Comprehension – Going
Beyond Fluency:
Morphology and Vocabulary Learning
Timothy Rasinski, Ph.D.
Kent State University
[email protected]
A Model of Reading
Word Study
Accuracy in:
Phonics (Word Decoding)
Spelling
Vocabulary
Fluency
Automaticity in Word Recognition
Prosody (Expressiveness in Reading)
Surface level
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Deep level
Comprehension
Comprehension Strategies
A Model of Reading
Word Study
Accuracy in:
Phonics (Word Decoding)
Spelling
Vocabulary
Fluency
Automaticity in Word Recognition
Prosody (Expressiveness in Reading)
Surface level
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Deep level
Comprehension
Comprehension Strategies
Common Core Standards
Informational Texts


CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.X.4. Determine the
meaning of general academic and domainspecific words or phrases in a text relevant
to a grade 4 topic or subject area.
.
Source: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social
Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects (CCSS, 2010)
Common Core Standards
Literature
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.X.4 Determine the
meaning of words and phrases as they are
used in a text, including figurative language
such as metaphors and similes..
Source: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social
Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects (CCSS, 2010)
Love
Love
Cove
Love
Cove
Dove
Love
Cove
Dove
Dive
Love
Cove
Dove
Dive
Dime
Love
Cove
Dove
Dive
Dime
Mime
Love
Cove
Dove
Dive
Dime
Mime
Mile
Love
Cove
Dove
Dive
Dime
Mime
Mile
Male
Love
Cove
Dove
Dive
Dime
Mime
Mile
Male
Tale
Love
Cove
Dove
Dive
Dime
Mime
Mile
Male
Tale
Tall
Love
Cove
Dove
Dive
Dime
Mime
Mile
Male
Tale
Tall
Mall
Love
Cove
Dove
Dive
Dime
Mime
Mile
Male
Tale
Tall
Mall
Mill
Love
Cove
Dove
Dive
Dime
Mime
Mile
Male
Tale
Tall
Mall
Mill
Hill
Love
Cove
Dove
Dive
Dime
Mime
Mile
Male
Tale
Tall
Mall
Mill
Hill
Phil
Love
Cove
Dove
Dive
Dime
Mime
Mile
Male
Tale
Tall
Mall
Mill
Hill
Phil(e)
Love
Cove
Dove
Dive
Dime
Mime
Mile
Male
Tale
Tall
Mall
Mill
Hill
Phil(e) = Love
Love
Cove
Dove
Dive
Dime
Mime
Mile
Male
Tale
Tall
Mall
Mill
Hill
Phil(e)
Bibliophile
Love
Cove
Dove
Dive
Bibliophile
Dime
Mime
Mile
Male
Tale
Tall
Mall
Mill
Hill
Phil(e)
Anglophile
Love
Cove
Dove
Dive
Bibliophile
Dime
Mime
Anglophile
Mile
Male
Tale
Tall
Mall
Mill
Hill
Phil(e)
Philosopher
Love
Cove
Dove
Dive
Bibliophile
Dime
Mime
Anglophile
Mile
Male
Philosopher
Tale
Tall
Mall
Mill
Hill
Phil(e)
Philanthropist
Love
Cove
Dove
Dive
Bibliophile
Dime
Mime
Anglophile
Mile
Male
Philosopher
Tale
Tall
Philanthropist
Mall
Mill
Hill
Phil(e)
Philadelphia
Common Core Standards
Language
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.X.4b Use common, gradeappropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots
as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g.,
audience, auditory, audible).
Source: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social
Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects (CCSS, 2010, p. 17)
Morphological (Meaningful)
Word Families
Morphological (Meaningful)
Word Families
English words derived from
Latin and Greek roots.
Morphological (Meaningful)
Word Families
English words derived from
Latin and Greek roots. And
whose meaning is related to
the Latin or Greek root.
Can
Vocabulary
be Taught
Artfully?
Some Facts about English
Some Facts about English
The English language has the largest
vocabulary or lexicon in the world – over a
million words!
Some Facts about English
The English language has the largest
vocabulary or lexicon in the world – over a
million words! And it is continually growing.
Some Facts about English
The English language has the largest
vocabulary or lexicon in the world – over a
million words! And it is continually growing.
Research has demonstrated that students
can learn only 8-10 individual words per
week through direct instruction.
Some Facts about English
The English language has the largest
vocabulary or lexicon in the world – over a
million words! And it is continually growing.
Research has demonstrated that students
can learn only 8-10 individual words per
week through direct instruction.
Memorizing words and their definitions is not
going to get students very far.
What’s Needed to Teach
Vocabulary?
What’s Needed to Teach
Vocabulary?
A vocabulary approach that is generative–
where one word, word part (morpheme)
can be used to help students learn 10, 20,
30 or more words.
We Use Such a
Generative Approach
Today in our Phonics
Instruction.
We Use Such a
Generative Approach
Today in our Phonics
Instruction.
We call them word families, rimes, or
phonograms.
We Use Such a
Generative Approach
Today in our Phonics
Instruction.
We call them work families, rimes, or
phonograms.
Example: Knowing the sound of “at” can help a
student sound out bat, cat, sat, mat, battle, rattle,
pattern, scatter, flatter, and many many more
words.
Latin and Greek
Morphemes can be
Thought of as Meaningful
Word Families
Latin and Greek
Morphemes can be
Thought of as Meaningful
Word Families
trac/tract = drag, pull, draw
Latin and Greek
Morphemes can be
Thought of as Meaningful
Word Families
trac/tract = drag, pull, draw
What do these words have to do with
“dragging, pulling, or drawing?”
tractor, traction, retract, contract, extract,
tractor-trailer, attract, distract, abstract,
trace, subtract, protractor, protracted….
Latin and Greek
Morphemes can be
Thought of as Meaningful
Word Families
There are over 100 English words that
contain the trac/tract morpheme that
refer to “drag, pull, or draw.”
tractor, traction, retract, contract, extract,
tractor-trailer, attract, distract, abstract,
trace, subtract, protractor, protracted….
Latin and Greek Word Families
Make Vocabulary Learning a
Generative Experience.
Latin and Greek Word Families
Make Vocabulary Learning a
Generative Experience.
1 L-G Word Family = 100+ Words.
So How Might We Teach
Vocabulary Using a LatinGreek Approach?
So How Might We Teach
Vocabulary Using a LatinGreek Approach?
 Should
be one essential part of
a larger word study program.
So How Might We Teach
Vocabulary Using a LatinGreek Approach?
 Determine
which roots or
morphemes you wish to teach.
So How Might We Teach
Vocabulary Using a LatinGreek Approach?
 One
to two morphemes (prefix
or base) per week.
So How Might We Teach
Vocabulary Using a LatinGreek Approach?
 One
to two morphemes (prefix
or base) per week.
 Five
– ten minutes per day.
So How Might We Teach
Vocabulary Using a LatinGreek Approach?
Day 1
Introduce a root to students,
discuss the meaning, and
brainstorm words that contain
the root. Display words on a
chart for easy viewing.
e.g. phil(e), tract, bi…
So How Might We Teach
Vocabulary Using a LatinGreek Approach?
Day 2
Have students build words
containing the root.
So How Might We Teach
Vocabulary Using a LatinGreek Approach?
Day 2
Have students build words
containing the root.
If phil means love and harmony
refers to musical tones. Then
what is a philharmonic
orchestra?
So How Might We Teach
Vocabulary Using a LatinGreek Approach?
Day 3
Students read and discuss a brief
passage that contains words
with the targeted root.
So How Might We Teach
Vocabulary Using a LatinGreek Approach?
It must have been an amazing sight
to see the Wright brothers, two
bicycle builders, fly their biplane for
the first time. Their plane was so
small that you probably had to use
binoculars is you were any distance
away from their flight.
So How Might We Teach
Vocabulary Using a LatinGreek Approach?
Day 4
Allow for a bit of creativity and
additional practice
Students own writing
Cloze passages
Word sorts
Word creation
So How Might We Teach
Vocabulary Using a LatinGreek Approach?
Day 4
Allow for a bit of creativity and
additional practice
Students own writing
Cloze passages
Word sorts
Word creation --- matermand
So How Might We Teach
Vocabulary Using a LatinGreek Approach?
Day 5
Celebrations (Games)
Wordo
Word Ladders
Assessments
So How Might We Teach
Vocabulary Using a LatinGreek Approach?
Throughout the Week
Encourage the school principal and
colleagues (e.g. Librarian, Art and
Music teachers) to integrate the target
root into their own interactions with
students.
Why is Morphology So
Important?

