PIIC Professional
Development
January 27, 2011
Nancy Neusbaum, IU15
Laura Yaeger, IU5
Why teach vocabulary?
List-Group-Label
1. List-Brainstorm 7 words that you think of
when you think about the Viet Nam War.
2. (At your table)Get into groups of 4 and work
together to combine your individual lists into
a common one. As you create your list, think
of ways your words could be categorized.
3. Label your categories.
4. Share out.
Essential Questions
 Why is it so important to spend time on words
in the different content areas?
 How do coaches plan with teachers to make
this happen?
Reading – Vocabulary Connection
Exposed to
1,800,000
words per year
Exposed to
282,00
words per year
Exposed to
8,000
words per year
<1 minute
4.6 minutes
20 minutes
Time spent reading each day
Shaywitz, S. (2003). Overcoming Dyslexia. New York: Alfred A.
Knopf.
What does SES have to do with it?
Cumulative Vocabulary Experiences
Family
Status
Words
heard per
hour
Words
heard per
100-hr. week
Words
heard per
5200-hr. yr.
Words
heard in 4
years
Welfare
616
62,000
3 million
12 million
Working
Class
1,251
125,000
6 million
26 million
Professional
2153
215,000
11 million
45 million
Hart and Risley, 1997
Why teach vocabulary?
 Research suggests teaching vocabulary is
synonymous with teaching background
knowledge.
 Knowledge of any topic is encapsulated in the
terms students know that are relevant to that
topic.
 Understanding some content vocabulary is
critical to comprehending a text.
Content Vocabulary
Although the events of m____ usually proceed
accurately, sometimes ___________ fail to separate
correctly. The failure of __________ ___________ to
separate properly during m______ is called
non___________. Recall that during m________, one
__________ from each __________ pair moves to
each ____ of the cell. In non___________, both
___________ of a __________ pair move to the same
____ of the cell.
Content Vocabulary
Although the events of meiosis usually proceed
accurately, sometimes chromosomes fail to separate
correctly. The failure of homologous chromosomes to
separate properly during meiosis is called
nondisjunction. Recall that during meiosis I, one
chromosome from each homologous pair moves to
each pole of the cell. In nondisjunction, both
chromosomes of a homologous pair move to the
same pole of the cell.
How Much Vocabulary Do They
Need to Know?
 Independent Level: 95% of the text
 Instructional Level: 90-95% of the text
 Frustration Level: below 90% of the text
Partnership for Learning, 2001
Instruction…
If students had opportunities to read, write and
talk to each other about content in every class,
every day, achievement would soar.
 Use collaborative pairs every day.
 Assign something to read every day.
 Have students write something every day.
Learning, as a language-based activity, is
fundamentally and profoundly dependent
on vocabulary knowledge.
(Baker, Simmons, & Kame’enui, 1998)
The Importance of Words…
Vocabulary deficiencies…
• Contribute to the achievement gap.
• Appear early and increase over time if not
addressed.
• Are evident unless a student knows 95% of
the words he or she reads.
Chances of Learning New Words in Context
Moderator
Level of Moderator
Chances of Learning
Word
Ability
Low
8%
Medium
12%
High
19%
4th
8%
11th
33%
1 new word for every 10
words
7%
1 new word for every 75
words
14%
1 new word for every
150 words
30%
Grade Level
Text Density
Source: Based on information from Swanborn & de Glopper, 1999
Word Sorts
 Pre-reading: Formative assessment of student
background knowledge of words and concepts
 Post-reading: Review/assessment of student
knowledge
 May be open or closed sorts
 Teacher provides words and students sort
and categorize
 Teacher provides words and categories
 Provide opportunities for practice
How do I teach vocabulary?
1. Provide frequent and varied opportunities for
students to think about and use words.
2. Provide direct instruction on words that are
critical to new content.
3. Teach strategies for learning words
independently.
4. Provide time for reading.
When Kids Can’t Read
Impact of Direct Vocabulary
Instruction
Source: Stahl & Fairbanks, 1986
Percentile Rank
on Test
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
83
62
50
No Vocab.
Instruction
Direct Vocab.
Instruction
Direct Vocab. Instruction
on Content Words
The Facts…
1.
A high performing 1st grader knows about twice as many
words as a low performing one. (Hirsch, Jr.)
2. By 12th grade the high performer knows about 4 times as
many words as the low performer (Hirsch, Jr.)
3. Adequate reading depends on a person already knowing
between 90-95% of the words. (Nagy)
4. A well educated 12th grader knows an enormous number
of words; most learned incidentally (Hirsch, Jr.)
