W ords O f the W eek Vocabulary Project

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WWords ords OOf the f the WWeekeek Vocabulary ProjectVocabulary Project

Cedar Rapids, IowaCedar Rapids, IowaGrant Early Childhood Grant Early Childhood

CenterCenter

Grant Action Research Team

•Principal•Grade level teachers•Special ed & preschool teachers•Reading Coach & Title I teachers•Media Specialist

Plan for Continuous Improvement

Standardize Improve-ments

Study the Results

Try Out Improvement Theory

Analyze Causes

Define the System

AccessCurrent Situations

ART process is based on a cycle called

PlanPlanDoDo

StudyStudyAct Act

PLAN Spring 2006

Only 64% of 2nd grade students were at the proficient level in vocabulary

2005/2006 ITBS Vocabulary Subtest

Why are vocabulary scores so low on 2nd grade ITBS?

Teachers

Want a process to teach words and their meanings that is aligned in the building.

Methodology

We teach sight words explicitly to students.Want and need a process for word knowledge.

Materials

We are not using a standardized curriculum for vocabulary instruction.

K/1 Students

*Lack of extensive working vocabulary for many students.*Many Tier 1 and 2 words are unknown to many of our students.

DOSpring 2006

Looked at systematic and research-based vocabulary programs

Bringing Words to Life by Isabel Beck

Elements of Reading by Isabel Beck

STUDY Spring 2006

“How could we begin to implement a vocabulary program for Kindergarten and first graders in the fall of 2006?”

Spring 2006

Decided to utilize children’s literature selections inBringing Words to Life

PLAN Fall 2006

To develop a receptive assessment tool

DOFall 2006

For each story at each grade level:

•Collected 9 storybooks •Created and displayed 3 Boardmaker pictures

STUDY Fall 2006

How to make vocabulary instruction consistent

STUDY Fall 2006

Were 3 words enough?

WOW Words Weekly Progress (first trimester)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

WOW Assessment – 1st Trimester

Fall 2006

•Focused on 1 book and 3 targeted words each week

•Shared teaching ideas

PLAN Winter 2007

•To increase from 3 to 10 targeted words

•To make WOW books more accessible

DOWinter 2007

•Made 10 Boardmaker pictures for each story

•Purchased classroom sets of books

STUDY Winter 2007

•Studied weekly random assessments

•Collected feedback from teachers

STUDY Fall 2007

WOW Words Weekly Progress 2006-2007

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Week number

1st trimester

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Week number

1st trimester

STUDY Winter 2007

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Week number

1st trimester

2nd trimester

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Week number

1st trimester

2nd trimester

Winter 2007

Brainstormed reasons why teaching more words was not effective

PLAN Spring 2007

•To decrease from 10 to 6 words per week

•To make completed WOW books available to students

DOSpring 2007

Adjusted number of Boardmaker pictures to 6 per book

Created a teacher survey for feedback

Spring 2007

STUDY Spring 2007

Continued weekly random assessments and feedback from teachers

STUDY Spring 2007

Studied data collected throughout the 3 trimesters.

STUDY Spring 2007

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Week number

1st trimester

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Week number

1st trimester

STUDY Spring 2007

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Week number

1st trimester

2nd trimester

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Week number

1st trimester

2nd trimester

STUDY Spring 2007

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Week number

1st trimester2nd trimester3rd trimester

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Week number

1st trimester2nd trimester3rd trimester

Spring 2007

Decided to make a WOW notebook for each teacher

Spring 2007

Discussed developing an expressive vocabulary assessment

PLAN Summer 2007

To create WOW notebooks:

– Vocabulary schedules– Story maps– Examples of teaching

activities

DOSummer 2007

Added an implementation log to the data collection component

DOSummer 2007

Developed an expressive assessment tool to be used by each teacher

DOSummer 2007

Created common, uniform, kid-friendly definitions

STUDY Summer 2007

Began to study explicit instruction models and techniques

Summer 2007

Finished notebooks and presented them to teachers in August

PLAN Fall 2007

To begin explicit instruction in a more systematic and building-wide format

DOFall 2007

Asked teachers to follow the daily vocabulary schedule

DOFall 2007

•Collected data from random assessments

•Sent home weekly word list

STUDY Fall 2007

Studied expressive assessment, PPVT, and weekly implementation logs

STUDY Fall 2007

101214161820

Class 1 Class 2 Class 3

PPVT Gains - Fall 2006 to Fall 2007

1 year,

7 months

1 year,

5 months

1 year,

4 months

STUDY Fall 2007

60% 58%57%

61% 61%

53%50%

Sept. 14 Sept. 28 Oct. 12 Oct. 26 Nov. 9 Dec. 7 Dec. 21 Jan. 11 Test 9 Test 10 Test 11 Test 12

Test Dates

Vocabulary

Test Date

Fall 2007

Piloted an explicit instruction model and activities to reinforce learning

Fall 2007

Provided on-going staff development

PLAN Winter 2008

•Refined weekly schedule•Established daily teaching plan

PLAN Winter 2008

•Created story summaries and graphic organizers

•In-serviced staff

WOW is now part of Grant’s WOW is now part of Grant’s school culture with school culture with

building-wide building-wide teacher/staff/student buy-inteacher/staff/student buy-in

Continue to implement Continue to implement the PDSA cyclethe PDSA cycle

Where do we go from here?

WWords ords OOf the f the WWeekeek Vocabulary ProjectVocabulary Project

Cedar Rapids, IowaCedar Rapids, IowaGrant Early Childhood Grant Early Childhood

CenterCenter

W ords O f the W eek Vocabulary Project

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