Introducing Words

Why? What? How?Crete Middle

School

September 19,

2011

ADULTA person who has stopped growing at both

ends and is now growing in the middle. Just for fun!

WRINKLESSomething other people have similar to my character lines.Just for fun!

DUSTMud with the juice squeezed out.Just for fun!

YAWNAn honest opinion openly expressed.Just for fun!

HANDKERCHIEFCold storage.Just for fun!

a SECRETSomething you tell one person at a time.Just for fun!

TOMORROWOne of the greatest labor saving devices of today. Just for fun!

Why should I teach some words explicitly?Explicit –

~ I do it, we do it, you

do it~ Explain, Model,

Prompt, Practice

Effective Vocabulary InstructionTeaching Individual Words

Explicit instruction of specific words is effective.

Vocabulary instruction should focus on critical words.

Effective vocabulary instruction does not rely on definitions.

Teaching word parts enhances understanding.

Different types of words require different types of instruction.

Active engagement improves learning.

Repeated exposure is essential.

Which words merit explicit instruction?Not all words should

be treated equally…

Types of Words

Literary • found in reading and

sophisticated speaking• relatively low frequency• flustered, rambunctious, yelped

Content-specific• necessary for content

achievement • relatively low frequency• electoral college, algorithm,

gerund, photosynthesis

General academic• words found in academic

discourse (text & speech)• relatively high frequency,

wide distribution• specific, analysis, method,

achieve

School-task• labels for academic tasks• Venn diagram, journal,

learning log

(Hiebert & Lubliner, 2008)

Questions Worth Asking

• Is this word unknown?

• Is this word critical to understanding (the particular text, the particular subject matter)?

• Is this a word students are likely to encounter again (in sophisticated language use, in this particular subject, in other domains)?

• Is this word conceptually difficult (abstract, new concept, multiple meanings)?

• Does this word have high instructional potential (morphology, connections to other words, word learning)?

How might I introduce different kinds of terms most effectively?~ 3 essentials

~ ways to engage

with words

Quick Introduction Learning new words for known concepts in text

During read-aloud Before students read text

Read-aloud Provide known synonym/descriptive phrase after the word (without

disrupting the reading)

Prior to student reading Display or quick note with target word and known synonym/descriptive

phrase Preview descriptions provided in textbooks (supplement as necessary)

How might I introduce different kinds of terms most effectively?~ 3 essentials

~ ways to engage

with words

Experience & Observe• Strategy observer

• What steps/processes did you observe?

• Participant observer• What words, behaviors, evidence of student learning did

you notice?• How many times did students respond?

• Participants• What did you learn? What worked for you? How did

you feel as a learner using this strategy?

Please answer:

• Yes or No: “Staycation” is a neologism.

• Rate your understanding of the word neologism.

1 I’ve never heard this word before.

2 I’ve heard this word, but I don’t really know what it means.

3 I know the general meaning of this word, though I may not be able to define it in detail or use it myself.

4 Whether spoken or written, I know this word well and understand its meaning.

neologism

• neo (Gk, new)

• logos (Gk, word)

• -ism (noun, distinctive, trait or idea)

Critical Attributes

• recently coined (first used)

• not yet accepted as mainstream

neologism or NOT?

neologism

• Yes – No – Why?: “Staycation” is a neologism

• Rate your understanding of the word neologism.

1 I’ve never heard this word before.

2 I’ve heard this word, but I don’t really know what it means.

3 I know the general meaning of this word, though I may not be able to define it in detail or use it myself.

4 Whether spoken or written, I know this word well and understand its meaning.

Experience & Observe• Strategy observer

• What steps/processes did you observe?

• Participant observer• What words, behaviors, evidence of student learning did

you notice?• How many times did students respond?

• Participants• What did you learn? What worked for you? How did

you feel as a learner using this strategy?

Introducing Specific WordsThree Essentials

1. Student Friendly Explanations• Characterize word and typical use• Explain meaning in everyday language• Emphasize critical attributes• Explore morphemes and cognates

2. Teacher-Created Contexts• Develop instructional contexts that provide strong clues to meaning• Provide examples and non-examples

3. Active Engagement with Words• Short, lively opportunities for students to interact with words and

meanings right away and over time with feedback

(Archer & Hughes, Explicit Instruction, 2011; others!)

IMPORTANT!

