WelcomeK – 2

Teachers!Word Work & Building Vocabulary

Time Study in Kindergarten (T.Wright, 2003)

Research on Vocabulary Instruction

Children from professional homes enter Kdg. with exposure to approximately 30 million more words than children from economically disadvantaged homes (Professional family = 45 million, Working class family = 26 million, Welfare family = 13 million (American Educator, 2003))

By 3 years of age, children can have as much as a 600 word gap.

By grade 2 the gap widens to about 4,000.

Children between the ages of 12 months and 18 months can learn an average of 10 words per day.

The vocabulary size in 1st grade/Preschool strongly predicts the comprehension skills in 11th grade/3rd Grade. (Cunningham & Stanovich, 2007)

Limited Vocabularies…If children have limited vocabularies

when they get to elementary school……even if they can sound words out, they won’t know what those words mean.…they won’t be able to understand books.…they won’t enjoy reading or read frequently.…over time they will struggle to gain new knowledge and new vocabulary from reading. *The Matthew Affect

What’s going on nationally?

Time for science instruction dropped substantially in elementary schools since mid 1990’s (Blank, 2012)

Declining time spent on science in elementary school is correlated with lower scores on the fourth grade National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) (Blank, 2012)

By middle school, American students score well below students in other industrialized nations in science (OECD, 2007) Except Massachusetts, Georgia, and a few others.

Nationally, only 34% of fourth graders scored proficient in reading.

73% of 4th graders who scored below the 25th percentile on vocabulary were eligible for free and reduced price lunch.

Students who scored poorly on vocabulary also scored poorly on reading comprehension.

NAEP 2011

Reading Comprehension

Language Comprehension

Vocabulary

Background knowledge

Knowledge of text and sentence structures

Automatic Word Recognition

Phonological Awareness

Print Concepts

Decoding and Sight Work Knowledge

Fluency in Context

Strategic Knowledge

General Purposes for Reading

Specific Purposes for Reading

Knowledge of Strategies for Reading

WordInsect

• Butterfly, mosquito, ant, fly, ladybug• Small creature• 6 legs• 3 body segments called head, thorax, abdomen• Antenna• May have wings• Live in many habitats• Have mechanisms for protection, e.g. sting• Insect life-cycle

Concept

What can we do differently?

Engage in content area instruction from the start of school (through read aloud, centers, outdoor activities).

Integrate literacy experiences in the content areas.

Integrate oral language and vocabulary across content areas (expand turn and talk, exploration and writing).

Literacy & PlayStep 1: Choose a theme or topic worth

exploring:Already a Curricular Topic (Science, SS, etc)Provides world knowledgeIs relevant and appealing to childrenEnables children to encounter important

ideasLet’s children learn how to inquire/ask

questions

Find books from your library and your shared reading that support your topic of study. (lots of genres)

Nutrition

Shared Book ReadingThe amount of time spent reading is

related to children’s reading achievement.

Children’s language and vocabulary development is enriched by exposure to books.

Children build an understanding of how books work and the purposes of different text genres.

Children build knowledge from books.

Informational BooksWhat kids learn:

Build knowledge on a particular topic

Answer questions about the world

Content vocabulary (i.e., science words)

How to read:

Ask questions, look for answers

Explain content words and label objects

Make connections and point out new ideas

Address misconceptions

Discuss and use new vocabulary in conversations, centers and activities (children too)

4 Research-based Vocabulary Teaching Practices

Provide purposeful exposure to new words – provide opportunities for students to use new language

Intentionally teach word meanings – context, situational, reading, talking, writing.

Teach word-learning strategies (a routine)

Offer opportunities to use newly learned words in text, in writing, and conversation.

Words for Seasons…Season/Plants Topic Words

Winter, spring, summer, fall, snow, rain, branches, buds, weather, seeds, flowers, plants, fruit, autumn

Season/Plants Challenge Words

Maple syrup, flower tassels, showers, seedlings, energy, pollen, cornstalks, pumpkins, patch,

Season/Plants Supportive Words

Taps, nests, roots, leaf, sap, leaves, bark, nuts, soil, stem, sunlight, weeds, vines, ripe, cold, warm, hot, limbs, dirt,

Explicit Vocabulary Instruction

Careful word selection

Provide child friendly definitions

Discuss the meaning of the word across a variety of contexts

Provide opportunities for children to use the word

Review, review, review – (reread, new books)

Progress monitoring

Teach Word MeaningsBefore reading aloud

During read aloud

Provide a child-friendly definition

Use a picture

Use a video clip

Think of songs, nursery rhymes and wordplays that support your topic of

study.It’s raining, it’s pouring

Peter, Peter, pumpkin-eater

The itsy, bitsy spider

Frosty weather, snowy weather

Five little pumpkins

The leaves are green, the nuts are brown

Play Centers & Inquiry

Activities

Supportive Language Environment

Clarify word meanings during conversations.

Use children’s questions to help them make connections.

Wonder about the world together.

Tell children more of what’s happening in the world.

Narrate what children are doing.

Think aloud

Support children in having longer conversations (taking more than one turn)

Talk about things that are beyond the here and now (categories, relationships, processes)

Prompts to Extend a Conversation

Tell me more…

Why did you decide to work on that today?

Why does that interest you?

Tell me about what you are planning to do next…

What do you predict will happen? Or, what do you think will happen next?

Tell me what you think about…

What do you think would happen if you (did something slightly differently)…

Opportunities for Developmental Writing

Picture of fall drawn in science journal. “Mom” is a sight word that is in room.

Think About It… Is there a topic of study or theme where you could add

vocabulary?

Can you tie words to key concepts or big ideas that you want kids to learn?

Can you think of a list of words that children will need to know to talk about this theme?

What books will you need?

How can you integrate play and investigations?

How can you encourage conversations about these ideas?

How can you integrate children’s dictating or writing?

Reading Comprehension

Language Comprehension

Vocabulary

Background knowledge

Knowledge of text and sentence structures

Automatic Word Recognition

Phonological Awareness

Print Concepts

Decoding and Sight Work Knowledge

Fluency in Context

Strategic Knowledge

General Purposes for Reading

Specific Purposes for Reading

Knowledge of Strategies for Reading

More

!!!!

Hungry Caterpillar

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0FapyACymc