Vocabulary Instructional ResearchVocabulary Instructional ResearchEli WatersEli WatersSeventh GradeSeventh GradeEast Burke Middle SchoolEast Burke Middle School
Sonya ElliottSonya ElliottFifth gradeFifth gradeBlackburn Elementary Blackburn Elementary
RE: 5040-Teacher as Researcher
Introduction/Background
Vocabulary development has long been a largely discussed topic inside and outside of the classroom. We've noticed that many teachers have varying vocabulary instructional methods. It seems no matter which direction vocabulary development goes that students don't know enough vocabulary to understand grade level material. Therefore, they can't use context to figure out what the vocabulary means.
We have had the chance to attend many of the same classes together in the reading education program. Throughout our classes we have learned that the art of reading is more complicated than many believe. For the past seven years I, Eli, have taught seventh grade while Sonya has been teaching fifth grade for only a few years. We both teach regular education with a mix of students at higher levels, mid-range levels, and lower levels. Over a third of my students are Caucasian, but I have a growing Hmong population this year. Sonya’s classes are more ethnically diverse with a stronger African American and Latino population. Typically one might think that most of our students can read at an appropriate level, but like the lower grades we’ve found many students struggle with varying aspects of reading comprehension, and one area that stands out dramatically in both classrooms is vocabulary comprehension. Beck and Mckeown have shown that students should be learning 2000-3000 new words per year. For year’s, educational research has studied the relationship between vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension have been studied.
Many of our students have expressed that they did not learn adequately with the traditional ten or twenty “spelling” words that were assigned on Monday and then tested on Friday. The students emphasized that the words were merely memorized for the purpose of spelling and were never used in context. We both have had many discussions on why we did not want to be that kind of teacher after hearing their concerns. We have found that limiting their words to ten or fewer and focusing not only on the spelling but meaning has a greater impact on their use of vocabulary in the future. As we have progressed through the reading program we have
started asking a lot of questions about reading comprehension and reading fluency. One dramatic finding that we have found is how important vocabulary comprehension is to this process.
What does the research show?
“A well-developed meaning vocabulary is a prerequisite for fluent reading, a critical link between decoding and comprehension.” (Joshi, 2005) We began to wonder what we could do in a seventh and fifth grade classroom to help our students feel more comfortable with vocabulary comprehension. As we began to read more and more research about vocabulary comprehension we learned that there are a multitude of teaching techniques. “Vocabulary instruction must therefore also include indirect instruction methods, such as exposing students to lots of new words and having them read a lot. Indirect instruction also includes helping students develop an appreciation for words and experience enjoyment and satisfaction in their use (Baumann, Kame’enui & Ash, 2003). “Vocabulary instruction must therefore also include indirect instruction methods, such as exposing students to lots of new words and having them read a lot. Indirect instruction also includes helping students develop an appreciation for words and experience enjoyment and satisfaction in their use (Baumann, Kame’enui & Ash, 2003). Indirect instruction shows the best thing to do is to get students to read. Furthermore, coupled with an indirect vocabulary instructional approach students can become "vocabulary conscious". Words should be important to the text, demonstrate multiple uses, uncommon in everyday language, but show recurrence in books. Teachers will often pre-teach vocabulary words with the intention that students will know the words when reading is introduced (Paul, 1996)
(Nagy & Herman, 1987) had two arguments against the direct instruction idea. (1.) There are simply too many words to teach for direct instruction. (2.) Words can be learned easily from context during reading. (Mezynski, 1983; Stahl & Fairbanks, 1986) examined instruction experiments and found that if instruction was to influence comprehension then three things needed to happen.
After reading about these two different viewpoints it seems like adding an indirect approach could go a long way in helping students grow in their vocabulary knowledge. The indirect vocabulary approach seems very similar to a Rich Reading approach. In their research Beck and McKeown found that rich instruction led not only to knowledge of word meanings but also improved comprehension of stories containing those words (Beck, Perfetti, & McKeown, 1982; McKeown, Beck, Omanson, & Perfetti, 1983; McKeown, Beck Omanson, and People, 1985). It is of my opinion that Rich Instruction working hand in hand with Indirect Instruction and using any activity that can get students to use, think about, and become involved with words should show a significant impact in vocabulary knowledge.