Vocabulary Basic Instructional Routine

1. Introduce the word• Pronunciation,

spelling, syllabication

2. Introduce the meaning• Student-friendly

explanation• Word part analysis• Critical attribute

identification

3. Illustrate the word with examples and non-examples

4. Check understanding• Distinguish between

examples & non-examples

• Generate examples• Answer questions

(Archer & Hughes, 2011, p. 75; see video examples by Anita Archer, http://explicitinstruction.org/)

Building Academic VocabularyA Six-Step Process

4. Engage students in word activities5. Discuss words6. Engage student “play” with words

1. Introduce word2. Students generalize meaning3. Students create nonlinguistic representation

(Marzano, 2004)

Massed Practice

initial word learning

Distributive Practice

all previous words

1. Student Friendly Explanations

• Consider resist• Dictionary: “to withstand the force or the effect of”• Student-friendly: “when a person struggles or fights not to

give in to something”

• Cobuild Dictionary: http://dictionary.reverso.net/english-cobuild/resist

1. Student Friendly Explanations

• Consider compound (earth science text)• Glossary: “a substance made up of atoms

of two or more different elements joined by chemical bonds”

• Critical Attributes:• a substance (e.g., Halite or “rock salt”, NaCl)• made of two or more elements (e.g., sodium,

Na and chlorine, Cl)• joined by chemical bonds

2. Teacher-Created Contexts

• Consider convey• Literary Context: “Of the Right Whale, the best outline pictures

are in Scoresby; but they are drawn on too small a scale to convey a desirable impression” (Melville, Moby Dick).

• Teacher Created: The speaker was successful in conveying his message to the audience. They all heard what he said, and understood his ideas.

• Though she can’t talk much, Lily quite clearly conveyed her want for her sippy cup by shouting “bup” and pointing at the cup on the table.

3. Active Engagement with Words

• identify examples & non-examples• generate examples & non-examples• answer questions• generate and explain non-linguistic representation• discuss word meaning and application with other

students• play games with words

3. Active Engagement with WordsIdentify Example & Non-Examples

• Consider interior (as the central area of a region—the area that is away from the coast, state line, or border)

3. Active Engagement with WordsIdentify Example & Non-Examples

• Newport, OR

• Summer Lake, OR

• Ontario Municipal Airport, OR

• Umatilla National Forest, OR

3. Active Engagement with WordsIdentify Example & Non-Examples

leisurely or in a hurry?

• Taking a walk in the park

• Firefighters getting to a fire

• Runners in a race

• Sitting and talking to friends

• A dog lying in the sun

T-P-S: Think of more situations that sound leisurely.

3. Active Engagement with WordsIdentify Example & Non-Examples

glimpse scrutinize• Which can you do more quickly?

inspector spectator• What would you probably call every person watching a football game?

largo ritardando • Which tells me to slow down gradually?

caldera crater• Regarding volcanoes, which is generally larger?

3. Active Engagement with WordsGenerate Example & Non-Examples

• Activate Student Knowledge• Jake thought it would be fun to explore the interior of Alaska. Why

might you want to spend time in the interior of Nebraska?

• Sentence Stems• After a trip to the coast, we traveled to the interior of the country

because _____.

• Non-Linguistic Representation• Draw (or act, demonstrate, etc.) interior. Be ready to explain how

this represents the critical attributes of the word.

637 percentile pts. higher than…

…students who kept repeating definitions.

Students who used imagery to learn vocabulary, on average, performed…

# of studies

(Pickering, 2007, ASCD presentation)

Research on Imagery as Elaboration

4 21 percentile pts. higher than…

…students who were using the terms in a sentence.

3. Active Engagement with WordsAnswer Questions

Connect with Student Knowledge• Why might someone want to spend time in the interior of

Nebraska?• Can you describe a place you know about that is located in the

interior of Nebraska?• What are the differences between how we use interior when

discussing a state, country, or region and when discussing a room or an object?

3. Active Engagement with WordsAnswer Questions

Consider Relationship to Previously Taught Words

• Would you suppress a profound thought?

• Would blurting out your thought be an example of indecorum?

• Could a seismogram indicate an impending tsunami?

Introducing Specific WordsThree Essentials

1. Student Friendly Explanations• Characterize word and typical use• Explain meaning in everyday language• Emphasize critical attributes• Explore morphemes and cognates

2. Teacher-Created Contexts• Develop instructional contexts that provide strong clues to meaning• Provide examples and non-examples

3. Active Engagement with Words• Short, lively opportunities for students to interact with words and

meanings right away and over time with feedback

(Archer & Hughes, Explicit Instruction, 2011; others!)

IMPORTANT!

Reflect & Apply

• How does this fit with my previous vocabulary introductions?• Do I use the three essentials?• What should I remember and apply?

• Can I supplement my current materials?• student-friendly definitions• sufficient, clear examples and non-examples (visual,

auditory, kinesthetic)• sufficient, effective interaction with words right away

and over time

Two Stars and a Wish Please share two of the most important or relevant

ideas you heard.

Please record something you wish: • a question or comment about something you heard• something you need to know to understand better• a resource that would help you• something to help make the session more engaging,

relevant, accurate