APPENDIX
G
Vocabulary
213
Making the Most of Small Groups: Differentiation for All by Debbie Diller. Copyright © 2007.
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Making the Most of Small Groups
Possible Focuses for Vocabulary Lessons
Recognizing new words
My goal is to teach children to stop and say, “Hey, I don’t know what that word means.
Let me try to figure that out.”
Getting meaning from
context (pictures, other
words)
Teach students several ways to figure out what a new word means.
Young children can be taught to scan a picture for help.
Also teach kids to use the context of other words surrounding it.
You might teach children to read before and after the new word to find out what it
means. Be aware, though, that not all text gives a supportive meaning directly in the
words that precede or follow it.
Learning new
definitions of multiplemeaning words
Teach students to be on the lookout for old words with new meanings, or multiplemeaning words, as they’re often called.
Using word parts to
determine meaning
Teach kids to stop and say, “Hey, that word starts with re and that means ‘again.’ So
reopen must mean ‘to open again.’”
Move beyond having kids just learn that re means “again.”
Thinking about book
language and idioms
Book language is the way writers sometimes use phrases or groups of words that we
wouldn’t normally use in speaking, such as, “The moon climbed higher in the sky”
instead of, “Look. The moon is way up in the sky.”
Teach students the meaning of idioms. Idioms consist of a group of words that have little or nothing to do with the individual words, such as, “Don’t let the cat out of the
bag.”
Using text features like
bold and italicized
words in informational
text
Most of the new words in nonfiction are content-specific and are often Tier III words.
Show kids how to use these text features (such as bold and italicized words) to figure
out a word’s meaning. If a bold or italicized word is followed by a dash or the word
or, the definition will most definitely be the next thing they read.
Also teach kids how to use a glossary or word bank in nonfiction.
Using dictionaries and
reference aids to learn
word meanings and
gain deeper knowledge
of words
Teach the use of a dictionary to find out word meanings with care, and don’t overuse it.
I prefer to teach how to use a glossary while reading informational text, since this is a
built-in reference tool.
Trying out the word in
new contexts and a
variety of ways
Encourage students to use the words introduced before reading or found during reading as much as possible.
Have them use these words during the school day and at home.
You might even chart the words and have kids add tally marks to show each time they
use a word correctly in their reading or writing.
Making the Most of Small Groups: Differentiation for All by Debbie Diller. Copyright © 2007.
Stenhouse Publishers. All rights reserved. No reproduction without written permission from publisher.
215
Appendix G: Vocabulary
Group:
Date:
Focus: VOCABULARY
…
…
…
new word recognition
using word parts
…
…
meaning from context
NF text features
…
…
multiple meanings
using new words
book language/idioms
Warm-Up: Familiar Rereading
Today’s Book:
Listen to:
Title:
Level:
BEFORE READING
New Words:
Book Intro:
DURING READING
Prompts:
Notes:
AFTER READING
Discuss:
New Words:
REFLECTION
Making the Most of Small Groups: Differentiation for All by Debbie Diller. Copyright © 2007.
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Making the Most of Small Groups
Prompts for Vocabulary
What Child Is Having Trouble With
Possible Teacher Prompts
Recognition of unknown words
■ You stopped. What can you do to figure out what that word
means?
■ Do you know that word?
■ Asking about that word can help you learn what it means.
______ means ______.
Using context to determine word
meaning
■ Use the picture to help you figure out what that word means.
■ Read on a bit. See if you can find clues to what that word
means.
■ Which words give you a clue to the word’s meaning?
■ What do you think it means? Why?
■ What’s another word you could use here that makes sense?
Thinking about book language and
idioms
■ What do you think off they went means?
■ The author said legs like sticks. What do you picture there?
Using text features like bold or italicized words, dashes, and or in informational text to figure out what
those words mean
■ When a writer uses bold words, he’s showing you that those
words are important. Good noticing.
■ Look at this (point to dash or word or). It tells us the definition will follow!
■ It’s written in italics. How can that help you?
Learning new definitions of
multiple-meaning words
■ What does ______ usually mean? Does it mean that here?
What do you think it means?
■ This word has more than one meaning. What could it mean
here?
Using word parts to determine word
meanings
■ You know this part. What’s re- mean?
■ Look at our suffix chart. What’s -ful mean? What could this
word mean?
■ Find a part you know. What does that part mean?
Trying out new words in oral and
written vocabulary
■ You sound so grown up when you use those “million-dollar
words.”
■ I love that new word! Use it at home to impress your family!
■ What a great word choice! I can really picture what you
mean when you use that word.
Making the Most of Small Groups: Differentiation for All by Debbie Diller. Copyright © 2007.
Stenhouse Publishers. All rights reserved. No reproduction without written permission from publisher.
217
Appendix G: Vocabulary
Whole-Group Lesson for VOCABULARY
Focus: awareness of new words and getting meaning from context
Method to maximize student engagement: shared reading with all students reading together
Materials: poem on a chart or Big Book that contains a few Tier II words; highlighter tape cut into
pieces the length of words it will cover
Model: stopping and paying attention to new words, and then trying to figure out what they mean
Explicit language:
■ Asking about that word will help you learn what it means. Good noticing! ______ means ______.
