VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION WORD CONSCIOUSNESS & WORD-LEARNING STRATEGIES

Why? What? How?

Jen Madison Lenny Vermaas

jmadison@esu6.org lvermaas@esu6.org

June 11, 2010

FACETS OFPURPOSEFUL VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION Provide rich and varied language experiences

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

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

understanding of communicative power of language

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

a dictionary

Teach individual words

(Graves, 2006)

IMPORTANT AND RELEVANT!

What is one of the most important and relevant ideas from yesterday?

Name it.Describe it.Explain its benefits.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS Why should I attend to word consciousness,

rich language experiences, and word-learning strategies?

What are effective word-learning strategies?

How might I effectively teach students to use word-learning strategies?

How might I foster word consciousness and provide rich language experiences?

TEXT PROTOCOLS

Methods of exploring texts through purposeful reading and discussion structures

National School Reform Faculty: http://www.nsrfharmony.org/protocol/learning_texts.html

WHY SHOULD I ATTEND TO WORD CONSCIOUSNESS, LANGUAGE EXPERIENCES, AND WORD-LEARNING STRATEGIES?

Explain why teaching word-learning strategies, providing rich language experiences, and fostering word consciousness is important.

WHY SHOULD I ATTEND TO WORD CONSCIOUSNESS, RICH LANGUAGE EXPERIENCES, AND WORD-LEARNING STRATEGIES?

Text Study

Read your assigned text to answer the essential question.

Consider especially: Description of the Facet Rationale Significant Information Words to Study

A FEW TEXTS…Providing Rich and Varied Language

Experiences (together)• Graves 38-43

Promoting Word Consciousness• Graves 32-33; Graves 119-139• Honig, et.al. 569-601• Scott & Nagy in Baumann & Kame’enui 201-217

Teaching Word-Learning Strategies• Graves 23-32; 91-118• Baumann et.al. in Hiebert & Kamil 179-206• Diamond & Gutlohn (CORE) 74-150

WHY SHOULD I ATTEND TO WORD CONSCIOUSNESS, RICH LANGUAGE EXPERIENCES, AND WORD-LEARNING STRATEGIES?

Which reasons are most compelling to you?

What concerns or questions must be addressed?

HOW MIGHT I EFFECTIVELY TEACH STUDENTS TO USE WORD-LEARNING STRATEGIES?

Know (and ultimately teach) word-learning strategies.

Dictionary UseMorphemic AnalysisContextual Analysis

TEACHING ANY STRATEGY Motivate, Prime

anticipatory set, provide purpose, encourages focus

Describe, Explain what, why, when, how

Model accurate, accessible demonstration

Guided Practice collaborative use, gradual release of responsibility, error correction,

extensive discussion & feedback

Independent Practice over time, diverse tasks, planning for transfer, feedback, learner reflection

Closure Learner generalization, summary of important information

WORD-LEARNING STRATEGIESDictionary Use

Contextual Analysis

Morphemic Analysis (word structure)

Strategies for Understanding New Words

DICTIONARY USE Definition + Context = Most Effective

Beneficial to teach how – even older students (Graves, 2006, p. 32)

Select appropriate dictionaryOnline, electronic?Definition style?Corpus (“collection or body of

knowledge…”)?

IT’S THE 1960’S: WHAT IS BEING DESCRIBED?

“…a disappointment, a shock, a calamity, a scandal and a disaster” (Atlantic Monthly)

“The work would accelerate the deterioration of the language…” (New York Times)

“…deplorable…a flagrant example of irresponsibility” (American Bar Association)

“a non-word deluge... monstrous...abominable...a cause for dismay” (Life)

Cost = $3.5 million

It took 300 scholars 27 years to complete.

AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY 4TH ED., 2006

Over 500 new words

Amber Alert, blogosphere, gravitino, halo effect, hawala, lycopene, malware, micropolis, proteome, Qi Gong, SARS, shout-out, speed dating, sudoku, Texas hold'em, text message, wiki

DICTIONARY USE General Guidelines for Use

Look for multiple entries for the word; choose the one closest in context.

Remember that many words have more than one meaning; read all definitions.

