Teaching Vocabulary and Comprehension

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Teaching Vocabulary and Comprehension

• Evidence-based Practices

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Vocabulary Definition

• knowing a word is not an all-or-nothing
  proposition it is not the case that one either
  knows or does not know a word. Rather, knowledge
  of a word should be viewed in terms of the extent
  or degree of knowledge that people can
  possess.Beck McKeown, 1991

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Vocabulary Definition
vocabulary is the glue thatholds stories,
ideas, and content togethermaking comprehension
accessible for children. Rupley, Logan,
Nichols, 1998/99, p. 339
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Vocabulary Definition (cont.)

• Words are the starting point. Without words,
  children cant talk about people, places, or
  things, about actions, relations, or states.
• Clark, 1993

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Vocabulary Definition (cont.)

• Vocabulary, or lexicon, refers to information
  stored in memory concerning the pronunciation and
  meanings of words.
• Snow, Burns, Griffin, 1998

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Vocabulary Definition (cont.)
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Effective VocabularyInstructional Program

• ResearchBase

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Research Base for Vocabulary

• First graders from high SES populations have
  access to twice as many word meanings as children
  from lower SES groups
• Graves, Brunetti, Slater, 1982 Graves
  Slater, 1987

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Research Base for Vocabulary (cont.)

• Once vocabulary differences are firmly
  established in children, they are very difficult
  to reverse
• Biemiller, 1999 Hart Risley, 1995
• There is currently little emphasis on the
  acquisition of vocabulary in school
• Biemiller, 2001 Scott, Jamieson, Asselin,
  1998 Watts, 1995

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Research Base for Vocabulary (cont.)

• Word knowledge is essential for comprehension
  Davis, 1944
• Oral interactions and wide reading in a variety
  of text types is to be encouraged and supported
  Nagy Herman, 1987

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Research Base for Vocabulary (cont.)

• Learning newconcepts requires active involvement
  rather than passive definition memorization
• Stahl, 1986

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Research Base for Vocabulary (cont.)

• Multiple exposures to a word is necessary to
  learn it well conceptual, contextual,
  definitional
• Miller, 1996
• Writing definitions from dictionaries is not a
  recommended practice
• Miller, 1996

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Research Base for Vocabulary (cont.)

• Relate new words to students prior knowledge and
  to other related words when possible
• U.S. Dept of Education, 1987

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Research Base for Vocabulary (cont.)

• Students need to develop the ability to learn new
  words from the multiple contexts of reading
• Johnson Baumann, 1984

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Research Base for Vocabulary (cont.)

• Use direct instruction to teach Tier 2 and
  passage or selection critical words
• Snow, Burns Griffin, 1998

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Teaching Vocabulary
Is There a Set of Vocabulary Words Elementary
Students Should Have?

• Children learn about 1,000 (conservative) to
  3,000 (liberal) words per year (Stahl Nagy,
  2006). Most scholars agree with an estimate of
  2,000 3,000 words learned per year.

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Teaching Vocabulary

• Beck, McKeown, Kucan (2002) do not believe in
  teaching Tier I words (high frequency). This
  recommendation clearly assumes these words are
  already knownor will be learned incidentally
  through conversation and social interactions.

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Teaching Vocabulary

• Vocabulary should be taught both explicitly and
  incidentally.
• Repetition and multiple exposure are important
  for learning new vocabulary.
• Learning how to construct vocabulary from rich
  (directive) contexts is valuable.
• Vocabulary learning tasks should be restructured
  when necessary.
• Vocabulary tasks should entail active
  engagement.
• Explicit vocabulary instruction should address
  the use of definitions, context, and concept
  learning.

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Teaching Vocabulary

• First, examine the type of text the children will
  be reading. Is it narrative or informational?
  Teach Tier II words if the children will be
  reading narrative, literary texts. Teach Tier III
  words if children will be reading informational,
  expository texts (point of contact).
• Next, examine the text to develop a list of 10
  Tier II or Tier III words to be taught during the
  week, 2 per day.

