the power of meta: vocabulary booster · 2016. 4. 3. · bonus 1: orthographic awareness booster 28...

The Power of Meta:

Vocabulary Booster

Karen Dudek-Brannan, Ed.D. CCC-SLP

© 2016 Karen Dudek-Brannan http://www.drkarenspeech.com

http://www.drkarenspeech.com/

Table of Contents

Meta Definitions Rating Scale 2 Use this rating scale to measure oral defining skills.

Can be used with curricular vocabulary

Provides deep understanding of oral vocabulary and definition syntax

Noun Definition Syntax Template 4 Use this protocol to build word knowledge and metalinguistic awareness

of the syntactic structure of nouns definitions

These easy-to-use reproducible templates can be reused as often as needed with words appropriate to your students’ needs

Tier 2 Nouns Flash Cards 9 Save time with these Tier 2 nouns flash cards organized for you by grade

level (K-5)

Perfect to use as target words when teaching definition syntax

Strategically selected to ensure you are building vocabulary that will increase understanding of more difficult academic vocabulary

Bonus 1: Orthographic Awareness Booster 28 Boost your students’ vocabulary knowledge by adding an emphasis on

orthography.

Perfect as a supplemental activity when targeting word definitions

Bonus 2: Supplemental Resources 30 Use these resources and articles focused on orthography, phonological

awareness, Tier 2 word selection to get the most out of your therapy time.

The Power of Meta: Vocabulary Booster

Page 1



Meta Definitions for Nouns Rating Scale

Instructions This template was designed to be used as a word knowledge rating scale. To be completed by a teacher or clinician. Use this template to document students’ knowledge of words before, after, and during vocabulary instruction or intervention. Discuss the ratings with students’ awareness of their own word knowledge and ability to improve with practice, in addition to measuring their improvement. *Optional-Have students complete their own ratings and compare to examiner’s ratings.

Data Collection Procedures: Ask students if they know words, and to define words. Probing and follow up questions may vary depending on student’s level of word knowledge.

Coding Key 1-Never heard of the word

Student shows no understanding or indication of prior exposure to word when asked what it means.

2-Heard the word but don’t know what it means

Student indicates they’ve heard of the word, but when asked what it means are unable to explain it. When presented with multiple definition choices, they are unable to identify the correct definition.

3-Know what the word means and can identify its definition

Student is unable to explain a meaning of the word, but is able to give identify its definition when given multiple choices (can be presented in verbal or written format). *Always ask the student to define the word before presenting multiple choices. Present multiple choices for student AFTER you have determined that the student is unable to define the word.

4-Know what the word means and can provide semantic attributes

Student can provide examples of word use, describe and basic semantic features (e.g., physical attributes, function, location), but cannot provide an explicit definition with categorical information.

5-Can explicitly define the word

Student can provide a correct definition using appropriate vocabulary and definition format. Categorical information is required (e.g., “It’s a kind of____.”)

*This is not a norm-referenced tool. Reliability and validity have not yet been established for this scale. It is based

on theories that suggest we learn words in stages (Beck, Mckeown, & Omanson, 1987; Dale & O’Rourke, 1986).

Beck, I. Mckeown, M. & Omanson, R. (1987). The effects and uses of diverse vocabulary instruction techniques. In

M. Mckeown and M.E. Curtis (Eds.), The nature of vocabulary acquisition (pp 147-163). Hillsdale NJ:

Erlbaum.

Dale, E., & O’Rourke, J. (1976). The living word vocabulary. Chicago, IL. Field Enterprises.

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The Power of Meta: Vocabulary Booster-Rating Scale


Student Name:_______________________________ Date:_________________

Target Word Ratings

1-Never heard the word

2-Heard the word but don’t know what it means

3-Know what the word means and can identify its definition

4-Know what the word means and can provide semantic attributes

5-Can explicitly define the word

Page 3


The Power of Meta: Vocabulary Booster-Rating Scale


Noun Definition Syntax Templates

Quick Rules

Use the following templates on pages 5-8 to model and teach definitions of nouns. You

can use them as printable worksheets or laminate them for repeated use.

This format can be used for many different nouns, from common objects to complex curricular vocabulary.

Use of articles (e.g., a, an, the) and relative pronouns (e.g., which, who, that) may vary depending on context.

Category may be a phrase (e.g., “a kind/type of animal”) or individual word (e.g., “animal).

Use these subtle variations in syntactic structure to as learning opportunities teach flexible language use.

Other more detailed variations to this definition format exist.