Know how the dictionary works (e.g., order of definitions, variant forms, usage notes)

For more information:The Vocabulary Book, p. 111Teaching Reading Sourcebook, p. 506

TYPES OF DICTIONARIES

Prescriptive prescribes formal use what should be

Webster’s Second International (1934) The Random House Dictionary (1966)

Descriptive describes popular/conventional usage what is

Webster’s Third (1961) American Heritage, 3rd (1969) & 4th (2001)

THE ENTRY

word syllabication

variant spellings

pronunciations

inflected forms

parts of speech

labels

definitions

idioms

etymologies

usage notes

synonyms

and more…

HOMOGRAPHS

Words spelled alike, but with different origins and different meanings

Distinguished by superscript numbers

How many homographs are there for fast or up?

homo = same

Graph = written

SPELLING VARIANTS

Most frequently used spelling listed first

Primary Variant separated from main entry by “or” equally accepted

Secondary Variant separated from main entry by “also” not as commonly accepted

Plough or plow? Which is the most commonly accepted spelling?

INFLECTED FORMS Forms of nouns, verbs, adjectives, and

adverbs changed to express different meanings and relationships within sentences

number (plural/singular) What is the plural of analysis? How is it pronounced?

tense (past, perfect) What is the past tense of dream?

degrees (comparison of modifiers) What is the superlative form of the adverb little?

LABELS Number (plural or singular) Field Labels (biol., theo., sports, etc.) Usage Labels

nonstandard informal slang vulgar/offensive, obsolete, archaic, rare, poetic,

regional, British, foreign-language

What labels are used for the word family?

DEFINITIONS: AH, WHAT IS LOVE?

AHD lists central meaning first subsequent definitions follow semantic order relative closeness to central meaning

The Old Oxford lists the earliest definition first M-W 3rd also lists oldest “modern” definition first

What is love?

IDIOMS

social expressions

meaning is more than sum of parts

listed bold-faced following major word (depending on dictionary)

kick the bucket

chew the fat

hit the hay

keep at it

by heart

PHRASAL VERBS Idiomatic expression consisting of a verb and

a preposition

Listed with the verb get after figure out put off foul up

Grammar Review

verb action

preposition shows

relationship The squirrel ran

____ the tube.

ETYMOLOGY Shown in brackets [ ] preceding the definition

Word origins What are the origins of the homographs of ball (a

spherical object; a dance)?

SYNONYMS Words that share a basic meaning

May be significant differences in shades of meaning consider hate consider imaginary

“Instruction related to dictionary definitions should

be simple and direct and involve children in

analyzing dictionary definitions in the course of

vocabulary instruction.”

(Stahl, 2005 qtd. in Honig et.al., p. 489)

DICTIONARY USE – HOW? Set (motivation, focus)

Explanation of topic, skill, guidelines

Modeling

Practice (gradual release of responsibility)

GUIDELINES FOR USING THE DICTIONARY Read all the Entries

Read all the Different Meanings in an Entry

Choose the Meaning that Makes Sense

For more information:Teaching Reading Sourcebook, p. 506

WORD-LEARNING STRATEGIES Dictionary Use

Contextual Analysis

Morphemic Analysis (word structure)

Strategy for Understanding New Words

“More than 60% of the new words that readers

encounter have relatively transparent

morphological structure—that is, they

can be broken down into parts.”

(Nagy et.al., 1989, p. 279 qtd in Graves, 2006, p. 103)

MORPHEMIC ANALYSIS “Morphology is the

system by which morphemes combine to construct and represent the meaning of words” (Bowers, 2010).

Bowers, P. (30 May 2010). Meta-analysis of morphological intervention studies. Vocabulogic.

Retrieved 6.5.10 from http://vocablog-plc.blogspot.com/2010/05/meta-analysis-of-morphological.html)

MORPHEMIC ANLAYSIS Morpheme – smallest unit of meaning

rootsprefixessuffixes

(http://www.wordworkskingston.com/)

"Morphological knowledge is a

wonderful dimension of the child's uncovering of "what's in a word," and one of the least

exploited aids to fluent comprehension" (Wolf,

2007, p. 130).