There are 3 main modes existing in literature linking good vocabulary and reading comprehension:
1. Instrumentalist Model- direct exposure to as many words as possible produces good readers
this model has not been adequately explained. (Supports the direct instruction approach by Beck and McKeown)
2. Aptitude Model -The mental ability of the learner is naturally better than those with lesser reading skills. Vocab knowledge is NOT directly related to understanding of the text, but rather the verbal ability of the subject. (Anderson & Freebody, 1985)
3. Knowledge Model- Attempts to show that word knowledge is interrelated with concepts and associations (Anderson & Freebody, 1985 ; Paul & O’Rourke, 1988)- Indirect instruction and Rich reading seem to support this.
Issue: Word and concept associations are difficult for students to apply due to their limited vocabularies and general knowledge
We began to think of more questions about which technique might work best for our wide range of students. “Vocabulary is the glue that holds stories, ideas and context together making comprehension accessible for
children.” (Rupley, Logan &Nichols, 1998/99) Our goal is to help our students strengthen their vocabulary comprehension by using stronger “glue” and building on their vocabulary knowledge. After reading much of the literature regarding vocabulary comprehension and instruction we have formed an idea that direct instruction along with indirect instruction should be two strategies examined more in our classrooms. Using this rationale, we began our research study examining the following questions.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1- What are the effects of an integrated direct and indirect vocabulary instructional approach on vocabulary growth?
2- What are the effects of a meaning-based vocabulary instructional approach on vocabulary growth?
Setting- Eli
I, Eli, teach seventh grade at East Burke Middle School on the eastern end of Burke County. There are no middle schools in Burke County considered Title 1. My school has a lower to middle class socioeconomic status. Free and reduced lunch participants has steady increased to 67% this year. The student population is approximately 2% African American/Multiracial students, 10-12% Asian, and 85-88% Caucasian.
I will be working with both of my English Language Arts blocks. Block one is comprised of 28 students, 13 boys and 15 girls. Block two is comprised of 29 students, 14 boys and 15 girls. Both blocks are considered regular education groups. None of his students receive any special services. The socioeconomic make up of both blocks is lower to middle class families.
I involved all of my students into my vocabulary study. However, I only focused specifically on five students. Three of the students are boys and two will be girls. These five students were chosen specifically using several different indicators. The first was their sixth grade reading EOG scores. Secondly, the Schlagal spelling inventory given at the beginning of the year, and lastly writing samples viewed throughout the school year.
Setting- Sonya
I, Sonya, teach fifth grade at Blackburn Elementary School in Catawba County. We are not a Title 1 school and have consistently been in the top 3 highest achieving schools of Catawba County. Blackburn has middle to upper middle class socioeconomic status, but the free and reduced lunch rate has steadily increased in the last year from 31% to 45%. The school is comprised of 731 students; 538 Caucasian, 73 Asian, 65 Hispanic, 25 African American, and 30 multi racial.
I too teach two blocks of Language Arts, but for my study I am focusing on my second block. My second block contains the struggling readers and the students who require specialized EOG testing accommodations and 504 plans. This block consists of 25 students, 13 males and 12 females. The socioeconomic status of this group is medium to low income and various family dynamics.
Participants- Eli’s
Ethan has difficulty reading material at grades four and above. His spelling inventory showed him being independent at level two. This has transferred into his reading ability as well. He has to ask me many times during his reading how to pronounce vocabulary words. Currently he is reading through the Magic Tree House books. His reading EOG score was a 350/level 2. His comprehension skills are average, but my goal is to help increase his vocabulary knowledge, which in turn should continue to improve his comprehension.
