Professional Learning Community
#2
November 2016
STI/Chalkable- ari-plc2
ARI 2016-2017
Why is there so much urgency surrounding third
grade reading?
About 31% of poor African-American students and 33% of poor
Hispanic students who do not hit the third-grade proficiency mark fail
to graduate. These rates are greater than those for White students with
poor reading skills. But the racial and ethnic graduation gaps disappear
when students master reading by the end of third grade and are not
living in poverty.
Donald Hernandez, Hunter College
But the good news is…
“Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the
world”. Nelson Mandela
Reflections from PLC #1
You were asked to…
• Listen to three third grade students read a passage and note
miscues.
• Analyze the miscues and discuss possible instructional
decisions that may need to be made to push the students’
learning forward.
• Begin researching strategies for identified student interferences
to comprehension utilizing components of a lesson study.
• Discuss the data on the three students that you listened to read.
What interferences did you identify?
What next steps were identified?
How will we monitor the progress of these three students?
Did we identify an area that might be the topic of a Lesson Study?
• Talk to your job alike peers.
Share what you learned during this process.
What concerns do you still have?
Do you have any suggestions that might be helpful?
Outcomes
The Principal & Reading Specialist will work collaboratively to:
• Identify the connection between morphology and decoding
multisyllabic words.
• Identify the connection between morphology and vocabulary.
• Identify the connection between morphology and
comprehension.
• Review the job description as it relates to supporting coaching
cycles with teachers.
• Identify opportunities to enter into coaching cycles with
colleagues.
ARI 2016-2017
What is Morphology?
(also referred to as Structural Analysis)
• Morphology is the study and description of how words are formed in
language. Merriam Webster
• Focuses on meaning-bearing units such as root words, prefixes,
suffixes, possessives, plurals, and syllables.
• As a decoding skill, structural analysis is analogous to phonics, but is
used to decode words of more than one syllable.
Locating and Correcting Reading Difficulties,
James L. Shanker & Eldon Ekwall
How do I know when a child is struggling with morphology?
One of the best ways to determine whether a student is having difficulty
with structural analysis is to ask him to read orally.
While the student reads orally, you can note the types of errors he makes.
The student with structural analysis difficulties will often decode basic sight
words and most one-syllable words successfully but fail to pronounce
accurately words of more than one syllable.
This is a common and serious problem among students with reading
difficulties.
Such students are often unable to read materials with readability levels
above grade 3 or 4.
“One of the best ways to determine whether a student is having
difficulty with structural analysis is to ask him to read orally. While the
student reads orally, you can note the types of errors he makes. The
student with structural analysis difficulties will often decode basic sight
words and most one-syllable words successfully but fail to pronounce
accurately words of more than one syllable. This is a common and
serious problem among students with reading difficulties. Such
students are often unable to read materials with readability levels
above grade 3 or 4”.
Locating and Correcting Reading Difficulties, page 82
Locate the standards
relating to
morphology in the
3rd grade Reading
Foundations and
Language standards.
Third Grade COS – Addressing Morphology
• 20. Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in
decoding words. [RF.3.3]
• a. Identify and know the meaning of the most common prefixes and
derivational suffixes. [RF.3.3a]
• b. Decode words with common Latin suffixes. [RF.3.3b]
• c. Decode multisyllable words. [RF.3.3c]
• 40. b. Determine the meaning of the new word formed when a known
affix is added to a known word (e.g., agreeable/disagreeable,
comfortable/uncomfortable, care/careless, heat/preheat). [L.3.4b]
• c. Use a known root word as a clue to the meaning of an unknown word
with the same root (e.g., company, companion). [L.3.4c]
10 minute - Brain Break
What’s the Difference Between
Base Words and Root Words?
• Many words in the English language have been borrowed from other languages. The origins are
usually Latin or Greek. A word usually has three parts to it, they are a root, a prefix and a suffix. It
is in the root part of the word that the base element or basic meaning is contained.
• Base words are words that are not derived from other words. They are the word from which
many other words are formed. For example, many words can be formed from the base word
migrate: migration, migrant, immigration, immigrant, migrating, and migratory.
• Root words are the words from other languages that are the origin of many English words.
About 60% of all English words have Latin or Greek origins.
• These words are often used synonymously.
• The prefix is a word element that is in front of the root or base of a word.
• The suffix is a word element that is after the root or base of a word.
• Both the prefix and suffix, when applied to a root, have the ability to completely change the
meaning of a word.
Morphology Video
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMbuIYgRlBU – Youtube video –
Morphology
Example
Sentence Context for Reaction
I could tell from your reaction that you were very surprised.