SEQUENCE OF INSTRUCTION:MORPHEMIC ANALYSIS

inflectional suffixes

compound words

prefixes and derivational suffixes w/ Anglo-Saxon root words

Greek forms

Latin roots

Greek and Latin roots plus affixes

TYPES OF MORPHEMESFree Morphemes

can stand alone as wordsAnglo-Saxon Root Words: help, play, run

Bound Morphemescannot stand alone as wordsPrefixes: dis-, in-, re-, un-Derivational Suffixes: -ful, -less, -ly Inflectional Suffixes: -ed, -es, -ing, -sGreek Forms: bio, chron, teleLatin Roots: dict, ject, struct

(Diamond & Gutlohn, 2006, p. 76)

Occur before bases

Have clear meaning

Can alter meaning of root

Consistently spelled

Derivational Suffixes follow base words may carry abstract,

difficult to explain meaning

change part of speech

Inflectional Suffixes grammatical function

tense (-ed, -ing) number (-s, -es) degree (-er, -est)

GREEK & LATIN ROOTS Greek Forms

Tend to be more consistent in meaning e.g. therm = heat (thermos, thermometer,

thermostat, exothermic reaction, thermonuclear)

Use combining forms similar to formation of compound words (any order) e.g. Bio: biosphere (beginning) or astrobiology

(after another form)

Often specialized words used mostly in science and technology

TEXT STUDY

Ebbers, S. (2008). A root awakening: Vocabulary instruction for older students…”

Four A’s Protocol

GRADUAL PROGRESSION Simple to complex

Morpheme Description

Root or Prefix

Meaning Clearly in Somewhat in But not in

port to carry transport comport sport

path pain, illness pathogen sympathy pathway

pan- all pantheism panic panda bear

uni- one unicycle unique immunity

tri- three triangle trigonometry

tricky

(Ebbers, 2008, p. 97)

MORPHEMIC ANALYSIS: BASIC INSTRUCTIONAL ROUTINE

Rationale & Objective

Explicit Instruction Model and student rehearsal of pronunciation Definition, Origin Examples and nonexamples

Guided Practice to Independent Practice Clarification, confirmation Read morpheme in a few words, phrases,

sentences, academic text) Infer meanings by examining words with

common roots (Ebbers, 2008, 97)

REWARDS COVERT STRATEGYFOR READING POLYSYLLABIC WORDS

1. Look for prefixes, suffixes, and vowels.

2. Say the parts of the word.3. Say the whole word.4. Make it a real word.

reconstruction

WORD-LEARNING STRATEGIES Dictionary Use

Contextual Analysis

Morphemic Analysis (word structure)

Strategy for Understanding New Words

Cognate Awareness

SEQUENCE OF INSTRUCTION:CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS

in read-alouds

in independently read text

types of context clues (definition, synonym, antonym, example, general)

CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS Student DO learn word meanings from

contextLow chance with single encounter Increased chances with additional

encounters

Share limitations

LIMITATIONS OF CONTEXT CLUES Misdirective

The clues seem to direct the reader to an incorrect meaning.

“She looks so happy in her party dress,” said Tina maliciously.

NondirectiveThe clues seem be of no assistance; a

number of meanings could be inferred.When I answered the phone, I heard my

sister’s agitated voice.

TEACHING CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS Facets to Consider:

General understanding of context clues (including limitations)

Specific types of context clues types, signal words

Repeated use with planned and authentic texts

In combination with other strategies (especially morphemic analysis)

USING CONTEXT CLUES

1. Look for clues or hints (words, phrases) to figure out the unfamiliar word.

2. Look in the sentence first. Then look in the sentences before and after.

3. Using the clues, guess a meaning.

4. Try out the meaning. Does it make sense?

CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS - TYPES

Definition

A congo is a barrel-shaped drum.

Appositive Definition

At night you can see constellations, or groups of stars in the sky.

CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS - TYPES

Synonym

My dog Buck travels everywhere with me. My friend’s canine buddy travels everywhere with him, too.

Antonym

I thought the movie would be weird, but it turned out to be totally mundane.

CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS - TYPES

Example

Om science we are studying marine mammals such as whales, dolphins, and porpoises.

