effective vocabulary instruction k- 2 nd grade
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Effective Vocabulary Instruction K- 2 nd Grade. Gina Flynn and Bethany Teipel St. Robert School October 8, 2013. Getting Started. Think of your kiddos. Bursts out without raising hand. Just can’t resist touching, poking, bothering…. Thinks he’s smarter than you. Impact of CCSS. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Effective Vocabulary Instruction
K- 2nd GradeGina Flynn and Bethany Teipel
St. Robert SchoolOctober 8, 2013
Getting Started
Think of your kiddos...
Bursts out without raising handJust can’t resist touching, poking, bothering…Thinks he’s smarter than you
Impact of CCSS
The Common Core State Standards place a great deal of emphasis on academic vocabulary.
The CCSS also calls for increasing the amount of nonfiction and informational text in classrooms.
Vocabulary knowledge influences fluency, comprehension, and student achievement
Video: http://www.engageny.org/resource/common-core-in-ela-literacy-shift-6-academic-vocabulary
Three Vocabulary Tiers
Tier 1: Known and Common Words
Tier I words are basic, everyday words that are a part of most children’s vocabulary. These are words used every day in conversation, and most of them are learned by hearing family, peers, and teachers use them when speaking.
These words are especially important for English language learners who may not be familiar with them.
Tier 2: High Frequency Words
Tier 2 words include frequently occurring words that appear in various contexts and topics and play an important role in verbal functioning across a variety of content areas.
Another way to think of Tier 2 vocabulary is as cross-curricular terms. For example, the term “justify” and “predict” frequently appear in Science, Social Studies, and English texts.
Tier 3: Low Frequency, Domain Specific
Tier 3 words are’ field of study’ specific vocabulary. Words in this category are low frequency, specialized words that appear in specific fields or content areas.
Most students will be unfamiliar with Tier 3 words. Teach these words as the need arises for comprehension in specific content areas.
Vocabulary in Early Literacy
Vocabulary plays an important role in understanding nonfiction and informational text. It has been estimated that 80% of comprehension in nonfiction is dependent upon understanding the vocabulary.
Teaching vocabulary improves both verbal IQ and reading comprehension.
Children who are behind by 1st grade have a hard time
making up the gap.
If children read 1 million words in a year, at least 1,000 words will be
added to their vocabulary(Krashen, 1993
Vocabulary Instruction
Offer opportunities to use newly learned word
Take 1 minute to write down ways you teach vocabulary in your classroom
Four Kinds of Vocabulary
Listening: The words we need to know to understand what we hear
Speaking: The words we use when we speak
Reading: The words we need to know when we read
Writing: The words we use in writing
All are interconnected
How to Teach Vocabulary
Research shows students will incorporate more words into their vocabulary and use them correctly, including spelling, when the focus is on fewer words at one time for intensive instruction
Grades 2-5 5-8 words per week
Grades 6-8 10-15 words per week
Grades 9-12 12-25 words per week
Brewer, C and Gann, J. (2003). Balanced literacy: a learning focused approach. Boone NC: Learning Concepts..
Steps for Effective Vocabulary Instruction
Explicit vocabulary instruction
Introduce and explain
Kids repeat and explain in own terms
Visual representation of the word
Check for understanding/Connecting to prior knowledge
Encourage students to discuss terms with one another (interactive anchor chart)
Offer opportunities to use newly learned word(Based on research by Marzano and
Pickering, 2005)
Purposeful Exposure to New Words
“Multiple exposures to new words across classroom contexts (in a read-aloud, then in the art center, and so on) give children opportunities to acquire information about word meanings.”
Click icon to add picture
Vocabulary Instruction
Offer opportunities to use newly learned word
Word Mapping: Graphic organizer to help learn new vocabulary
Vocabulary Instruction
Read alouds
Text complexity is higher than students’ reading levels
Always allow time for discussion after each read-aloud.
Classroom Environment
Create a print-rich environment
Word Wall
When you think of a word wall,
What comes to mind?
Turn and talk
“New and Improved” Word Walls
Content Organization Location
ConceptsThemesTopicalSight WordsWord Families
File folderBinderRingFrameAnchor ChartPocket ChartDigitalAdd pictures
Think portable!Empty flat surfaceStudent accessiblePersonal word wall
CHANGE IT UP!
Portable Word Walls
Word Play
Vocabulary Instruction Should be Fun…
Playing with words increases understanding!
Word Play in the Classroom
What’s My Word?
Collaborative Anchor Chart
Word Hunt for “Golden Nuggets”
Graffiti Wall
Classroom Exploratory Centers
http://www.visuwords.com/
Word Play in the Classroom
What’s My Word? Word Hunt
Word Play in the Classroom
Word Play
Share
What are other ways you teach vocabulary in your classroom?
Do this…Not that!
• Asking, “Does anybody know what ________means?”
• Having students “look it up” in a typical dictionary
• Having students use the word in a sentence after they look it up in the dictionary
• Telling students to “use context clues” as a primary strategy
• Students guessing the definition
• Copying from dictionary or glossary
• Copying same word several times
• Activities that do not require deep processing (word searches, fill-in-the-blank, etc.)
• Rote memorization without context
Vocabulary Wrap Up
Vocabulary instruction should be: Explicit Engaging Multiple Exposures Meaningful
References
http://www.readingrockets.org/helping/target/vocabulary/
http://www.naeyc.org/files/yc/file/201007/ChristWangOnline.pdf
http://www.learningunlimitedllc.com/2013/07/5-steps-vocabulary-instruction/
Marzano, R. and Pickering, D.(2005). Buiding academic vocabulary. Alexandria VA; Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Exit Slip
REFLECT
How has your thinking changed about vocabulary today?
What is one thing you learned that you would like try?
Thank You!
Gina Flynn, 4K Teacher at St. Robert [email protected]
Bethany Teipel, Learning Support Specialist at St. Robert [email protected]