Helpful Handouts
Roots - http://www.readingrockets.org/article/root-words-roots-and-affixes
Word Play
1. Pretend that you have never
seen the word before.
2. Identify the root/base word.
3. Identify and define the prefix.
4. Identify and define the suffix.
5. Using just this information,
make your most educated
guess about the meaning of the
word.
6. Write a definition based on
your information.
Unfriendly
Recreating
Disrespectful
Illogical
Description
Connect Morphology to ACT Aspire and
Benchmark Assessments
Characteristics of Basic Literary Narratives
• Use mostly contemporary and familiar words and phrases; some multisyllable words.
• Some use of domain-specific (tier 3) words and phrases (chiefly literary nonfiction)
• Sentences are mostly short and basic with some variety
• Mostly literal language; a few instances of simple nonliteral and figurative language and
literary
• Observe language conventions (e.g., standard paragraph breaks) (chiefly stories)
Characteristics of Basic Informational Texts
• Use some domain-specific [tier 3] words and phrases
• Use mostly short and basic sentences
http://skillsmap.actlabs.org/map?subject=Reading
Multisyllable Words in Context
Not Too Cold for a Polar Bear
• Locate the multisyllable words in the first paragraph?
• How many did you find?
• How many of them lend themselves to structural analysis?
• Repeat this process for the other paragraphs.
• If there are that many multisyllable words in the text, how does that
impact comprehension?
• What are the implications for supporting the teachers?
Research Connection
• Students who understand how words are formed by combining
prefixes, suffixes, and roots tend to have larger vocabularies and
better reading comprehension than peers without such knowledge
and skills (Prince, 2009).
• Nagy (2007) proposed that teaching morphological awareness
and decoding in school may be the way to narrow the
achievement gap for children whose families differ in education
and income levels, and ethnic or racial backgrounds. A deep and
full knowledge and understanding of vocabulary will improve
outcomes for students who struggle.
Note to Principals
• You are welcome to return and continue learning with us after lunch, or
you may return to your school.
• Your Reading Specialist will make an appointment with you to share the
information that we will be working on for the remainder of the day.
• If you will be working on a PLU for these sessions, observe 3rd grade
instruction and learning over multiple days. Look for these things:
• Student opportunities to decode multisyllable words
• Students receiving instruction in prefixes, root/base words, and suffixes.
• Students using strategies to read multisyllable words in text.
• You will work with your Reading Specialist to allow teachers to
collaborate and plan for more targeted, explicit instruction in
multisyllable words.
• Save this information in a notebook to share with your Regional Staff
member when he/she visits your school.
Professional Reading
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2016/04/13/can-latin-helpyounger-students-build-vocabulary.html
Can Latin Help Younger Students Build Vocabulary?
Chunk #1- Page 1
Chunk #2- Breaking the Code
Chunk #3- False Etymologies
How do I get into a coaching cycle?
Getting Into the Coaching Cycle
Module pages 16-17
- Read and annotate
- Code the text using these markings
I am comfortable with this statement.
? I am unsure about parts of this statement.
 I need support becoming more comfortable with this
statement.
Third Grade COS - Addressing Morphology
• 20. Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in
decoding words. [RF.3.3]
• a. Identify and know the meaning of the most common prefixes and
derivational suffixes. [RF.3.3a]
• b. Decode words with common Latin suffixes. [RF.3.3b]
• c. Decode multisyllable words. [RF.3.3c]
• 40. b. Determine the meaning of the new word formed when a known
affix is added to a known word (e.g., agreeable/disagreeable,
comfortable/uncomfortable, care/careless, heat/preheat). [L.3.4b]
• c. Use a known root word as a clue to the meaning of an unknown word
with the same root (e.g., company, companion). [L.3.4c]
How does morphology fit into the
curriculum tools we use in our schools?
Where is morphology in our instruction? Tier I, Tier II, Tier III
Does it provide adequate practice opportunities? Is it rigorous?
How do I know?
If it does not provide adequate practice opportunities, what are
some suggestions?
If it is not rigorous, what are some suggestions?
Where are opportunities to apply morphology across content
areas?
http://www.fcrr.org/curriculum/PDF/G4-5/45VPartTwo.pdf
ARI Webpage- Tier II School Support
http://www.alsde.edu/sec/ari/Pages/tieriisupport-all.aspx?navtext=Tier II School Support
Wrap it Up
• Make a follow-up appointment with your regional
coach before you leave.
• Be sure to make an appointment with your principal
to share information from the afternoon session.
• Be sure you signed in for today to receive credit.
• Sign up for this session on STI/Chalkable - ari-plc2.