1. Making Words Stick:
Vocabulary Instruction
for the K-5 Classroom
Presented by : Syafril Mulia
Class : IV D

2. Do you need to know what the words
mean?
http://vocabulogblog.blogspot.com/2009/04/pickles-plinth-another-vocabulary-comic.html

3. Thoughts on VocabularyThoughts on Vocabulary
What do you
think when
you hear
“vocabulary?”

4. Workshop Agenda
What does the research say?
Research based strategies
◦ Morpheme Triangle
◦ Semantic Gradient
◦ Ten Important Words Plus
◦ Text Talk
Questions & Evaluation

5. Research Says…
Teachers should shift focus from
individual word knowledge to “word
consciousness” (Graves, 2006).
Rich vocabulary instruction could add
approximately 400 words per year to
students’ word knowledge (McKeown, et al,
1985).

6. More Research…
70-80% of comprehension is made up of
word meaning (Bromely, 2007).
Effective vocabulary strategies are
essential for improving comprehension
and language skills for diverse students in
urban schools (Kieffer & Lesaux, 2007).

7. Morpheme Triangles
Word analysis through
morpheme study

8. How do morpheme triangles
make words stick?
Build word consciousness
Develop working definitions based on
prior knowledge
Provide visual support
Support ELLs word knowledge
Improve reading comprehension
(Winters, 2009)

9. More than a definition…
Understanding a word is
knowing
◦ A literal definition
◦ The relationship with other words
◦ The various forms of the root
◦ The connotation in different contexts
(Stahl, 1999)

10. Morpheme Triangle Example
im – poss - ible
+ immature
+ imperfect
+ impolite
+ improbable
+ impossibility
? improve
+ possible + possibility
? opossum ? possessed
+ edible
+ credible
+ horrible
+ terrible
+ flexible
not
capable
of being
chance

12. THINK!THINK!
Imagine using this
strategy in other
content areas.

13. Using Context Clues with
Semantic Gradients
Making Connections Between Context
Clues and Semantic Gradients

14. Why Use Context Clues and
Semantic Gradients Together?
Current vocabulary
instruction may not make the
vocabulary-to-comprehension
connection.
(Greenwood & Flanigan, 2007)

15. ExampleExample
• Erin_______________ down the street.
• Erin frantically _______________ down the street.
• Erin_____________ down the street. She was
extremely proud of the award that she had received.
Greenwood, S.C., & Flanigan, K. (2007). Overlapping vocabulary and comprehension: Context clues complement
semantic gradients. The Reading Teacher, 61(3), 249-254.
Raced Sprinted Ran WalkedStrutted Crawled

16. Let’s try it!
The teacher was ______________.
The teacher was ___________ because
the class misbehaved with the substitute.
The teacher was ____________ on the
last day of school.

17. THINK!THINK!
How could you
incorporate the strategy
with writing?

18. Ten Important WordsTen Important Words
PlusPlus
Analyzing Text to Select Important Words While
Reading Informational Text

19. How can Ten Important Words Plus make
words stick?
Support students in using context
to identify important words
Extend understanding of words
through further exploration
(Yopp & Yopp, 2007)

20. ImplementingImplementing
Ten Important Words PlusTen Important Words Plus
Introduction and modeling
Create class graph
Discussion and Summary
Explore(prompt cards)

21. Let’s try it out!Let’s try it out!

22. butterfly
butterfly wings caterpillar
butterfly insects wings caterpillar flower
butterfly insects wings caterpillar egg flower
butterfly insects wings caterpillar fly egg flower leaves
butterfly insects wings caterpillar fly egg flower leaves moth change
Butterflies Important Words Graph
One sentence summary: _______________________________
Prompt Cards
Pink: List synonyms or related words for fly.
Green: Write sentences using words from the graph.
Yellow: Pick 4 words and draw a picture.

23. 11stst
Grade ExampleGrade Example

24. Students hard at work!

25. THINK!THINK!
Think of additional prompt
cards you would like
to try with your students.

26. TextTalkTextTalk
Enhancing students’ language through read-alouds
that offer questions, discussion and vocabulary study

27. Why use Text Talk to make wordsWhy use Text Talk to make words
stick?stick?
Word meanings learned early are easier
to access later in life (Izura & Ellis, 2002; Turner, Valentine, & Ellis,
1998, as cited in Beck & McKeown, 2007).
“Significantly more vocabulary” was
learned by students who participated in
Text Talk than by students who received
read-alouds only. (Beck & McKeown, 2007)

28. Components of Text TalkComponents of Text Talk
Texts Complex event structure to
build meaning
Initial questions Open-ended to allow
descriptions, explanations
Follow-up questions Repeat/rephrase thoughts
for elaboration
Pictures Generally, saved for after
discussion
Vocabulary Direct attention and
discussion after reading

29. Procedures for Text TalkProcedures for Text Talk
Planning
 Select text
 Make notes: questions, pictures, vocabulary
During reading
 Initial and follow up questions
 Pictures, if appropriate
After reading
 Vocabulary instruction

30. Suggested TitlesSuggested Titles
Abiyoyo. Pete Seeger (1986)
Alexander and the wind-up mouse.
Leo Lionni (1969)
Amos and Boris. William Steig (1971)

31. THINK!THINK!
Think about a thematic
book that you could use
with the Text Talk Strategy.

32. More ways
to make words
STICK!

33. Questions & Evaluations