Rusty also has great difficulty reading material at grade four and higher. He also struggles in the comprehension of the text. His vocabulary is very limited in his writing samples. His spelling inventory also proved to show that he has trouble decoding words. His reading EOG score for the sixth grade was 338/level 1 and his growth declined by seven points.
Haley is very new to my classroom. Recently I’ve noticed her comprehension skills are very low. Her writing also has shown similar data. I’m going to administer the Schlagal spelling inventory to her the first part of the week. Another indicator I’ve noticed is the level of vocabulary she
uses when speaking with me. She seems to use a consistent range of vocabulary in varying situations.
Megan is the second female that I’m going to focus on. Her reading ability also has proven to be below average. Her spelling inventory reviled similar information as the previous students. Her decoding skills are weak especially in the VCV area. I also noticed her reading EOG score for the sixth grade was a 348/low level 2. She too, struggles with vocabulary comprehension through varying texts.
Tyler is the third male in my focus group. He has a strong desire to learn and continually wants feedback regarding his work. His writing samples have also shown that his vocabulary knowledge has the potential to increase. His reading EOG score in the sixth grade was a 348/low level 2. I feel confident that positive vocabulary instruction will greatly improve his reading comprehension knowledge.
Participants-Sonya
Jamal has had very inconsistent test scores all over the board. His Star Reading score at the beginning of the year showed that he read on a low second grade level. When I retested him it showed he was now reading on an early third grade level. The same week I retested his Star and he received a low third grade score from that, the administration tested him on the new 3D testing and it showed he was merely reading on a beginning first grade level. He did not pass the EOG last year, making a very low 2 on it the first time and only obtaining a few points higher on the retake. He is currently under a PEP (personalized education plan).
Tashara is new to our school this year. She did not take the first Star Reading test that I administered in September but she did take the one that I gave on February 21st. Based on that she is reading on an early second grade level. Tashara's 3D testing showed that she was reading on an early third grade level. She did not pass the EOG last year, obtaining only a level 1 both times she tested. A PEP is in place for Tashara as well.
Gemma is an ELL learner who struggles with the vocabulary in texts. When tested on the Star Reading in September she was reading on a 2.6 or second grade sixth month level. When I retested her score jumped slightly to 3.0 or third grade level. Her 3D testing is consistent with the early third grade level. Gemma did not pass the EOG last year; scoring a high two both times she tested. She is also served with a PEP.
Jason is my second male that I am focusing on. He is also below grade level. His Star Reading score in September showed him reading on a 2.4 level, or second grade fourth month. When retested he was consistent and scored a 2.5. His 3D testing showed he was reading on an early third grade level. He also has a PEP because he did not pass the reading EOG either time he took it, scoring a low level 2 both times.
Michael is my last male participant. He scored a 3.1 on his Star Reading test in September and scored a 3.4 when I retested him on February 21st. He did not get tested for the 3D assessment but I still feel that his reading and comprehension can only benefit from the extra direct instruction. He too, is under a PEP plan. His reading EOG scores were a both a very low 2 the first time he took it and on the retest.
Intervention/Instruction
Our research study was performed over a four week period. Each week a new set of vocabulary terms were introduced in each of our classes. The vocabulary used in the seventh grade classroom was chosen from “100 Vocabulary terms you need to Succeed” for middle school and secondly from a vocabulary study called Vocabu-Lit. Vocabu-Lit teaches students new vocabulary through context.
The vocabulary used in the fifth grade classroom was compiled from two different locations. The basal story that the students were reading that week was used to collect unfamiliar vocabulary from. The secondary source was a released list of fifth grade terminology and vocabulary that had been used in previous EOG reading selections.
Procedures: Eli Vocabulary was introduced and practiced in Eli’s seventh grade classroom in the following form:
Monday
On Monday the entire class took a pretest on the weekly vocabulary. After the pretest I wanted the students to access prior knowledge. I did this by having students write down what they felt an accurate definition of their new terms were in their vocabulary notebooks. After reviewing student answers I would show the correct definition one at a time and allow students to write the correct definition under their previous definition.
