Silverman & Hartranft Chapter 2: Principles of Effective Vocabulary Instruction
Ensuring students have a solid vocabulary base is a challenging task for teachers, especially of young children, as students should be taught approximately 300-500 new words each year. Since teaching 2-3 new words each day becomes an insurmountable task, teachers must be intentional in selecting the words they teach, and focusing on words that they will encounter across multiple domains as well as ones that will be most helpful as they encounter multiple texts in school is highly encouraged by multiple researchers. Teachers must also take into consideration the breadth, the number of words, and depth, the level of meaning, when teaching vocabulary as well since some words may be needed as a base for future encounters while others may need to be explored in depth. Using picture books with rich, complex language is recommended to explicitly teach vocabulary. These picture books should be from different genres and include good pictorial support as well as representations of different cultures and experiences.
I found the number of different words a student will encounter throughout their school career quite staggering although it made sense once I thought about it. I also found the approaches in choosing which words to teach interesting but daunting! I definitely stopped to think about how I approach vocabulary in my classroom, and I am in the process of incorporating more picture books even though I'm teaching 8th grade.
Questions:
1. What is a reasonable number of words to explicitly teach each week/unit in your classroom? What about implicitly?
2. As you read new texts, do you point out vocabulary words you have studied in the past, and, if so, how do you determine which ones to focus on?
3. Do you challenge your students to use their new vocabulary words in their conversations or their writing?
Silverman & Hartranft Chapter 3: Explicit and Extended Vocabulary Instruction
Gradual release of responsibility is a staple instructional method in the classroom, and when used with vocabulary instruction, it can increase the depth of vocabulary knowledge, especially Multidimensional Vocabulary Program (MVP). The MVP (how can you not like a program with a name like that!) guides students from the initial introduction of the word by the teacher to the exposure in many contexts to the application of the word on their own.
I thought the strategies were quite interesting and some could easily be used in upper grades. I know I'd like to try Closed Choices for some of our vocabulary words as students definitely struggle with how to use them correctly in a sentence. I'd also like to use Related Words by having students connect vocabulary words with words they already know as well as ones they learn in the future.
Explicitly teaching vocabulary through pre-reading, during reading and after reading activities also increases students' understanding of vocabulary. Only 2-3 vocabulary words should be focused on during pre-reading to ensure students stay focused. When the word is encountered in the text, its definition and context should be discussed to reinforce its meaning. After reading, more contexts in which the word is found could be added, and students should be encouraged to use the word on their own with the proper scaffolding and support in place. Practice with and application of new vocabulary words could be done with writing, projects, and centers.
Questions:
1. Which strategies do you find most effective for your classroom?
2. Which activities do your students seem to enjoy (and learn from!) the most?
Silverman & Hartranft Chapter 6: Assessing Vocabulary Knowledge
Assessing vocabulary knowledge can be tricky because there are many facets to the breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge, and assessing all facets of each word would be nearly impossible, especially when vocabulary may be known receptively (heard/read) but perhaps not expressively (speech/writing) or students may be able to communicate knowledge orally but not through reading and writing. However, assessments must be conducted to ensure student progress is continual and on-par with grade-level expectations and so adjustments to instruction can be made and/or interventions can be created especially for students who may encounter difficulties.
There are options to screen and assess progress for different grade levels which are not time consuming and assess grade-level vocabulary, but they can be dependent on other vocabulary skills which may not be developed and can show just a small part of what students know. Diagnostic assessments help identify troublesome areas for students' vocabulary development but are most often administered by speech-language pathologists and not classroom teachers. Data from the assessments can help focus instruction on particular aspects of vocabulary development. Finally, outcome assessments allows comparisons of individual students or groups of students to their peers. They are able to be administered in groups and are norm-based, but they are limited in the information given on individual's strengths and weaknesses.
Vocabulary assessments can be developed by teachers as well and can include pointing to the picture of the vocabulary word and having the students give a definition or select the best word in a cloze sentence. Also, focusing teachers can assess morphological awareness by having them create or break apart compound words (real and made up) and morphological comprehension through context clues and strategy usage.