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Teaching Vocabulary
What Words Should I Teach?

• Read the text to determine the nature of the
  context in which each of the selected Tier II or
  Tier III words appear.
• Directive Context
• Gives clues, hints, synonyms to determine an
  approximate word meaning in the context.
• Non-Directive Context
• Mentions the word without giving any clues to
  determine word meaning.
• Mis-Directive Context
• Gives clues that lead readers to false word
  meaning construction.

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Teaching Vocabulary
What Words Should I Teach?

• If a word appears in a directive context, then
  teach children how to use context to determine an
  approximate word meaning.
• If a word appears in a non-directive or
  mis-directive context, then these are good
  candidates for your 10 word teaching list.

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Teaching Vocabulary
What Words Should I Teach?

• If you have ELL students in your classroom, be
  sure to determine if there is a Spanish-English
  cognate that may help them make the translation.
  For example -
• Information (English)
• Información (Spanish)
• Here is a good source for finding English Spanish
  Cognates -

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Three Qualities of an Effective Vocabulary
Instructional Program
Strategies for Explicit Vocabulary Instruction
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Thinking About Vocabulary Instruction Three Tiers

• Tier One Words- Consists of basic words and
  rarely require instructional attention in school
  and highly frequent in life clock, baby, ball,
  happy, walk, run, etc.
• Tier Two Words - High frequency use for mature
  language users and found across a variety of
  knowledge domains coincidence, absurd,
  industrious, fortunate, etc.
• Tier Three Words - Low frequency use and limited
  to specific knowledge domains isotope, lathe,
  peninsula, refinery, etc. Best learned when
  teaching specific content lessons such as
  geography, science, etc.Beck, I.L., McKeown,
  M.G., Kucan, L. (2002). Bringing words to
  life Robust Vocabulary Instruction. NY
  Guilford Press.

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Can You Find a Tier II Word?
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Can You Find a Tier III Word?
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Vocabulary InstructionThree Tiers

• Estimates indicate that about 8,000 basic words
  need no instruction Tier 1
• Estimates indicate that about 7,000 words for
  Tier 2 or about 700 words per year.
• Beck, McKeown, and Kucan (2002) recommend
  teaching about 400 words per year K-12.
• Beck, I.L., McKeown, M.G., Kucan, L. (2002).
  Bringing words to life Robust Vocabulary
  Instruction. NY Guilford Press.

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Teaching Tier II Words

• Characterize a tier 2 word such as tend to take
  care of something.
• Explain meaning of tend in everyday life If you
  tend something, say a garden, you take care of it
  by watering, fertilizing, pulling weeds, and
  keeping the soil loose around the new plants.
• Beck, I.L., McKeown, M.G., Kucan, L. (2002).
  Bringing words to life Robust Vocabulary
  Instruction. NY Guilford Press.

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Altering Task Requirementsfor Teaching Tier II
Words

• Ask a Question What do you think the word tend
  means?
• Have You Ever? Describe a time when you tended
  something or someone.
• Word Associations After teaching several tier 2
  words have students associate these with
  questions Which word goes with baby? (tend).
• Idea Completions The Little Red Hen asked if
  the others would help her take care of her
  garden. Another word that means to take care of
  a garden we know is _____.
• Beck, I.L., McKeown, M.G., Kucan, L. (2002).
  Bringing words to life Robust Vocabulary
  Instruction.NY Guilford Press.

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Altering Task Requirementsfor Teaching Tier II
Words

• Like a Test
• Tend
• Dont care about how you look and what you do.
• To take care of someone or something.
• To act hard and serious.
• Beck, I.L., McKeown, M.G., Kucan, L. (2002).
  Bringing words to life Robust Vocabulary
  Instruction. NY Guilford Press.