Tuesday
Each vocabulary term was reviewed as a class. Students began to construct word webs for each of their vocabulary terms. The vocabulary webs consisted of the term in the middle, definition in the upper left corner, synonyms n the upper right corner, two sentences on the bottom left corner, and a picture on the bottom right corner. I modeled two with the class then allowed students to work independently or in focus groups. I monitored the entire class, but spent the majority of time with my focus students in each class. Regina Boulware-Goodman, Suzanne Carreker, Ann Thornhill, and R. Malatesha Joshi Show that word webbing can be an effective vocabulary comprehension strategy to use. The purpose of the word web is to connect synonyms, antonyms, and other related words to the new vocabulary term.
Wednesday
Vocabulary terms were reviewed in the same fashion as Tuesday. As a review I created sentences specifically for each vocabulary term. To test the student’s knowledge I left blanks for students to fill in the correct term they felt applied to the sentence. During independent work I would again focus time specifically for my research participants. I would answer any questions they had, and if one of
the students struggled with any terms then we would fix the situation so understanding could take place. We also began using words through context. I allowed students to create stories in their vocabulary notebooks using their vocabulary. If a story was not completed in class then it was taken home to be completed.
Thursday
Like Tuesday and Wednesday I reviewed each vocabulary term with the whole class. After our review I spot checked the vocabulary stories students began on Wednesday. I focused my attention on the specific students in my research study. I then created a whole class story on my overhead projector. Students were encouraged to contribute sentences they developed throughout the week using a specific vocabulary term.
Friday
A weekly post test was given so I could measure understanding an improvement throughout the week. The post test was given in a story format. I embedded context clues into the story to help students identify and use the correct vocabulary term that completed the story.
I gave a pre-assessment at the beginning of our root study and then I gave a post-assessment at the end.
Procedures- Sonya
Vocabulary and morphemic root introduction in the fifth grade classroom began on Monday’s.
Word Journal: On Monday the students would take a small pre assessment of the vocabulary words that they would be seeing in their word journal for the week. Example 1 shows what a pre test looks like.
o Example 1: Pre Test
After the pretest is complete the students would take out their word journal and complete the word of the day using the instructions that are on a PowerPoint slide located in the wide screen TV. An example of the PowerPoint slide is shown in example 2:o Example 2: Power Point
Students would complete four words from the power point from Monday thru Thursday. Each day they would begin with the focus word in the middle of the PowerPoint. The students would then look up the definition in the dictionary and then turn that definition into a
“kid friendly definition”. I explained that a “kid friendly definition” was a definition that you could use to explain the meaning to another student who may have never heard of the word before. After the definition, the students would use the word in a context sentence. Finally, they would supply a synonym and an antonym and complete a small illustration for the word. This is the process that would happen each day for the word journal. An example of a student word journal entry is seen in example 3.
o Example 3-
On Friday the students would be given the same assessment that
they were given on Monday and comparison between the two would be noted and compared.
Morphemic Root- Morphemic root introduction began on Monday’s as well. The students were given a pretest on the five morphemic roots that we would be studying that week.
On Tuesday’s the students would complete a morphemic root word sort according to the roots that were being studied that week. In the word sort there were 30 words that contained the five morphemic roots in some way. The students were responsible for sorting the 30 words into the five categories based on their spelling. After sorting the words, the students were to work in a small group at their table
to come up with the meaning of the root. Example 4 shows one week’s word sort.
o Example 4:
Wednesday’s consisted of using one vocabulary word from each morphemic root in a context sentence. On Thursday’s the students paired up and studied the roots for the test on Friday.
Friday’s test was a simple test that consisted of the five morphemic roots. The students were to write a definition for the root and provide two vocabulary words from that root. Example 5 shows one student’s test.
o Example 5:
Data Analysis Procedures:
We conducted our research study over a four week period. Each student pre-tested at the beginning of each week on the weekly vocabulary. Students used a variety of study methods including word journals, word webbing, word meaning from context via sentences, story writing, and morphemic root study. Each student then took a post-assessment at the end of each week. Sonya’s post assessments consisted of matching the word with correct definition. Eli’s post-assessments consisted of a cloze test created by the teacher.