I have definitely encountered various levels of vocabulary knowledge with my students, but I really don't have much experience with norm-based assessments with the exception of the Gates-MacGinitie test. I definitely incorporate the context clues and strategy use tasks in my classroom, but I'd be interested to see how well my students would do on morphology tasks!
Questions:
1. Do you administer any of the assessments regularly? How do you apply the data to your instruction?
2. Do you incorporate made-up words into your vocabulary assessments? If so, how often?
Sorry guys I just typed in a ton and then it didn't take...I am wiped out! Here is what I remember saying!
ReplyDeleteOkay, I think that teaching more than 5-6 words a week is probably reaching it. Depending on what grade you are thinking of. I am think of K. I think that revolving class activities around the new words is a sound idea. Also the introduction and continued teaching using UDL is optimal. All students learn differently but using dictation, orally, with pictures and electronic devices helps to gather more in the net. I think that I would point out the new words in the text the second or third time I read the book. Then I would switch to another book that carries those words (if possible). My goal would be to have the kids using the words and generalizing them. I would try to use the environment and context such as on the playground when a plane flies by "Look there is an airplane do you think it carries people or mail?" It carries something therefor it is a vehicle. Then you can let their mind go crazy since this is playground time and not your class time!
I talked about gradual release to some co workers. I explained that we do that in spec ed a lot by taking away accommodations etc. A gen ed teacher says she calls it catch and release. I asked why and she said something like this. You catch them up with something new. You are using a net and you build the net stronger and stronger by explicit teaching. You later give them opportunities to use things by themselves. In two weeks they have forgotten so you catch them up again. You do this until they have 'mastered' what they need. They are not using it on their own with no help and appropriately. Then you cut the LINE! I liked it.
I do not administer tests vocab tests. I plan to administer one to my son. My Tasks is on vocab and oral language and my projects will be on fluency. Things I think will go together. I hate to do this but, since I can't really answer this question could anyone give me some ideas? My son reads at a second grade level, he is in third grade, has autism but is very high functioning. I need to do probes and anyone that does elementary level or has experience with it is welcomed. I know some of you are like me and have middle or high school. I hope to help answer this question with my Tasks and get full credit there since I can't answer it right now!
I agree with you that 5-6 words is a good number. I teach second grade!I think the more ways we can expose students to the word the better. In younger grades this is important for text awareness, and it creates connections in the students' minds.
DeleteI like your examples of using vocabulary in different contexts! I think it's a good idea to expose students to words in a text, point them out, and discuss them 2-3 times, but it's a great idea to expose them to the words in completely different texts afterwards. I especially think it's beneficial to give them concrete examples in their daily lives. I feel like that's harder with abstract vocabulary in the older grades, but that's perfect for early elementary and pre-school!
DeleteOne thing you might do is administer a San Diego Quick assessment to get a general idea of where his oral literacy level is, and then you can probably use those same word lists to informally assess his understanding of the words' meanings. It's not really designed as a vocabulary assessment, but I think it would be a useful tool to use to get a general idea of where a student is, regardless of their age.
I was interested in your experience with UDL. It sounds like such a neat way to reach different levels of students? Do you incorporate principles of UDL when you are planning lessons? What kinds of multi media do you use when introducing new concepts or vocabulary? In your experience does UDL help with differentiation among learners? I learned about UDL in a class at OU, and I was wondering what it looks like in the real world.
DeleteUDL, to me at least, has several different looks. I think most people kind of use it but may not be aware. I notice that good teachers tend to use what works and that is usually to display new knowledge different ways. In spec ed we use assessments and teaching methods that are supposed to have been proven to work and are effective. Lessons are developed based on this and lots and lots of recording is done! Too much documentation sometimes :) I like to use ipads and computers for young learners. Then can play different games to gain new concepts and reinforce old lessons. I don't know much about RTI but I think its sort of mirrors spec ed because as I understand it RTI is about finding at risk students and helping them now instead of an IEP down the line.