■ Yes, that is a new word. What do you think it means?
Lesson:
1. Choose a poem or Big Book that has a few Tier II words, such as befriended, stranded, and wary.
2. If using a poem, copy it in large print onto a chart. Precut several pieces of highlighter tape the
length of individual new words. Put them on an index card so they’ll be handy.
3. Gather the class near you and read the Big Book or poem to them. Then read it with them. As you
read it a second time, ask them to tell you if they hear any new words. Place highlighter tape over
each new word. Tell children they should stop and think, “That’s a new word” when they come
across a new word in their reading. That’s how they’ll start to learn new words.
4. Figure out what the words mean together. Relate the new words to things your students already
know about. For example, “If you do not feel safe about something and don’t really trust it, you
might say you are wary. I am wary of climbing up on that rock, because I’m afraid I might fall and
hurt myself. You should be wary of taking a spelling test if you haven’t studied. Can you think of
something you’re wary of?
Small-group connection: Precut highlighter tape the size of individual words in the little book they’ll
read. Give each child an index card with several pieces of tape on it. Have them use the highlighter tape
to mark new words as they read. Share and discuss the words and their meanings.
Making the Most of Small Groups: Differentiation for All by Debbie Diller. Copyright © 2007.
Stenhouse Publishers. All rights reserved. No reproduction without written permission from publisher.
218
Making the Most of Small Groups
Whole-Group Lesson for VOCABULARY
Focus: direct teaching of new vocabulary, using context of a story to help kids connect and remember
the new words
Method to maximize student engagement: “Text Talk” by reading aloud a book with several Tier II
words in it
Materials: trade book with several Tier II words pre-selected; chart paper for recording new words
Model: formulating kid-friendly definitions; using the new words multiple times in a variety of ways
Explicit language:
■ This new word, ______, means ______.
■ Show me how you might look if you ______.
Lesson:
1. Choose three Tier II words from a book you’ll read aloud.
2. Read aloud the book. After reading, share each new word and relate its meaning to the book.
Jeremy felt panicked, or really nervous, when his enemy ate the Enemy Pie because he thought it
had poison in it.
3. Kids repeat the new word, panicked. Explain its meaning and give a few quick examples of the word
in other contexts.
4. Then have kids give examples of when they felt panicked.
5. Have them repeat the new word.
6. Repeat the procedure with other new words from the book, such as relieved, squinted, and
ingredients.
7. Close by having the children tell you how they would look if they were relieved, when they might
squint, and where they could find ingredients for a cake.
8. You might add these new words to a wall display labeled “Wow Words.” Use these words whenever
possible, and encourage children to do the same.
Small-group connection: Introduce Tier II words that are essential to the comprehension of a new book
before reading in small group in a similar way. Read the title first and look at the cover; then connect
the new words to what kids already know. Help them use the new words.
Making the Most of Small Groups: Differentiation for All by Debbie Diller. Copyright © 2007.
Stenhouse Publishers. All rights reserved. No reproduction without written permission from publisher.
219
Appendix G: Vocabulary
Whole-Group Lesson for VOCABULARY
Focus: trying out new words in new contexts and a variety of ways
Method to maximize student engagement: modeled writing or writing and thinking aloud in front of
the class
Materials: chart paper and markers; new words posted on a chart or board or pocket chart (words
gathered during read-aloud or other whole-group reading teaching)
Model: how to choose and use new words in writing about something you know and care about
Explicit language:
■ What a great word choice! That word will really help others picture what we’re trying to say.
■ That’s a “million-dollar word.” It makes our writing sound so much richer.
Lesson:
1. Tell students that good writers think about the words they choose as they write messages. Tell them
that today as you write, you are going to be thinking about using the best words you can to help the
reader picture your message.
2. Choose a topic to write about—something the kids can relate to, like a time you were sad or excited.
Be sure you can use a few of the words on your word chart to enhance your writing.
3. Write your story on the chart paper and think aloud about the words you choose. Ask the children
for their input. Model how to cross out a word and choose a better word. Praise them for the rich
words they help you select.
4. As you write, periodically stop and reread what you’ve written. Show the kids how you ponder your
word choices to see if your message is the best it can be, or if a different word would paint a clearer
picture for the reader. Have kids join in with you as you read, and ask them what they think.
Small-group connection: As you read and write with students in small groups, help them be aware of
and use rich words. Encourage them to use these meaningfully and across a variety of contexts.
Making the Most of Small Groups: Differentiation for All by Debbie Diller. Copyright © 2007.
Stenhouse Publishers. All rights reserved. No reproduction without written permission from publisher.
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Making the Most of Small Groups: Differentiation for All by Debbie Diller. Copyright © 2007.
Stenhouse Publishers. All rights reserved. No reproduction without written permission from publisher.