We conducted our morphemic root study in the same fashion. The morphemic roots were broken into four sections containing five roots per week. We both tested students at the end of each week during our research period based on the five weekly roots. At the end of our four week study we reassessed students using the same pre-assessment now as a post-assessment.
Data Collection
We used informal and formal research methods to conduct our research study. Data was collected in four separate measures.
The first informal measure includes word journaling. Students used their word journals to work on the word of the day. The word of the day will be on a power point slide that includes the directions as to what to do with the word. The students will be responsible for finding the definition and creating a kid friendly definition from it. They will need to write a sentence using the word and find a synonym and an antonym for the word. They will also need to draw a picture depicting the word. We will then discuss all of the above as a class and the students may change or add to their word journal as needed. This will happen for four days with four different vocabulary words.
Example A: demonstrates the student using their vocabulary in context by creating sentences that help build understanding of the new vocabulary terms.
In Eli’s seventh grade class student’s used cloze paragraphs as apart of their word study. Cloze paragraphs are paragraphs that have specific words removed in order for students to replace the correct vocabulary term. Cloze testing requires students to understand context and vocabulary in order to identify the correct vocabulary missing throughout the text. At
multiple times throughout the week Eli created cloze paragraphs to help his students build understanding though context.
Example B: This is an example of the cloze paragraphing used by Eli in his seventh grade classroom. It is important to note that grammar and sentence structure may be incorrect; the purpose of the cloze paragraphs is to help students build understanding through context. Although there are mistakes present; it is evident the student demonstrates a relationship between the vocabulary term and its definition.
Morphemic root sorts were used as a third form of informal instruction. Morphemic roots were introduced to the whole class as a part of the previous strategies. We introduced five morphemic roots to focus on each week. This activity worked in conjunction with our weekly vocabulary study. Each root was defined after students spent time sorting and discussing the
words with classmates and their teacher. We also showed the students examples of vocabulary terms containing the specific roots. Students were given other vocabulary terms using the root that we focused on for that particular day. Students were asked to use their knowledge of the root to make (A.) their own prediction for the vocabulary term, and then (B.) locate the correct definition.
R. Malatesha Joshi supports the idea that if teachers use vocabulary roots as a part of their ongoing vocabulary instruction it can help students tap into word meanings as they encounter them in their personal reading, class novels, and short stories. At the end of the week the students will be assessed based on their ability to look at a word containing the specified roots for the week and being able to determine its meaning.
Word webbing was the final informal assessment tool used in the study. Regina Boulware-Goodman, Suzanne Carreker, Ann Thornhill, and R. Malatesha Joshi Show that word webbing can be an effective vocabulary comprehension strategy to use. The purpose of the word web is to connect synonyms, antonyms, and other related words to the new vocabulary term. We did this as a whole class but our focus was on our five students we chose for our interventions.
Example C: This is one of many examples of students using word webbing to familiarize themselves with the vocabulary. The word is defined in the upper left corner; synonyms are used in the upper right corner; sentences are created in the bottom left corner; while illustrations are used in the bottom right corner. The picture used was a picture of Eli because his student felt that Eli matched the definition bizarre.
The formal assessments that we chose for this research study were weekly vocabulary tests based on the vocabulary terms chosen for the week. Secondly, morphemic roots were tested on a weekly basis using the five selected roots for the week. The final assessment was the post-test on all twenty morphemic roots. This assessment was compared to the pre-test assessment given at the beginning of the research study period.
Results:
Table 1 below illustrates pre and post testing scores for the fifth grade students and table 2 shows pre and post vocabulary testing scores for the seventh grade students. These tables represent gains made by each of our research participants while learning new vocabulary meanings from context, morphemic root studies, and word journaling. Inside the word journals students would focus on their word webbing, sentence creating using the focus vocabulary, and word meanings from context. Each chart shows a positive finding at both grade levels that the intervention methods
used proved to have a very positive outcome on the student’s post-testing scores.