An important predictor of reading ability

Studies
In-Depth Practice of
Reading Skills

Fast ForWord covers many aspects of reading including

Word Analysis

Vocabulary



Synonyms

Antonyms

Analogies
Morphology

Greek/Latin roots

Prefixes and Suffixes
In-depth practice builds skills in context
Building Automaticity
40000
Learning Trials
35000
30000
25000
20000
15000
10000
5000
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40
Number of 50-Minute Sessions
FFW Reading
Other Software
Below Average
Range
30
Normal Curve Equivalent
Average
Range
Elementary Gains with
Fast ForWord
25
20
15
10
5
0
Vocabulary
Comprehension
Before
After
n=94
Average
Range
Vocabulary &
Comprehension Gains
Below Average
Range
Normal Curve Equivalents
(Mean=50; SD=21.06)
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Vocabulary
September
Vocabulary
n=88 9th graders
Comprehension
November
Comprehension
n=66 9th graders
ELL Comprehension Gains
Grade Equivalent
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Before
After
n=16 ELL Students
But Does Stressing
Morphology Really Work?
But Does Stressing
Morphology Really Work?
A study of 100+ 4th and 5th grade
students found that “Students with
greater understanding of morphology
also have higher reading
comprehension scores…”
Kieffer & Lessaux. (2007). Breaking down words to build meaning:
Vocabulary and reading comprehension in the urban classroom. The
Reading Teacher, 6, 134-144.
But Does Stressing
Morphology Really Work?
Also – … students; understanding of
morphology was a better predictor of
reading comprehension than their
measured vocabulary levels.
This relationship was the same for
Spanish-speaking ELLs as for native
English speakers.
Can
Vocabulary
be Taught
Artfully?
Timothy Rasinski, Ph.D.

[email protected]

330-672-0649
For more on Latin and Greek roots for vocabulary see:
Rasinski, T., Padak, N., Newton, E. & Newton, R.
(2008). Greek and Latin Roots: Keys to Building
Vocabulary. Shell Educational Publishers.
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