We think with words, therefore to improve thinking, teach
vocabulary. -- A. Draper and G. Moeller
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Four Part Processing System 2 Context Processor Orthographic
Processor Phonological Processor Meaning Processor writing
outputspeech outputreading input speech sound system letter memory
Phonemic Awareness Fluency Phonics Concept & Information;
Sentence Context; Text Structure Vocabulary
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Reading Vocabulary Connection Shaywitz, S. (2003). Overcoming
Dyslexia.New York: Alfred A. Knopf. Exposed to 1,800,000 words per
year Exposed to 282,000 words per year Exposed to 8,000 words per
year >1 minute4.6 minutes20 minutes
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The Matthew Effect -Stanovich 1986
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Hart and Risley, 1997 Family Status Words heard per hour Words
heard per week Words heard per year Words heard per 4 year period
Low SES61662,0003 million12 million Working Class 1,251125,0006
million26 million Professional 2,153215,00011 million45 million How
Does SES Relate To This?
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Fact #1 8 High achieving high school seniors knew about 4 times
as many words as their low achieving classmates. (Smith) A literate
high school graduate has a reading and spoken vocabulary of
approximately 60,000 words. His/her low achieving counterpart has
an approximate vocabulary of 15,000 words. Thats 5,000 words less
than an average 6 th grade students. 7
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Fact #2 9 Higher performing third graders had vocabularies
about equal to the lowest performing twelfth graders. (Smith) The
daily newspaper is written on a 5 th 6 th grade level. Low
performing 12 th graders would have difficulty reading the daily
news. 8
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Fact #3 10 The vocabulary of upper SES first graders is about
twice the size of their lower SES peers. (Graves & Slater)
Recent research show that linguistically poor first graders knew
5,000 words; linguistically rich first graders knew 20,000 words.
That translates into 4 times as many words (Moats, 2001.) 9
Remember the Matthew Effect...
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11 Taking it back to text... Why Oral Language Experience is
Not Enough Frequency of Word Use in Major Sources of Oral and
Written Language (Hayes & Ahrens, 1988) Rare Words per 1,000
I.Printed texts II. Television texts Newspapers 68.3Adult shows22.7
Popular magazines 65.7Childrens shows20.2 Adult books 52.7
Childrens books 30.9III. Adult speech Preschool books 16.3College
graduates17.3 talk with friends/ spouses
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National Parks Vocabulary Gallery Walk Write 5 words that you
associate with National Parks. Write 5 words that you associate
with National Parks. (one word per sticky note)
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Key Perspectives 13 Perspective #1: The conventional wisdom is
that most vocabulary is learned from context (Cunningham &
Stanovich.) This is the reading done OUTSIDE of direct instruction.
It is solely dependent that the student is an avid independent
reader. BUT... Students with decoding deficits do little to no
independent reading outside of school. Students with limited oral
language have difficulty in comprehension-building during reading,
and usually read lower-level texts that offer no venue for rich
vocabulary.
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Perspective #2: Students are successfully developing their
vocabularies. Growth in vocabulary knowledge is usually based on
student performance on tests. Tests typically are in a MC or
matching format. The results of tests such as these can lead to
false conclusions. The scores imply vocabulary growth, but it is
measuring short-term memorization. Most tests are given after a
chapter and the words on the tests are never revisited again. 14
21
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Perspective #3: Rigor in vocabulary development is confined to
instructional practices of: synonyms, antonyms, definitions, and
putting the word in a sentence. 15 Look vocabulary words up in the
dictionary/write the definitions Write the words three times each
Write each word in a sentence. So, whats the problem with
that?
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Lets look at a simple word Cinnamon
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cinnamon / s n m n/ [sin-uh-muhn] noun 1. the aromatic inner
bark of any of several East Indian trees belonging to the genus
Cinnamonum, of the laurel family, especially the bark of C.
zeylanicum (Ceylon cinnamon), used as a spice, or that of C.
loureirii (Saigon cinnamon), used in medicine as a cordial and
carminative. 2. a tree yielding such bark. 3. any allied or similar
tree. 4. cassia( def. 1 ). 5. a yellowish or reddish brown.
