3. independence Background knowledge
manifests itself as vocabulary
equality knowledge. Words are labels
for our knowledge packets; the
more words we have, the more
civil rights
packets of knowledge, the
more background knowledge.
Robert Marzano, 2004
IRA 2008
www.Curriculum 5.7.08
4. A Summation of the Research
“We know too much to say we
know too little, and we know too
little to say we know enough.”
Baumann & Kameenui (1991) cited in Allen,
1999.
IRA 2008
www.Curriculum 5.7.08
5. Indirect vs. Direct
Vocabulary Instruction
• Indirect instruction--sometimes
referred to as implicit instruction--
occurs as students read widely.
• Direct instruction --often
called explicit instruction--
is purposefully providing
practice with vocabulary words.
IRA 2008
www.Curriculum 5.7.08
6. Indirect Instruction Through
Wide Reading
• “Students must have the skills to infer word meaning
information from the contexts they read.”
• Struggling readers “do not engage in wide reading” and are
“less able to derive meaningful information from the
context.”(Beck, McKeown, & Kucan, 2002)
• “The chances of learning a word from context are
moderated by a student’s ability level and grade level, and
the density of the text.” (R. Marzano, 2004)
IRA 2008
www.Curriculum 5.7.08
7. Indirect Instruction Through
Wide Reading
Moderator Level of Chances of
Moderator Learning Word
Ability Low 8%
Medium 12% From
Marzano,
High 19% 2004,
Grade Level Grade 4 8% p.67
Grade 11 33%
Text Density 1 new word for 7%
every 10 words
1 new word for 14%
every 75 words
1 new word for 30%
every 150 words
IRA 2008
www.Curriculum 5.7.08
8. Words in Context
• Think-alouds
• Contextual clues:
Looking at the words around the unknown
word
Synonyms, antonyms, definitions, examples,
contrasts
• Typographic clues:
Glossary, footnotes, pictures, graphs, charts
IRA 2008
www.Curriculum 5.7.08
9. Three Tiers of Vocabulary
(Beck, McKeown, & Kucan)
• Tier 1: the most basic words; require little
1
instructional attention (happy, baby, walk)
• Tier 2: high frequency; found across a
2
variety of domains (absurd, fortunate,
merchant)
• Tier 3: lower frequency; often domain
3
specific (isotope, refinery, peninsula)
IRA 2008
www.Curriculum 5.7.08
10. Choosing Vocabulary for
Instruction
• How useful is the word? Will students see it in other
texts?
• How does the word relate to other words, or to ideas
that students know or have been learning? Does it
directly relate to a topic of study in the classroom?
• What does the word bring to a text or situation?
IRA 2008
www.Curriculum 5.7.08
11. Depth and Breadth of
Vocabulary
• Full understanding and use of
vocabulary “occurs only over
time and multiple encounters.”
(Beck, McKeown, Kucan, 2002)
• Knowing many words is to
have breadth of word knowledge. A word’s literal meaning,
its connotations, semantic associations such as synonyms
and antonyms - these refer to depth of word knowledge.
(August et al, 2005)
IRA 2008
www.Curriculum 5.7.08
12. Word Know it Know Have Do not
well, can something seen or know the
explain it, about it, can heard the word
can use it relate it to a word
situation
skeptical
surreptitious
grapnel
repugnant
placid
purport
IRA 2008
www.Curriculum 5.7.08
13. Allen, J. (1999).
Words, Words,
Words.
IRA 2008
www.Curriculum 5.7.08
14. Vocabulary and ELLs
• “ELLs who experience slow vocabulary
development are less able to comprehend text at
grade level.”
• “They may be at risk of being diagnosed as
learning disabled…due to limited English
vocabulary and poor comprehension that results in
part from this limitation.”
