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Vocabulary Strategies to Improve SAT ScoresVocabulary Strategies to Improve SAT Scores

Leonardtown High School Interns

Christine Chadwick, Stefanie Glorioso, Daniel Morris, Marc Pirner

Leonardtown High School Interns

Christine Chadwick, Stefanie Glorioso, Daniel Morris, Marc Pirner

JustificationJustification

35 Strategies for developing Content Area Vocabulary by Brenda Spencer and Andrea Guillaume

“Content area achievement depends closely on students’ mastery of specialized vocabulary”Our Strategy: Semantic Mapping

35 Strategies for developing Content Area Vocabulary by Brenda Spencer and Andrea Guillaume

“Content area achievement depends closely on students’ mastery of specialized vocabulary”Our Strategy: Semantic Mapping

SIP: Improve SAT scores- “Offer the entire school testing skills and vocabulary words”

Semantic MapSemantic Map• Structured word map

• write the vocabulary word in the center

• connect words that are synonyms, antonyms, definitions, examples, parts of speech etc.

• Gives students

• context rather than dictionary definition

• usage rather than memorization

• more vocabulary

• Example of student work

• Structured word map

• write the vocabulary word in the center

• connect words that are synonyms, antonyms, definitions, examples, parts of speech etc.

• Gives students

• context rather than dictionary definition

• usage rather than memorization

• more vocabulary

• Example of student work

• Allows for a visual/spatial representation of vocabulary

• Students see the relationships between concepts and vocabulary

• Requires higher order thinking skills

• Can help activate prior knowledge

• Allows for a visual/spatial representation of vocabulary

• Students see the relationships between concepts and vocabulary

• Requires higher order thinking skills

• Can help activate prior knowledge

Benefits of StrategyBenefits of Strategy

Research questions Research questions • Affective Question:

• Do the students feel comfortable using content area vocabulary?

• General Questions:

• Are the students using the vocabulary?

• Are students’ vocabulary scores rising?

• Affective Question:

• Do the students feel comfortable using content area vocabulary?

• General Questions:


• Are students’ vocabulary scores rising?

Data collection planData collection plan

Pre-post Tests Observation Student Work

Do students feel comfortable

using content vocabulary?

X X X

Are the students using the

vocabulary?X X X

Are vocabulary scores rising?

X X

Pre-post AssessmentPre-post Assessment

• Half of the questions on the pre-post assessment will look like the following question:

• odious

• A. I have never seen this word before.

• B. I have seen this word before.

• C. I can define this word.

• D. I have used this word before

• Half of the questions on the pre-post assessment will look like the following question:

• odious

• A. I have never seen this word before.

• B. I have seen this word before.

• C. I can define this word.

• D. I have used this word before

Pre-post AssessmentPre-post Assessment

•10 vocabulary words

•Words will be used in context

•Students will determine whether the word is used correctly

•Selected response format

•Post assessment- vocabulary quiz

•10 vocabulary words

•Words will be used in context

•Students will determine whether the word is used correctly

•Selected response format

•Post assessment- vocabulary quiz

English 11 ResultsQuantitative Data


• Vocabulary words used correctly• n=62

• Control Week:

• Pre-test average: 5.51

• Post-test average: 8.46

• p=1.846E-12 Significant

• Experimental Week:



• p=0.308 Not Significant

• Post-post test: p=3.153E-11 Significant

• Vocabulary words used correctly• n=62

• Control Week:








• Post-post test: p=3.153E-11 Significant

• The semantic maps made a significant difference in increasing vocabulary scores between the first pre and post-test and the two post-tests.



• Student view on vocabulary knowledge

• n=62

• Control Week:








• Post-Post test: p=6.182E-5 Significant

• Student view on vocabulary knowledge

• n=62

• Control Week:








• Post-Post test: p=6.182E-5 Significant

• Semantic maps made a significant difference in increasing student self view of vocabulary knowledge



• Vocabulary words used correctly• n > 100

• Control Week:





• Pre-test average:

• Post-test average:

• p=2.37x10^-4 Significant

• Post-post: p=0.0516 Leading toward significant

• Vocabulary words used correctly• n > 100

• Control Week:





• Pre-test average:

• Post-test average:


• Post-post: p=0.0516 Leading toward significant

• The semantic maps made a significant difference in increasing vocabulary scores.



• Student view of vocabulary use• n > 100

• Control Week:



• p= 3.16x10^-5 Significant





• Post-post: p=8.51x10^-3 Significant

• Student view of vocabulary use• n > 100

• Control Week:



• p= 3.16x10^-5 Significant





• Post-post: p=8.51x10^-3 Significant

• The semantic maps made a significant difference in increasing vocabulary scores.

