Making Words Stick:Vocabulary Instruction

for the K-5 Classroom

Presented by: Erin Espinoza Kathryn Jones Alicia Hoover Kristal Tuck

UNC-Charlotte Graduate Students

Do you need to know what the words mean?

http://vocabulogblog.blogspot.com/2009/04/pickles-plinth-another-vocabulary-comic.html

Thoughts on Thoughts on VocabularyVocabulary

What do you think when you hear

“vocabulary?”

Workshop Agenda

What does the research say?

Research based strategies◦Morpheme Triangle◦Semantic Gradient◦Ten Important Words Plus◦Text Talk

Questions & Evaluation

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).

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).

Morpheme Triangles

Word analysis through morpheme study

How do morpheme triangles make words stick?

Build word consciousnessDevelop working definitions

based on prior knowledgeProvide visual supportSupport ELLs word knowledgeImprove reading comprehension

(Winters, 2009)

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)

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

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

Using Context Clues with Semantic

Gradients

Making Connections Between Context Clues and Semantic

Gradients

Why Use Context Clues and Semantic Gradients

Together?

Current vocabulary instruction may not make the vocabulary-to-comprehension connection.

(Greenwood & Flanigan, 2007)

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 Walked Strutted Crawled

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.

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

Ten Important Ten Important Words PlusWords Plus

Analyzing Text to Select Important Words While Reading Informational Text

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)

Implementing Implementing Ten Important Words PlusTen Important Words Plus

Introduction and modelingCreate class graphDiscussion and SummaryExplore(prompt cards)

Let’s try it out!Let’s try it out!

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.

11stst Grade Example Grade Example

Students hard at work!

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

Text TalkText Talk

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

Why use Text Talk to make Why use Text Talk to make words stick?words 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)

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 thoughtsfor elaboration

Pictures Generally, saved for after discussion

Vocabulary Direct attention and discussion after reading

Procedures for Text TalkProcedures for Text TalkPlanning Select text Make notes: questions, pictures, vocabulary

During reading Initial and follow up questions Pictures, if appropriate

After reading Vocabulary instruction

Suggested TitlesSuggested TitlesAbiyoyo. Pete Seeger (1986)

Alexander and the wind-up

mouse. Leo Lionni (1969)

Amos and Boris. William Steig (1971)

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

More ways to make words STICK!

Questions & Evaluations