6.adjective. (of food) containing or flavored with cinnamon. 7.
reddish-brown or yellowish-brown.
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Formative Assessment 18 Cinnamon is a ____________ that
____________ in order to________________.
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What about graphic organizers? 19 Word Maps are a type of
graphic organizer used routinely to provide a visual in vocabulary
development. Lets look at one.
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20 WORD Write the dictionary definition/s List 2 antonyms List
2 synonyms Give an example explanation Typical Word Map
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Nothing is wrong with a word map if: 21 appropriately formatted
for effective vocabulary instruction. That is, the map does not
constrain the students understanding of the word to a single
context/meaning. used AFTER the students have had extensive
instruction and interaction with the word. used as part of the
instruction the teacher is guiding,scaffolding, and developing a
deep understanding. Caution: Remember to ask yourself the all
important question, Why am I having the students do this and what
are they getting from it?
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But... Used as an independent student activity without a lot of
preparation it is virtually useless. Superficial Limited contexts
Limited exposure NOT the way the mind connects and/or visualizes
things (Visualization and connections require discrimination
activities that establish the subtle nuances of a word.) In other
words, you will not visualize a word map in your minds eye. 22
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So, whats the solution? A FEW PRINCIPLES TO GUIDE US: 1.
Knowledge of a word is not an all or nothing proposition (Beck,
1985.) 2. Knowledge of definitions and understanding word meanings
are not the same thing (Stahl & Fairbanks, 1986.) 23 34
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Rich Vocabulary Instruction 24 Rich vocabulary instruction
requires the learner to process words, think about words, interact
with words in some way and with others to promote comprehension
facilitation.
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Words are known on a continuum that ranges from: 36 No
Knowledge General Sense Narrow Context-Bound Knowledge Not Readily
Accessed Rich & Decontextualized Knowledge
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General Principles for Instruction: 27 Select challenging
words: teach above not below spoken language knowledge. Do not
always select words contained within the text: select words that
the text is about idea words. Use multiple contexts and rich
examples for the students before expecting them to use the words at
all. 39
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Stahl and Fairbanks, 1986 Impact of Direct Vocabulary
Instruction
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Selecting the Words Lets divide the corpus of the language into
three parts. Tier One: the most basic words Tier Two:
high-frequency words for skilled language users. Tier Three:
specific words with low frequency of general use. Beck, I.,
McKeown, M., & Kucan, L. (2002 )
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Choosing words based on Tiers Tier 3: Low-frequency words,
usually specific to an academic domain & best learned in the
related content area, such as isotope, photosynthesis &
psychologist. Tier 2: High-frequency words that are important for
capable language learners to have in their vocabulary, such as
remorse, capricious, distinguished, & devious. Tier 1: Basic
words that rarely need to be taught, such as hair, always, dress,
& laugh. Beck, I., McKeown, M., & Kucan, L. (2002)
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Your Turn: Prioritize Your Vocabulary 1.Look at your list of
National Parks words. 2.Decide how you would classify each word
(Tier 1, 2, or 3). 3.Share out by putting one post-it on each chart
paper
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Content Vocabulary Although the events of m____ usually proceed
accurately, sometimes ___________ fail to separate correctly. The
failure of __________ ___________ to separate properly during
m______ is called non___________. Recall that during m________, one
__________ from each __________ pair moves to each ____ of the
cell. In non___________, both ___________ of a __________ pair move
to the same ____ of the cell.
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Content Vocabulary Although the events of meiosis usually
proceed accurately, sometimes chromosomes fail to separate
correctly. The failure of homologous chromosomes to separate
properly during meiosis is called nondisjunction. Recall that
during meiosis, one chromosome from each homologous pair moves to
each pole of the cell. In nondisjunction, both chromosomes of a
homologous pair move to the same pole of the cell.