General

Einstein rode his bike everywhere. He thought driving a car was way too complicated.

CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS -APPLYING TYPES

“Percussion Instruments”

percussion instrument, prevalent, differ

amplify, faint, hide, vibrates, resonant, rhythms

FOUR-STEP STRATEGY(INFERRING WORD MEANINGS FROM CONTEXT)

1. Play and Question Read carefully. Frequently ask yourself, “Does this make

sense?”

2. Slow Advance Notice when you don’t know the meaning of a word and slow

down. Read that sentence at least once more, looking for clues.

3. Stop and Rewind If necessary, go back and reread the preceding sentence,

looking for clues that help you figure out what the word might mean.

4. Play and Question When you figure out what the word might mean, substitute

your guess in for the difficult word and see if it makes sense.

(Graves, 2006, p.99)

WORD-LEARNING STRATEGIES Dictionary Use

Contextual Analysis

Morphemic Analysis (word structure)

Strategy for Understanding New Words

STRATEGY FOR UNKNOWN WORDS

1. Recognize unknown/unfamiliar word.2. Decide if necessary to understand

passage.Attempt to infer from surrounding context.

3. Attempt to infer from word parts.4. Attempt to sound out.5. Turn to a dictionary, glossary, or

another person for the meaning.

(Graves, 2006, p. 114)

OUTSIDE-IN STRATEGY

1. First, look outside the word, at context clues in the neighboring words and sentences.

2. Then, look inside the word, at the word parts (prefix, root, suffix).

3. Next, reread the section, keeping the meaningful word parts in mind. Make an inference: What do you think the word might mean? (Ebbers, 2008, p. 98)

THE VOCABULARY STRATEGY1. Look for context clues in the words, phrases, and sentences

surrounding the unfamiliar word.

 

2. Look for word-part clues within the unfamiliar word.A. Try to break the word into parts. (If you can’t, skip to Step 3.)B. Look at the root word. What does it mean?C. Look at the prefix. What does it mean?D. Look at the suffix. What does it mean?E. Put the meanings of the word parts together. What is the meaning of

the whole word?

 

3. Guess the word’s meaning.

 

4. Try out your meaning in the original sentence to check whether or not it makes sense in context.

 

5. Use the dictionary, if necessary, to confirm your meaning.

(Diamond & Gutlohn, 2006, p. 144)

HOW MIGHT I FOSTER WORD CONSCIOUSNESS AND PROVIDE RICH LANGUAGE EXPERIENCES?

Identify (and ultimately apply) ways to foster word consciousness and provide rich language experiences.

METHOD EXPLORATION Question

How might I foster word consciousness and provide rich language experiences?

Research (15 minutes) Name Description / Example Benefits

Reflect & Share (5 minutes) What are the implications of this new information

on my current practice?

REFLECTIONS & FORWARD THINKING

What specific methods would be effective?• Name it.• Describe it.• Explain why it’s

good.

What specific methods would be effective?• Name it.• Describe it.• Explain why it’s

good.

JUST A FEW (OF MANY) WAYS… Use sophisticated, precise terms

Text Project: Exceptional Expressions for Everyday Events

Word of the Day / Word WallsTeacher and student selectedDon’t forget to engage in meaningful

analysis (see Graves, 2006, p. 121)

Literature e.g., Fancy Nancy, Annie Dillard’s “So This

was Adolescence”

JUST A FEW (OF MANY) WAYS… Word Hunters

Assign students task of finding particularly interesting uses of language in literature/others’ writing. Discuss.

Share interesting word etymologies and histories

Collaboratively represent figurative language for literal and figurative meanings e.g., Teach them how to Google (“in a pickle”

origin); act out; draw; Venn Diagram

JUST A FEW (OF MANY) WAYS… Play

proverbs, slang, eponyms, toponymes, acronyms, portmanteaus, hink pinks, puns, riddles, Tom Swifties, tongue twisters, anagrams, palindromes

Poetrye.g., diamonte, cinquain

TWO STARS & A WISH

Please record one of the most important or relevant ideas you heard.

Please record one strategy you plan to use next fall.

Please record something you wish about this session.