(August, Carlo, Dressler, & Snow, 2005)
IRA 2008
www.Curriculum 5.7.08
15. Vocabulary and ELLs
• Take advantage of students’ first language (if this
language shares cognates with English)
• Ensure ELLs know the meaning of basic words
• Review and Reinforce
• Students need the opportunity to talk about reading
and words
(August, Carlo, Dressler, & Snow, 2005)
IRA 2008
www.Curriculum 5.7.08
16. Cognate Knowledge
• Spanish-speaking students “can
often call on their knowledge of
cognates … to determine the
meanings of words” in English.
• “The number of cognates they
will encounter tends to increase
with the grades as they encounter
increasing numbers of words with
Latinate roots, especially in their
science and social studies courses.”
(Green, L.C.)
IRA 2008
www.Curriculum 5.7.08
17. False Friends
• Spanish:
Embarazada
Asistir • German:
Carpeta Bald
Bekommen
• French: Dom
Blesser
La chair
Formidable
IRA 2008
www.Curriculum 5.7.08
18. Dictionary Definitions
• (Most) dictionary definitions are not
effective for learning the meanings of words.
• Students often take one or two words from a
definition to be a word’s entire meaning.
• There are often multiple definitions; which is
the most appropriate?
• Dictionaries often use the word itself in the
definition!
IRA 2008
www.Curriculum 5.7.08
19. Dictionary Definitions
Some examples:
Skeptical - inclined to skepticism
Plummet - a piece of lead or other weight
attached to a line; something that weighs
down or depresses; to plunge
Puzzle - something puzzling; puzzled or
perplexed condition; bewilderment
IRA 2008
www.Curriculum 5.7.08
21. Word Parts
• Prefixes: un-, dis-, re-, sub-
• Roots: act (do), aud (hear), vid (see)
• Suffixes: -ion, -est, -ology, -able
unrecognizable
un- = not
recognize = know it when you see it
-able = able to
IRA 2008
www.Curriculum 5.7.08
22. Uninterested
Not interested
bored
Allen, J. (1999).
Words, Words, Words.
IRA 2008
www.Curriculum 5.7.08
24. Vocabulary Activities
(Beck, McKeown, & Kucan)
• Word associations: ask students to associate a known
word with a new word. Go beyond synonyms to deal with
relationships.
• Have you ever…? Ask students to associate words with
contexts and experiences from their lives.
• Applause, Applause! Students are asked to clap in
order to indicate how much they’d like to be described by
a word (and why or why not)
• Idea Completions: sentence stems requiring students to
use words in context.
IRA 2008
www.Curriculum 5.7.08
25. Vocabulary Activity
• Write as many words as you can think of
related to the solar system using the
following letters:
a, e, i, u, g, l, m, n, p, r, s, t, v, x, y
IRA 2008
www.Curriculum 5.7.08
26. Vocabulary Activity
• This activity can be used for any content area
• A good way to assess prior knowledge before
beginning a unit
IRA 2008
www.Curriculum 5.7.08
27. Word Wizard
• Create an environment where words matter.
• Word Wizard encourages students to look
for target words outside the classroom.
• A chart with the students names has check
marks for each time a student brings back a
word and context in which it was used.
• Even fabricated contexts, if used correctly,
count!
IRA 2008
www.Curriculum 5.7.08
28. Characteristics of Effective
Direct Vocabulary
Instruction (Marzano)
• Effective vocabulary instruction does not rely on
definitions.
• Students must represent their knowledge of words in
linguistic and nonlinguistic ways.
• Effective vocabulary instruction involves the gradual
shaping of word meanings through multiple exposures.
• Teaching word parts enhances students’ understanding
of terms.
• Students should discuss the terms they are learning.
IRA 2008
www.Curriculum 5.7.08
29. GOs can be
used to help
students
represent words
linguistically
and
nonlinguisticall
y
IRA 2008
www.Curriculum 5.7.08
31. Call to Action
• Try at least one new vocabulary activity
when you go back to your classroom.
• Let your students see you experiencing
vocabulary.
• Have fun with words. After all…
IRA 2008
www.Curriculum 5.7.08
32. Words form the thread on which
we string our experiences.
Aldous Huxley
IRA 2008
www.Curriculum 5.7.08