DeleteOne neat idea we had was eating our letter in a pre-k class. Each week we learn a new letter and we would eat them every Friday proving that we had mastered them. My Idea, silly as it is it worked. On Monday the kids came back and explained what the letter "r" did this weekend. Of course one kid said he pooped his, we had the biggest laugh. One child had a hard time retaining the letters learned but loved lego's so each day I started making him do letters in lego's and his retention improved dramatically.
I love the cookie idea and the legos! That's great! I think the children in this generation get a lot from iPads and computers. They are growing up with this technology and enjoy using it. I think it is awesome when teachers can incorporate the use of technology with learning. Thank you for sharing your real world experiences with me!
DeleteI agree with Angela--your ideas of using vocabulary in different contexts is a great idea! The cookie and lego strategies have to be fun for the kids! I think that there are a lot of different ways that I could incorporate different vocabulary activities with my students--I just need to think a bit more creatively!
Delete"3. Do you challenge your students to use their new vocabulary words in their conversations or their writing?"
ReplyDeleteI always encourage students to use vocabulary in their writing, but I hadn't thought much about encouraging them to use vocabulary orally. I think this would be especially important for younger students who may not feel comfortable with writing yet. I'm curious, how would you all approach having students use vocabulary orally? I feel like it wouldn't be enough to just say "talk about this problem/question, and use these words."
"1. Which strategies do you find most effective for your classroom?"
I like having students make constant connections among vocabulary, such as with "Related Words." We focus a lot on academic vocabulary that is relevant to analyzing texts, and we focus on vocabulary they might encounter in a testing situation. I feel like it really helps them, for instance, to discuss the relationship between "summary" and "paraphrase" or even between "characterization" and "conflict."
As for the last text, I'd say vocabulary assessment is one of my biggest weaknesses. I have, however, had students practice context clue strategies with fake words before. I'd never really thought about it as a potential assessment. This was informative! Do you all have any other suggestions for vocabulary assessment?
Regarding the students using vocabulary orally, I think there are a variety of ways to get them to use it. I have some of them use the word in a sentence. At other times I have had the students provide examples of a given word in connection to daily life. I try to have students use the academic vocabulary when answering questions for me. For example, today one of the girls in my class asked me what the word sum meant. We use this word on a daily basis, but somehow she hasn't made the connection. So, for the next few days I am going to have her use that word while answering some of my questions! I DO NOT feel like vocabulary assessment is one of my strengths! If I find good assessments, I will pass them on.
DeleteGood examples, Cathy! Do you format the class so that students are answering questions posed to the whole class, or do you do things like think-pair-share, etc.?
DeleteI am so bad at assessments too. I have little experience in anything that is official. I sort of do my own by judgment.
DeleteI like the using vocab orally thing. I hadn't thought about it either. I wish I could find a way to help my kiddos understand vocab words through context. They are NOT testing well at all. Not just my spec ed kids but the regular ed kids they are in the same class with. Any ideas pass them along!
Angela,
DeleteI try to do both posed questions and think-pair-share. I also try to have them use the academic vocabulary in their writing. I have them pretend like they are the teacher and have to teach what the word means to a group or whole class.
Cathy, that's how I would approach oral usage as well. Also, what about challenging them to use the words with their parents or friends? Or even another teacher?
DeleteI want to try incorporating more of the "fake" words as well. We have an excellent vocabulary workbook, though, so I feel that students get a lot of practice manipulating and applying vocabulary words. I'd still like to try a couple more strategies to get them to use them more in the classroom.
I know the book says to teach about 10 new words a week, but I usually have five to six new vocabulary words. The other words are from the prior week that are reviewed and included in a weekly assessment. Hopefully they are gaining more vocabulary implicitly as exposed to literature and experiences. I try to point words that we have studied in the past to help review. Usually I review words from a week or two prior. I could do a better job having the students use these words in their writing. This is an area that time seems to take!!