This format is not typically used for defining adjectives and verbs.

Encourage students to add multiple clauses with additional semantic information (e.g., “An apple is a fruit that can be green, red, or yellow, grows on a tree, has seeds and skin, and can be used to make juice or pie.”).

Use this grammatical structure when defining singular nouns (pages 5-6): Article + Target Word + Copula Verb + Article + Category + Relative Clause/Clauses with Additional Semantic Information. Here is the quick formula: “An X is a Y that Z.” Examples: “A dog is an animal that barks and has fur. “A veterinarian is a kind of doctor who takes care of animals.” Use this grammatical structure when defining plural nouns (pages 7-8): Target Word + Copula Verb + Category + Relative Clause/Clauses with Additional Semantic Information. Here is the quick formula: “X are Y that Z.”

Examples: “Earrings are pieces of jewelry that you wear in your ears.” “Cars are vehicles that you can drive and have engines.”

The Power of Meta: Vocabulary Booster-Syntax Templates

Page 4



A_____________ is a _____________________ (target word) (category)

that____________________________________ (additional details such as function, appearance, composition, associations)

_______________________________________.

Page 4


Page 5



A _____________ is a ____________________ (target word) (category)

who___________________________________ (additional details such as function, appearance, composition, associations)

_______________________________________.


Page 6



_____________ are ______________________ (target word) (category)

that____________________________________ (additional details such as function, appearance, composition, associations)

_______________________________________.


Page 7



_____________ are ______________________ (target word) (category)

who___________________________________ (additional details such as function, appearance, composition, associations)

_______________________________________.


Page 8



Tier 2 Nouns Flash Cards

These word lists contain Tier 2 nouns from curricular materials and word lists organized by grade level.

You will notice that there are some words duplicated from one grade level to another; this is because certain vocabulary is appropriate for more than one grade level.

These lists can give you guidelines for what is appropriate for each grade; yet there is still flexibility within this system regarding what words you target with what grade.

Some of these nouns may also have other functions, such as verbs, depending on the context of use. You can use the noun definition syntax template when teaching the meaning when the word functions as a noun, but may also want to discuss other meanings of the words as well if appropriate.

You’ll notice that these words are much more difficult to define using the definition templates than the basic examples given in the noun definition syntax template instructions on page 4. Here are some examples of how to categorize and describe several of these challenging Tier 2 words using the syntactic structure in the template:

o Suggestion: A suggestion is an idea or plan (category) someone may recommend (function). o Invitation: An invitation is a request (category) that involves asking someone to go somewhere or

do something (function), like a birthday party or other event (association). o Dozen: A dozen is a set of twelve (category), like a group of eggs (association). o Atmosphere: The atmosphere is a blanket of gas (category) that surrounds a planet (function and

association).