Table 1:Mrs. Elliott’s Pre and Post Vocabulary Data
WK 1 WK 2 WK 3 WK 4Pre-test
Post-test
Gain Pre-test
Post-test
Gain Pre-test
Post-test
Gain Pre-test
Post-test
Gain Overall Gain
Student 1
0 71 +71 40 84 +44 0 100 +100 20 88 +68 +70
Student 2
0 68 +68 0 70 +70 20 100 +80 0 100 +100 +79
Student 3
20 18 -2 20 86 +66 0 100 +100 40 94 +54 +54
Student 4
20 80 +60 40 74 +34 40 100 +60 20 91 +71 +56
Student 5
0 92 +92 40 97 +57 40 90 +50 60 100 +40 +59
Table 2:Mr. Waters’ Pre and Post Vocabulary Data
WK 1 WK 2 WK 3Pre-Test
Post-Test
Gain Pre-Test
Post-Test
Gain Pre-Test
Post-Test
Gain Pre-Test
Post-Test
Gain Overall Gain
Student 1
14 29 +15 25 0 -25 33 100 +67 50 25 -25 +8
Student 2
14 100 +86 38 100 +62 17 67 +50 63 38 -25 +43
Student 3
57 100 +43 25 100 +75 50 100 +50 38 50 +12 +45
Student 4
43 100 +57 38 100 +62 17 100 +83 25 50 +25 +57
Student 5
71 100 +29 38 100 +62 67 100 +33 50 63 +13 +34
Table 3:
Mrs. Elliott’s Pre and Post Test Data
This chart shows the pre and post test scores for the words that were used in the word journals. The pre testing scores show any word recognition that the students may have had previously. The post test scores show the growth the students made within the week of studying the words. Students 1 and 5 made zeros on their pre test for weeks 1 and 3, showing that they had no recognition of the words from the beginning. These are my two lowest readers who have trouble with word recognition and comprehension. On the post test for weeks one and three, student 1 made a 70% and 100% while student five made a 95% and 90%. This showed that the two students were making growth using the vocabulary strategies that were in place.
Table 4:
Mr. Waters’ Pre and Post Test Data
Table 4 illustrates data collected from table 2 above. Pre-testing scores for each of the five students shows any prior knowledge of the vocabulary used wasn’t very strong. Student number 5 shows the most understanding of the vocabulary used throughout the study period. I feel a possible reason for his results is his reading activity. The student finds reading enjoyable and he is exposed to lots of rich vocabulary. Student 1 showed the least growth from the pre-testing period through the post-testing period. Of the five students he is the least motivated to read. He also struggled much more than the other recipients. I felt this was due to a lack of motivation. I’ve help several parent conferences through the year and each time parents are noticing the same lack of motivation portrayed at school in their home. Each week I met with student 1 individually to review his progress. We discussed his study methods, any vocabulary terms he struggled with, and due dates for his vocabulary journal.
Table 5:
Table 5 illustrates the growth shown by both classrooms. Fifty-five of all ten students show an increase in vocabulary knowledge of 41-60 points grow from pre-assessments through the post-assessments. It’s very important to mention that each of the research participants improved on their own cognitive lexicons. Although some students only showed 0-20 points gain from pre and post testing, it is clearly evident that those students made significant strides to increase their prior knowledge of vocabulary and in some cases they made significant improvements by gaining understanding of unfamiliar words. Any improvement shown is a step of improvement for teachers and students.