ReplyDeleteFor students struggling with new words, I have found offering closed choices to be effective. I also like the use of examples and non-examples. Last week nibble was a vocabulary word. I used examples and non-examples about Cookie Monster to help explain this. The students in my class seem to enjoy creating word webs. I am hoping to see how Kidspiration will work with vocabulary.
I administer a weekly vocabulary assessment. This allows me to see how many of the students truly understand the word that is being taught; however, sometimes I feel like it just test their ability to take a test. (just honesty) In an ideal world my vocabulary test would include students use of the word in writing. Maybe next week I can include this to better understand what my students understand. In the past I haven’t conducted a screening assessment at the beginning of the year. This could be a valuable tool to help understand the background of the children. It will be interesting to see what DIBELS does with the new vocabulary portion of the test after validity has been verified. I haven’t incorporated made-up words in my vocabulary. I don’t have a lot of information regarding this.
Overall, these chapters were interesting. I think vocabulary can be very tricky to teach. At times it feels very subjective given the complex nature of vocabulary development and vocabulary assessment. In the future I hope to find more tools to assess vocabulary effectively.
I agree that 5 or 6 is a good number. Ten seems a bit high to me. I also agree with your point about implicit vocabulary acquisition--they're going to pick up works just by reading them in context, especially if you guide their reading by pointing out the words and discussing the context for words that they might not know. That has two benefits: they might gain a sense of the meaning of the word, and they are learning good inferential and context clue strategies.
DeleteI think your assessment of the vocabulary tests is fair. It's a good tool to help see how many students can understand the word (hopefully provided in context), which is useful as a quick formative assessment to see if you need to provide more explicit instruction. I like your idea for having students use the words in their own writing as a form of assessment. You might be careful about having them be specific and contextual in their writing, though; otherwise you'll end up with sentences like, "I like airplanes," which isn't very useful for assessing understanding of the word "airplanes."
Cathy, Thank you for the birds-eye view into your first grade classroom! I am learning so much about what to expect from reading your posts! Does the curriculum you are assigned to teach suggest vocabulary words, or do you select them based on the needs of your students and what is being studied at the time? I have no real teaching experience so any insight is truly appreciated!
DeleteWOW! A weekly assessment seems like a lot of work for you. Is it just worked into the same time same day each week? I was with one of the greatest pre-k teachers ever! Well, that's my opinion anyway... For 'nibble' she brought food that started with letter we were working on and we 'nibbled' our way through them. I bet the kiddos wont forget that word in a hurry.
DeleteLindsey,
DeleteOur reading curriculum does give suggested vocabulary. For the most part I do use them to stay consistent with other teachers in my grade level. I do have the freedom to pick what I feel is beneficial for kids. I try to keep everything connecting by theme for the kids to have connections to real life.
To incorporate the vocabulary words into their writing, could you challenge them to use the word a set number of times over the week in any writing situation they were presented? Maybe they could write a story, or they could pretend like they had to teach the word to a younger sibling? You could even pull past vocabulary for this as well. I've had students write short answers and essays and required them to utilize specific words, and it typically turns out really well! It definitely prevents the "I see an airplane" type of sentence!
Delete1. "What strategies do you find the most effective for your classroom?"
ReplyDeleteSince I do not have a classroom, I am going to draw from my experience working in the OU Institute of Child Development. I worked there in conjunction with two early childhood classes, and also as part of my practicum experience, so I spent quite a bit of time there. I was fortunate to be able to carefully observe the lead teacher, Professor Goldman, for most of the year. Many of the activities we did each day promoted the vocabulary development of our young students, and were very effective.
During group time, we read aloud to the children, and Professor Goldman always preceded the read aloud with a discussion on topics related to the book. She would ask the students questions, and try to assess what prior knowledge they may have had of a topic. After reading the story, Professor Goldman would lead a discussion with the students about the story, and I was amazed at how much the children were able to glean from listening to the book. Story time was performance oriented and the children were usually very engaged.