5. There are more meanings than words (Biemiller)
The Facts…
1.
Domain knowledge (a threshold knowledge about the
topic being studied) enables readers to makes sense and
select from multiple meanings (Hirsch, Jr.)
2. Domain knowledge is necessary to give meaning to
otherwise confusing sentences.
3. Some conceptual understanding must occur before an
individual can recall and use a word.
4. A reader’s general vocabulary knowledge is the single best
predictor of how well that a reader can understand text.
(Nagy)
So many words - So little time
What are they?
Tier 3
Words
• rare words limited to a specific domain
• taught when need arises
Tier 2
Words
• important for comprehension
• characteristic of mature language users
• used across topics
Tier 1
Words
• basic words
Examples
isotope
peninsula
microbe
anticipate
scheme
adapt
clock
count
squares
Choosing words based on Tiers
 Tier 3: Low-frequency words, usually specific to an academic
domain & best learned in the related content area, such as
isotope, photosynthesis & psychologist.
 Tier 2: High-frequency words that are important for
capable language learners to have in their vocabulary,
such as remorse, capricious, distinguished, & devious.
 Tier 1: Basic words that rarely need to be taught, such as hair,
always, dress, & laugh.
Tier 3
Tier 2
Tier 1
Beck, I., McKeown, M., & Kucan, L. (2002)
Let’s Practice Choosing the Words
Select 8 words for explicit instruction
discreet*
imputation^
modest
ravages*
parsimony^
prudence
chaste*
flat^ (apartment)
laboriously
cascade*
mendicancy squad^
ecstatic
meretricious*
Queen of Sheba^
duplicate
instigate*
Coney Island
conception
Reading level: 8th
Source: ‘Gift of the Magi’
*Words selected for instruction in manual
^Words defined in text
Let’s Practice Choosing the Words
Select 8 words for explicit instruction
obstacle
district
amplify
writing
gorge
imperial
piers
miniature
emerged
executioner
defeated
insult
immortals
desperation
deposited
emperor
supervising
deadline
Reading level: 8
Series: Prentice Hall
Passage: Reader’s Bridge
Words: highlighted in manual
Your Turn:
Prioritize Your Vocabulary
1. Look at your list of Viet Nam War words.
2. Decide how you would classify each
word (Tier 1, 2, or 3).
3. Share out by putting one post-it on each
chart paper.
Implications for Teachers
 Model the importance of vocabulary by
allocating daily time for instruction.
 Teach vocabulary skills as well as vocabulary
meanings.
 Consider contextual factors
 Subject specific vocabulary
 Multiple meaning words
 Opportunities to utilize vocabulary across
multiple contexts
What does the Coach do with this?
Vocabulary Casserole
Source: 8th grade student as written in
When Kids Can’t Read, pg. 177
Ingredients Needed:
20 words no one has ever heard before in his life
1 dictionary with very confusing definitions in it
1 matching test to be distributed on Friday
1 teacher who just wants students quiet on Mondays copying
words
Mix 20 words onto blackboard. Have students copy each word and
then look them up in the dictionary. Make students copy down all
the definitions. For a little spice, require that students write words
in sentences. Leave alone all week. Top with a boring test on
Friday.
Perishable. This casserole will be forgotten by Saturday afternoon.
Serves: No one
Vocabulary Treat
Source: 8th grade student as written in
When Kids Can’t Read, pg. 177
Ingredients Needed:
5-10 great words that you really could use
1 thesaurus
map colors and chart paper
1 game like jeopardy or bingo
1 teacher who thinks learning is supposed to be fun
Mix 5 to 10 words into the classroom. Have students test each
word for flavor. Toss with a thesaurus to find other words
that mean the same. Write definitions on chart paper and let
us draw pictures of words to remind us what they mean. Stir
often all week by a teacher who thinks learning is supposed
to be fun. Top with a cool game on Fridays like jeopardy or
bingo to see who remembers the most.
Serves: Many
So… Your recipe for success?
Create a recipe for working with
chosen teachers on changing
vocabulary instruction.
Resources
 Inside Words: tools for teaching academic
vocabulary. Allen,J. Stenhouse. 2007
 Building Academic Vocabulary. Marzano,R.
and Pickering,D. ASCD. 2005
 Word Wise and Content Rich. Fisher, D. and
Frey, N. Heinemann.2008
 When Kids Can’t Read: What Teachers Can
Do. Beers,K. Heinemann. 2003