Table 6:
Student 1 Student 2Student 3 Student 4
Student 5
40
60
80
70
60
70
100 100
90 90
Chart TitlePre Test Post Test
Tables 6 and 7 demonstrate the growth shown for each of the seventh grade research participants on their morphemic root testing. Student 1 did show a thirty point increase from the pre- test through his post- test. I was hoping that he would improve a little more due to the amount of time we put into our study each week. I spent more one on one time with him with the goal of encouraging and developing a stronger understanding. Again, his results could be contributed to the lack of motivation that’s been demonstrated throughout the year. Students 2 and 5 showed a tremendous increase from the beginning of the study through the end of the study. After viewing the charts I’m very impressed with the amount of growth and understanding they showed. Students 3 and 4 seemed to have a more thorough understanding of our root study. The two students had the same language arts teacher during their sixth grade year. Both students said that they had seen many of the roots in their previous school year. Although some knowledge was lost from year to year both students show a strong understanding of prior knowledge based off of their pre-test scores.
Table 7:
40%
60%
Growth0-20% 21-50% 51-70% 71-100%
Table 7:
Sixty percent of the students showed a 21-50% increase in their morphemic root study. Even though 40% of students only showed an increase of 0-20% through the root study’ the evidence still is strong enough to show a positive increase in knowledge and understanding. Using multiple exposures of roots through the research period helped students derive and break down unfamiliar vocabulary. The circle chart demonstrates the success shown by students.
Table 8:
Student 1 Student 2 Student 3 Student 4 Student 50
102030405060708090
100
20
010
40
20
100
80 80
100
60
Pre Test Post Test
Table 8 and 9 demonstrate the growth shown for each of the fifth grade research participants on their morphemic root testing. Student 1 did show an eighty point increase from the pre- test through his post- test. I was extremely pleased with his growth considering that there are times during the study in which he could be defiant and not contribute. There were many times that he would not complete his word sort. Student 2 also showed an eighty point growth during the time the study was conducted. She is an ELL student who studied her root words and definitions and put a lot of effort into the context sentences she produced with the words. Her growth can be contributed to her attention to detail and the use of the vocabulary in everyday conversation. Student 3 only grew seventy points from his pre to post assessment. I was hoping for a larger percentage of growth from him when I looked at the amount of class time that was spent on the study. He is not a student that will independently do work at home, so I believe his lack of growth came from not studying at home for the post test. Student 4 started the study knowing a few of the roots from a study conducted at a previous school. She grew sixty points to make a perfect score on her post test. Student 5 was my student who made the least amount of growth during the study. His pre test score of 20 was only increased to a 60 for the post test. This student is much disorganized and I would find his morphemic root word sort papers laying on the floor after class, or crumpled up in the garbage because another student had found it
and it did not have a name on it. He also has a hard time focusing in class and was not always tuned in while we were reviewing the roots in class.
Table 9:
20%
80%
% Growth on Pre and Post Morphemic Root Study Test
0-30% 31-50% 51-100%
Table 9 shows the post test gains of the students in my classroom. Eighty percent of the students showed a 51-100% increase in their morphemic root study. Even though 20% of students only showed an increase of 31-51% through the root study’ the evidence still is strong enough to show a positive increase in knowledge and understanding. Using multiple exposures of roots through the research period helped students derive and break down unfamiliar vocabulary.
Discussion-Eli and SonyaThrough our research process we have learned how valuable vocabulary instruction is at any grade level. It is important for students and teachers to continually build upon their knowledge. Even at the lower grade levels vocabulary is a key component in building a strong reading foundation. We both remember being given fifteen or twenty words on a Monday and told to know the spelling and definition by Friday. As soon as the test was over we did not think about those vocabulary terms any more. Eli even started out as a young teacher doing the same thing. It wasn’t until after maturing a little more as a teacher and entering the reading program that he realized what he was doing wasn’t working. Sonya, as a beginning teacher who was completing the reading program at the same time, realized that the numerous spelling words without meaning was not how students in today’s classrooms learned or retained information.
There are a multitude of vocabulary programs used by teachers and no teacher does the same as another when teaching vocabulary. Our results show a strong relationship that using direct instructional vocabulary approach working in conjunction with a meaning based approach can have a significant impact on students’ vocabulary comprehension.