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Altering Task Requirements for Teaching Tier II
Words

• Like a Test Continued
• The word tend means ask someone
• about something.
• True or False
• Matching definitions with words in a list.
• Paired words with a question
• Which would you do if you had a puppy that
  needed to be taken care of ?
• mollycoddle tend
• Beck, I.L., McKeown, M.G., Kucan, L. (2002).
  Bringing words to life Robust Vocabulary
  Instruction. NY Guilford Press.

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Word Webbing (Unfocused)
Based on Johnson, D. D. (2001). Vocabulary in
the elementary and middle school. Boston, MA
Allyn and Bacon.
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Word Webbing (Focused)
asteroid
Examples
Context Use
Attributes
Based on Johnson, D. D. (2001). Vocabulary in
the elementary and middle school. Boston, MA
Allyn and Bacon.
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Explicit Vocabulary Teaching
Ive Selected My 10 Words, Now What?

• Definition
• Begin by looking up the word in a dictionary or
  glossary and get a definition.
• Next construct a student friendlydefinition
  using your own words.If you have trouble doing
  this,consider purchasing this dictionary

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Explicit Vocabulary Teaching
Ive Selected My 10 Words, Now What?

• Context
• Next find the page where the word is found the
  story or text to read the context.
• List the context clues found in the text.
• Ask the students to use the word in an oral
  sentence.
• Write the word in sentence.

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Active Context Word Learning

• Albasa
• Albasa will usually be found at grocery stores
  and restaurants.
• People like to eat albasa on their hamburgers,
  although albasa are tasty with a variety of
  dishes.
• Since albasa are a vegetable, they are also
  nutritious.
• One disadvantage of albasa is the strong odor
  which has been known to produce crying symptoms
  among those who slice them.
• Gipe, J.P. (1980). Use of a relevant context
  helps kids learn new word meanings. The Reading
  Teacher, 33,(5), 398-402.

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Context Vocabulary Teaching

• Albasa
• Albasa will usually be found at grocery stores
  and restaurants.
• People like to eat albasa on their hamburgers,
  although albasa are tasty with a variety of
  dishes.
• Since albasa are a vegetable, they are also
  nutritious.
• One disadvantage of albasa is the strong odor
• which has been known to produce crying symptoms
  among those who slice them.
• Gipe, J.P. (1980). Use of a relevant context
  helps kids learn new word meanings. The Reading
  Teacher, 33,(5), 398-402.

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Explicit Vocabulary Teaching
Ive Selected My 10 Words, Now What?

• Examples
• Use pictures or video clips.
• List examples of the word.
• Use a thesaurus to find synonyms, antonyms, and
  Tier I words.

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Teaching Vocabulary
Ive Selected My 10 Words, Now What?

• Characteristics/Attributes
• Use pictures or video clips.
• List characteristics or attributes ofthe word.

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Frayer Klausmeir Model

• Hochspannungstrohmabnehmer
• Example lightning rod, Ben Franklins kite and
  key
• Non-example wooden post, plastic pole
• Relevant attributes metal, touches an exposed
  electrical wire, found on top of a streetcar or
  light rail train
• Irrelevant attributes slender, lets off sparks
• Superordinate term electrical conductor
• Coordinate term electrical plug
• Frayer, F. D. Klausmeir, H.J. (1969). A shema
  for testing the level of concept mastery.
  University of Wisconsin.

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Explicit Vocabulary Teaching
Ive Selected My 10 Words, Now What?

• Category/Part of Speech
• Determine part of speech.
• Determine category of word meaning.

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Explicit Vocabulary Teaching
Ive Selected My 10 Words, Now What?
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If you want more informationplease contact

• D. Ray Reutzel, Ph.D.
• Emma Eccles Jones Professor
• Utah State University
• www.cehs.usu.edu/ecc
• Presentations Button Left Hand Side
• or
• IRA Board of Directors
• International Reading Association
• rreutzel_at_reading.org