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How Much Vocabulary Do They Need to Know? Independent Level:
95% of the text Instructional Level: 90-95% of the text Frustration
Level: below 90% of the text Partnership for Learning, 2001
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Opportunistic Classroom Vocabulary 35 yearning Instead of
saying: I know you really wanted to go outside for recess, but it
is raining and we cannot. Try I know that all of you were yearning
to go outside and play during recess today. However, the rain will
prohibit us from doing that today.
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Give Positive Examples: 36 Yearning can be a good thing too.
Sometimes when we yearn for things it makes us work harder to get
them. If you are yearning for a brand new bike, you might work on
saving your allowance to get one. Someone might yearn to be a
better football player. He might practice more often and work
harder to reach the goal that he is yearning for.
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Explain appropriateness of context: 37 Would someone who is
yearning be likely to: Throw a temper tantrum when they do not get
what they want? Wish on a star? Daydream about what they yearn for?
Give up pursuing what they yearn for?
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Using Student Friendly Definitions (Student Friendly or ESL
Dictionary) 38 resent to express anger or annoyance toward someone
or something futile to do something that will never give you the
result that you want; useless pout to show irritation using your
expression insult to offend someone; to treat rudely groan to moan
because you are angry or annoyed courteous to have manners and be
considerate intensity to be strong or powerful expression a look on
someones face that shows feeling terrible very bad; awful
department a section or part of something larger
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Using imagery and a non-definitional approach... 39 resent to
express anger or annoyance toward someone or something when a
sibling is more successful at something when someone else was
picked for a team futile to do something that will never give you
the result that you want; useless Studying for a subject area which
you find to be extremely difficult learning to play the violin
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Relationships Among Words 40 Would you be courteous to someone
who insulted you? Would you groan if something was futile? Would
hiding your feelings be an example of pouting?
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Using Word Associations 41 Which word goes with kindness?
(courteous) Which word goes with pointless? (futile) Which words go
with bully? (resent, pout, insult, groan)
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42 If your parents made you permanently give your bedroom to a
relative would you... resent them? feel that the situation was
futile? pout for a week? insult them behind their backs? groan
noisily when they told you? act courteous and smile? say terrible
things? show them an encouraging expression? Making Choices
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43 Using Cagey Questions Cagey questions contain one or more
vocabulary words. They facilitate thinking about meanings of words
as well as meanings of sentences (build comprehension.) There are
not right or wrong answers to cagey questions. However, they
require the student to justify their position in response to the
questions. They provide further experience dealing with the
vocabulary in a wide variety of contexts.
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Some examples... 44 How might yearning for something cause
someone to have hope? Which would be more likely to happen, flowers
blossoming on land that is barren or grassy? What kind of
protection might some shelters provide? How might a person with
integrity be defiant? Which of these situations would be more
likely to be considered ominous: a walk alone through a dark alley
or a walk through the library during a quiet study hall? Which of
these might an elderly woman be more likely to reminisce about: a
recent visit to the doctor or memories of holidays from her
childhood? Which person is more likely to feel remorse: a cunning
boy who gets caught cheating on a math quiz or a boy whose mother
finds him sneaking a brownie before dinner?
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Lets try a few... 45 Write a cagey question using each of these
word pairs or groups: serene and gaze anticipate and ordinary
anxious, obsess, and sinister (try using two or all three!)
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Some ideas... 46 1. Serene and Gaze Which of these is more
likely to be considered serene: spending a warm summer night gazing
at the stars or running to the car through a heavy thunderstorm?
2.Anticipate and Ordinary What kinds of events might you anticipate
to happen on an ordinary school day? 3.Anxious, Obsess, and
Sinister How might an anxious person obsess over a sinister noise
that she hears late at night?
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Implications for Teachers Model the importance of vocabulary by
allocating daily time for instruction. Teach vocabulary skills as
well as vocabulary meanings. Consider contextual factors Subject
specific vocabulary Multiple meaning words Opportunities to utilize
vocabulary across multiple contexts