Just like our students we continually want to learn new and more advanced techniques that will assist us in my classroom. The strategies we used inside my classroom during my research proved to be very enjoyable for us and our students. Students were able to use their creativity along with guided instruction to build the strongest foundation possible for enriched learning. The creativity we used also showed me that we can develop vocabulary units based off my research and feel confident that student’s can and will show growth throughout the school year. We also feel like we improved our teaching practice because we now feel confident that our vocabulary lessons will be more thoughtful and based out of research not just what another teacher tells us works for them.
We have a better understanding of vocabulary comprehension and how important it is as a developing role in reading development. Through our research we have developed stronger skills and methods to help advance our students in a positive direction. We also feel confident that present and future students can show strong growth through the methods used in our
study. Researchers have used the analogy that vocabulary comprehension is the glue that helps everything in reading stick together. We have learned that helping student’s understand and break down unfamiliar words can help build a healthy relationship with their reading abilities.
First and foremost my results matter to us as the classroom teachers. We have used many different vocabulary strategies in the past but were unsure how they were affecting our students. The positive results found throughout this study give us a stronger basis for future vocabulary understanding and development in our schools. We want to continue reviewing vocabulary development and use what we learned to benefit each student that we have the privilege to work with.
Secondly, our results matter to our students. Like most everyone they want to know if they are progressing and doing well. By showing our research recipients the data we gathered; it should give them a sense of accomplishment and a desire to continually want to grow. At times we felt as if we both were watching the “light” come on while working with many of our students. This light came on for not just my focus group, and gave them a feeling of pride and understanding. Many of them would come to us and share with us that they would go home and ask their parents if they knew any of the terms we were working with during the week. It astonished us to see the joy in their faces to know they actually grasped learning and understanding enough to go home and discuss it with their parents.
Eli was observed by his principal during our research study. It just happened to be our vocabulary time that he was in my classroom. As he listened and watched the students use their vocabulary notebooks, develop their word webbing, and observed exactly how students were making connections between words; he saw true learning taking place. He expressed to me later that he was extremely happy to see the things I’ve learned in my reading program used directly in the classroom. He asked if I would feel comfortable presenting some of my findings first to the other seventh grade language arts teachers, and then possibly to other grade levels.
Through this research we have become more conscious of the student’s vocabulary building skills. We have gained awareness of how to implement and execute many different vocabulary strategies in the classroom. We have gained knowledge of how to pre and post assess the students as well as the correct way to analyze the data we learn from those assessments. In both of our classrooms the students took responsibility for their learning. They kept up with their word journals and were ready and prepared for the word study each day. During the morphemic root study the students willingly completed the root word sort. Seeing the students participating in their own learning empowered us as educators to continue our quest to find ways to implement vocabulary into our daily routines in the classroom.
References
McKeown,M.G.,and I.L.Beck. “Direct and Rich Vocabulary Instruction.” Vocabulary Instruction. 2004.
R. Malatesha Joshi. “Vocabulary: A Critical Component of Comprehension.” Reading & Writing Quarterly, 21: 209-219, 2005.
Lu Mei-fang. “Teachers’ Role in Vocabulary Teaching: Strategies for Vocabulary Teaching.” Sino-US English Teaching 5, no. 8 (2008): 1-6.
Flanigan, Keven, and Scott C. Greenwood. “Effective Content Vocabulary Instruction in the Middle: Matching Students, Purposes, Words, and Strategies.” Journal of Adolescent &Adult Literacy, 51. no. 3 (2007): 226-238.
Boulware-Gooden,Regina,Suzanne Carreker, Ann Thornhill, and R. Malateshia Joshi. “Instruction of Metacognative Strategies Enhances Reading Comprehension and Vocabulary Achievement of Third-Grade Students.” The Reading Teacher 61, no. 1 (2007): 70-77.
Atkinson, Fairlie. “Improving Reading Comprehension through Instructional Vocabulary Strategies.” Perspectives (TESOL Arabia) 17, no. 2 (June 2010) :15-19.
