? Which word do you understand best? Or

least? Which synonym best represent this word?

YES – NO - WHY Encourage discussion and elaborative rehearsal

1. Provide interesting prompt using target word that requires students to take a position.

2. Students answer yes or no and explain briefly in writing or discussion (2 sentences maximum, but must be complete).

Should teachers focus their explicit instruction of vocabulary on sesquipedalian terms?

Yes, I agree with this assertion because ____. No, I do not agree with this assertion because ____.

CHORAL RESPONSE STRATEGIES Students respond in unison to teacher

promptsReinforce accurate pronunciationIncrease student responsesIncrease engagement of all studentsProvide elaborative practice

QUESTIONS & CHORAL RESPONSE Making Choices

Provide contexts for students to decide whether the target word is appropriate or which word of those given is best.

To differentiate: visual cues literal/recall stems abstract or higher order stems (and ask students to

justify)

(Beck, McKeown, Kucan, 2002, p. 57)

MAKING CHOICESloquacious or reserved?

many students after an exciting event an introvert most new students someone who “likes the sound of her own voice”

T-P-S: Think of a time when you (or someone you know) might have been described as loquacious.

(Beck, McKeown, Kucan, 2002)

MAKING CHOICES glimpse scrutinize

Which can you do more quickly?

inspector spectator What would you probably call every person watching a

football game?

largo ritardando Which tells me to slow down gradually?

(Beck, McKeown, Kucan, 2002, p. 80-81)