Chemistry Honors Results


•Vocabulary Words Correctly Used•n=33

•Control Week•Pre-test 1 average: 5.12

•Post-test 1 average:7.24

•p.= 2.03x10-6 Significant

•Experimental Week:•Pre-test 2 average: 3.29



•Post test 1-Post test 2: p.= 0.0769 Leading toward Significant

•Vocabulary Words Correctly Used•n=33

•Control Week•Pre-test 1 average: 5.12



•Experimental Week:•Pre-test 2 average: 3.29



•Post test 1-Post test 2: p.= 0.0769 Leading toward Significant

•This shows that significant change from both pre-tests to post-tests were leading towards significant.



•Student View on Vocabulary Knowledge•n=33

•Control Week:•Pre-test average: 5.12

•Post-test average: 7.24

•p= 3.55x10-9 Significant

•Experimental Week:•Pre-test average: 19.1



•Post test 1-Post test 2: p= 0.0215 Significant

•Student View on Vocabulary Knowledge•n=33

•Control Week:•Pre-test average: 5.12



•Experimental Week:•Pre-test average: 19.1



•Post test 1-Post test 2: p= 0.0215 Significant

This shows that This shows that significant change across significant change across

all tests.all tests.

Experiment VariationExperiment Variation

•With this variation of the experiment, the same test was given 3 different times:

•Pre-test- first time they see the test

•Post-test – second time- still no intervention

•Final- third time after semantic mapping

•Data is compared between pre-post, pre-final, and post-final to determine whether or not the intervention was successful

•With this variation of the experiment, the same test was given 3 different times:

•Pre-test- first time they see the test

•Post-test – second time- still no intervention

•Final- third time after semantic mapping

•Data is compared between pre-post, pre-final, and post-final to determine whether or not the intervention was successful

Government ResultsGovernment Results•Vocabulary words used

correctly •n< 30

•Control Week:

•Pre-test average: 70.3


•p= 0.341761 Not significant

•Experimental Week:

•Final Post-test average: 88.9

•p= 0.000149 Significant

•Post-final: p=4.75131E-05 Significant

•Vocabulary words used correctly

•n< 30

•Control Week:



•p= 0.341761 Not significant


•Final Post-test average: 88.9


•Post-final: p=4.75131E-05 Significant

•The semantic mapping technique made a significant difference in increasing vocabulary scores.

Government ResultsGovernment Results•Students view on vocabulary knowledge

•n< 30

•Control Week:





•Final post-test average: 36.6

•p= 1.34406E-12 Significant

•Post-final: p= 2.80948E-07 Significant

•Students view on vocabulary knowledge

•n< 30

•Control Week:





•Final post-test average: 36.6

•p= 1.34406E-12 Significant

•Post-final: p= 2.80948E-07 Significant

•The semantic mapping technique made a significant difference in increasing student comfort with vocabulary.

Overall FindingsOverall Findings

• Vocabulary scores increased from Post1 to Post2, Vocabulary scores increased from Post1 to Post2,

• Chemistry was approaching significanceChemistry was approaching significance

• Student view of vocabulary use increasedStudent view of vocabulary use increased

• Rare student use of vocabulary words in the Rare student use of vocabulary words in the classroom setting, more confidence and use in classroom setting, more confidence and use in ChemistryChemistry

• Recognition of vocabulary words when usedRecognition of vocabulary words when used

Answers to research questions



• Students use vocabulary rarely

• Students reported using vocabulary words more often after the implementation of semantic mapping

• Therefore- semantic mapping increases student use of vocabulary words


• Students use vocabulary rarely

• Students reported using vocabulary words more often after the implementation of semantic mapping

• Therefore- semantic mapping increases student use of vocabulary words



•Are students’ vocabulary scores rising?

• Yes, scores are rising in English and Government, but not in Chemistry

• could be due to a lack of vocabulary routine in Chemistry.

•Are students’ vocabulary scores rising?

• Yes, scores are rising in English and Government, but not in Chemistry

• could be due to a lack of vocabulary routine in Chemistry.

Next steps?Next steps?• Implications for Future Research:

– strategy should be implemented identically across all content areas

– use fewer vocabulary words of relatively equal difficulty

– could be broken into two separate studies

–One study on vocabulary scores

–specify use as a study tool

–One study on student view on vocabulary use

• Implications for Future Research:

– strategy should be implemented identically across all content areas

– use fewer vocabulary words of relatively equal difficulty

– could be broken into two separate studies

–One study on vocabulary scores

–specify use as a study tool

–One study on student view on vocabulary use

Back to the big pictureBack to the big picture

• Semantic mapping is one of many study tools

• Students need to learn about different study tools

• encouraged to use other visuals as study tools to study for the SAT.

• Semantic mapping is one of many study tools

• Students need to learn about different study tools

• encouraged to use other visuals as study tools to study for the SAT.

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Education

posttest average

pretest average

significant post test

content vocabulary

significant difference

significant experimental

vocabulary words words

students vocabulary