Curriculum at the Institute often revolved around a theme or "big idea" that was interwoven throughout the centers, readings, songs, and activities. When I read about Marzano's principle of teaching clusters of words and how they are related to each other, I immediately thought of what we did at the Institute. For example, during October, we had a "harvest" theme. Professor Goldman was able to weave this theme and associated vocabulary into all aspects of the morning. I do not remember specific words, but I remember discussing words from the story with the children, and I specifically remember Professor Goldman leading the children to the cooking center after reading a book about apples. The children participated in a taste test of several different kinds of apples. Professor Goldman took a tally of the apple each student preferred and illustrated the results on a large graph. The read aloud book about apples was used to introduce vocabulary and ideas, which was then extended into a math activity.
We also chose specific books for teaching social-emotional vocabulary. Children often have feelings that they cannot name. Reading books to children was used to introduce and discuss these vocabulary words. We read books that discussed how it feels to be anxious, angry, frustrated, worried, excited, etc. These words were taught explicitly. Many were big words for such tiny students, but they understood them. It helps students to be able to discuss their feelings instead of resorting to crying, shouting, grabbing a toy, or pushing another child.These words were not academic words, but being able to recognize and voice one's emotions will help them succeed in school. This learning did not stop after reading one book. Rather, student teachers were encouraged to use these words in conversation with the children when appropriate (i.e. stepping in to foster conflict resolution between students, comforting a child having difficulty separating from a parent at drop off).
One set of words I remember using were positional words. We would listen to a song that came from the book "We're Going on A Bear Hunt" and move and dance with the children while it was playing. I always wondered why this song was played so often, and after reading this chapter, now I know!
Finally, when I read in the book that research on how the way teachers use language to question and prompt students impacts vocabulary development, it reminded me of my year at the Institute. Student teachers were asked to extend and expand student's responses to questions, and to be explicit when providing feedback. For example, student teachers were asked to avoid commenting "Good job!" when looking at a student's work. Instead, we were to ask probing questions about the child's work, and to make specific comments instead of vague generalizations.
It looks like they knew what they were doing at the Institute! I think it's especially important for young students to be able to gain vocabulary exposure through listening, and I bet the performance nature of the reading really reinforced the vocabulary in a concrete way. I also like the way you all chose the words that you had them learn and use. Marzano word clusters are a great idea for vocabulary development, and I think young students especially need those social-emotional and positional words.
DeleteAngela, I enjoyed reading your posts and was interested in how receptive your 8th graders are to receiving explicit vocabulary instruction. Do they enjoy it when you incorporate picture books? I was also wondering what you think about linking vocabulary with spelling instruction. I know that the book said that vocabulary and spelling instruction should not overlap, but at the 8th grade level, are the students ready to both know and spell a word, or is it more effective to teach each separately?
DeleteSounds like I would send my child there anytime!
DeleteI love that the professor and staff took the time to connect the learning to real life and themes. Students seem to engage so much more when something is connected to real life! I admire pre-k teachers!! Lindsay, what grade level do you hope to teach one day?
DeleteLindsay, middle school (and I'm sure Angela would agree that most high school) students are still attracted to elementary elements in the classroom. Stickers, smiley faces on papers, and picture books go over well with them even though they pretend like they're too cool for them. I expect my students to learn the proper spelling of a new vocabulary word as well as the meaning. I don't have much leniency, especially if they are copying the word, unless their IEP specifically says that misspellings are not to be penalized. Words begin to look very similar, and misspellings can greatly alter the meaning!
DeleteCathy- I am hoping to get a job teaching any grade between pre-k and 3rd in a public school system in the metro area, so I feel fortunate to be able to pick the brains of you experienced teachers each week! It is very helpful to read all of the different perspectives brought to our blog. It is eye opening for me! Melissa, I figured teachers expect older students spell the vocabulary words as well, but thought I would check. It's neat that you bring all of these elements from elementary school into your classroom and that they enjoy it. Things like smiling face stickers and picture books help keep the sense of fun in learning.
ReplyDelete