The Power of Meta: Vocabulary Booster- Tier 2 Nouns Flash Cards

Page 9



Attention

Consequence

Curve

Direction

Feast

Leader

Problem

Suggestion

The Power of Meta: Vocabulary Booster-Tier 2 Kindergarten Nouns Flash Cards

Page 10



Surprise

Opposite

Autumn

Decision

Dentist

Firefly

Shade

Shrub


Page 11



Winter

Museum

Invitation

President

Yesterday

Pilot

Trunk

Supplies


Page 12



Alarm

Appetite

Applause

Champion

Conductor

Illustrator

Mountain

Season

The Power of Meta: Vocabulary Booster-Tier 2 First Grade Nouns Flash Cards

Page 13



Passenger

Attention

Hobby

Thunder

Feast

Tomorrow

Transportation

Atmosphere


Page 14



Question

Warning

Suggestion

Author

Moisture

Outcome

Wisdom

Symbol


Page 15



Community

Conclusion

Cooperation

Opinion

Diagram

Connection

Detail

Records

The Power of Meta: Vocabulary Booster-Tier 2 Second Grade Nouns Flash Cards

Page 16



Sum

Cause

Plan

Flock

Shelter

Telescope

Career

Team


Page 17



Crowd

Motor

Dozen

Fuel

Footprint

Batch

Heap

Pattern


Page 18



Ability

Privilege

Process

Predator

Schedule

Solution

Climate

Vehicle

The Power of Meta: Vocabulary Booster-Tier 2 Third Grade Nouns Flash Cards

Page 19



Continent

Individual

Globe

Disease

Signal

Region

Pastime

Journey


Page 20



Device

Advantage

Volunteer

Coast

Enemy

Planet

Proof

Scholar


Page 21



Experience

Tradition

Adaptation

Baggage

Column

Disaster

Orchard

Threat

The Power of Meta: Vocabulary Booster- Tier 3 Fourth Grade Nouns Flash Cards

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1

Capital

Frontier

Passage

Arena

Reason

Example

Evidence

Deposit

The Power of Meta: Vocabulary Booster-Tier 2 Fourth Grade Nouns Flash Cards

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Address

Variety

Request

Experiment

Portion

Entrance

Benefit

Response

The Power of Meta: Vocabulary Booster-Tier 2 Fourth Grade Nouns Flash Cards

Page 24



Culture

Decade

Antonym

Synonym

Avalanche

Blizzard

Beverage

Strategy

The Power of Meta: Vocabulary Booster-Tier 2 Fifth Grade Nouns Flash Cards

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Route

Talon

Wilderness

Protagonist

Argument

Source

Gist

Character


Page 26



Solo

Summit

Context

Compassion

Document

Occasion

Challenge

Culture


Page 27



Orthographic Awareness Booster

Instructions

Step 1: Say the sounds. Say the word and have students segment the individual sounds. For example, if

you say “steak”, the students would say “s…t…ea…k.” Step 2: Say the sounds and write the word/words with help. Draw lines to represent each phoneme in the word. Then help the students write the letters that go with each individual phoneme while vocalizing the sounds.

For the word “steak/stake”, the clinician should write this: __ __ ____ __ and/or __ __ __ ____ Then the students would fill in the lines like this:

S t ea k and/or s t a ke Note that lines represent individual phonemes, and lines are made longer when multiple letters correspond with one phoneme. This activity can be completed with individual words that have one spelling, or can be done with multiple words that sound the same but have different spellings/meanings (e.g., steak/steak). Step 3: Write the word/words again by yourself. Use this line to have the students write words again without the lines to cue them, while vocalizing the sounds as they write.

Step 4: Use the word/words in a sentence. Use these lines to have students write a sentence or sentences with the target word or words. You will have a separate sentence for each word if you are targeting homophones, and may have only one sentence if you are targeting words with one spelling. Step 5: Draw pictures of your sentence/sentences. Use the remaining space to draw pictures of your sentence or sentences. *Use the worksheet on the next page as a printable worksheet for completing this activity.

The Power of Meta: Vocabulary Booster-Orthographic Awareness

Page 28



Orthographic Awareness Booster Worksheet

Step 1: Say the sounds. Step 2: Say the sounds and write the word/words with help.

Step 3: Write the word/words again by yourself. _____________________________________________________________________________ Step 4: Use the word/words in a sentence. _____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Step 5: Draw a picture of your sentence/sentences.

The Power of Meta: Vocabulary Booster-Orthographic Awareness

Page 29



Supplemental Resources

Selecting Target Words:

Choosing target words to target during speech therapy can be a challenging

process. For more information about how to choose words that will yield the

greatest benefits for your students, read:

Are you an SLP working on vocabulary? If so, read this first.

Want more Tier 2 flashcards? Follow my Tier 2 Word of the Day board, which will

have a new Tier 2 word for each day in March 2016 while I ran this challenge. Each

word includes a visual and corresponding sentence:

Pinterest Tier 2 Word of the Day-March 2016

And if you prefer these words all on one page, you can also view the words of the

day here:

Tier 2 Word of the Day

For more information on incorporating phonological and orthographic

awareness in to your sessions view:

Attention SLPs: You are the missing link to creating better spellers

The Seven Deadly Sins of Phonological Awareness

Seven Deadly Sins of Phonological Awareness Volume 2: Blends and Digraphs

Definition templates for targeting verbs and adjectives are now available. You

can download them here:

Language Tools for Syntax/Semantics

The Power of Meta: Vocabulary Booster-Supplement

Page 30


http://drkarenspeech.com/slpvocabulary/

https://www.pinterest.com/drkarenspeechan/tier-2-word-of-the-day/

http://drkarenspeech.com/tier-2-word-of-the-day/

http://drkarenspeech.com/attention-slps-you-are-the-missing-link-to-creating-better-spellers/

http://drkarenspeech.com/the-seven-deadly-sins-of-phonological-awareness/

http://drkarenspeech.com/seven-deadly-sins-of-phonological-awareness-volume-2-blends-and-digraphs/

http://drkarenspeech.com/languagetools/syntax/


the power of meta: vocabulary booster · 2016. 4. 3. · bonus 1: orthographic awareness booster 28...

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