TEACHING MORPHEMIC CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS SKILLS
A Project
Presented to the faculty of the Graduate and Professional Studies in Education
California State University, Sacramento
Submitted in partial satisfaction of
the requirements for the degree of
MASTER OF ARTS
in
Education
(Language and Literacy)
by
Christa Adell Kile
FALL
2013
© 2013
Christa Adell Kile
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
ii
TEACHING MORPHEMIC CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS SKILLS
A Project
by
Christa Adell Kile
Approved by:
__________________________________, Committee Chair
Porfirio Loeza, Ph.D.
____________________________
Date
iii
Student: Christa Adell Kile
I certify that this student has met the requirements for format contained in the University format
manual, and that this project is suitable for shelving in the Library and credit is to be awarded for
the project.
__________________________, Department Chair
Susan Heredia, Ph.D.,
Graduate and Professional Studies in Education
iv
___________________
Date
Abstract
of
TEACHING MORPHEMIC CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS SKILLS
by
Christa Adell Kile
Struggling readers often find reading difficult due to a lack of word consciousness and an
extensive vocabulary deficiency. Teaching weekly word lists is simply not enough to
help struggling readers develop the word knowledge they need to catch up to their more
advantaged peers. This project addressed the complexity of word consciousness and
lexical semantics at a morphemic level, and provided specific strategies that will help
students grapple with this complexity.
The research revealed that students acquire most of their vocabulary knowledge
incidentally through independent reading. Many students seem to learn to acquire
vocabulary incidentally on their own, but struggling readers need explicit direct
instruction in independent vocabulary acquisition skills. One such approach includes
teaching students to use morphology and contextual analysis to create a hypothesis of the
meaning of a word. Additionally, source-based instruction provides students engaging
and meaningful experiences with text, increasing their motivation and self-efficacy.
There is no single approach to teaching vocabulary. However, teaching students
independent vocabulary acquisition skills provides them with a lifelong skill that can be
used to increase their vocabulary repertoire long after they leave the K-12 educational
v
system. By integrating research-based practices, a handbook was created that supports
teachers in the development of a vocabulary companion unit using engaging literature
that is already being taught in the classroom. A sample unit is included in the handbook
that provides a model to educators interested in supplementing their novel units by
teaching vocabulary acquisition skills and strategies.
_______________________, Committee Chair
Porfirio Loeza, Ph.D.
_______________________
Date
vi
DEDICATION
This project is dedicated to readers who view themselves as "not good enough"
and have yet to discover the power of reading. The gateway to finding your confidence
lies in that special book that captures your soul and lulls you into a world of adventure,
magic and hope. It only takes one book to open that doorway and I sincerely hope you
find it. There is a bright future waiting for you.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank and acknowledge the following individuals who supported and
encouraged me throughout the development and creation of this project: I would like to thank
Dr. Porfirio Loeza for listening to me and directing me when I needed it most. His patience
and academic expertise helped me see myself as a true scholar. I would also like to thank Dr.
Marcy Merrill who recognized the impact that J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter had on my life
and encouraged me to find a way to integrate it into my project. Finally, I would like to thank
Jensen Kile for his constant support, encouragement and heart of service.
viii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Dedication .............................................................................................................................. vii
Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................... viii
Chapter
1. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................1
Statement of the Problem ..............................................................................................2
Significance of the Problem ..........................................................................................2
Methodology .................................................................................................................6
Limitations ....................................................................................................................7
Definition of Terms.......................................................................................................7
Handbook Organization and Contents ..........................................................................8
Summary .......................................................................................................................9
2. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE......................................................................................10
The Vocabulary Gap ...................................................................................................10
Incidental Learning .....................................................................................................13
Morphology and Contextual Analysis ........................................................................16
Motivating Adolescent Readers ..................................................................................21
Summary .....................................................................................................................22
3. METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................................24
Theoretical Development ............................................................................................24
Direct Instruction ........................................................................................................24
Selection of the Literature...........................................................................................27
Identifying the Right Words .......................................................................................29
Morphemic Analysis ...................................................................................................30
Contextual Analysis ....................................................................................................33
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Transfer of Skills ........................................................................................................34
Conclusion ..................................................................................................................35
4. SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS .....................................36
Discussion ...................................................................................................................36
Summary .....................................................................................................................38
Strengths and Limitations ...........................................................................................40
Recommendations for Implementation of the Handbook ...........................................41
Conclusions .................................................................................................................42
Appendix A.
Teaching Morphemic Contextual Analysis Skills ......................................
A Handbook for Teachers ..............................................................................44
Appendix B.
Teaching Morphemic Contextual Analysis Skills Using Harry Potter and the
Sorcerer’s Stone
Sample Unit ...................................................................................................85
References ..............................................................................................................................133
x
1
Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION
In 2001, a typical high school sophomore picked up a book that changed the
course of her life. This wasn't just an ordinary book, but a gateway into a world of
adventure, confidence building and skills development. At the beginning of the school
year she had a seventh grade reading level based on the Accelerated Reader test. The
school year before this proved difficult both academically and emotionally has she had
struggled to get through all of her assigned reading books and ended up only finishing
one. In contrast, by the end of the 2001-2002 academic school year, she had surpassed
her required reading goals by reading over 50 books and tested at a 12+ reading level.
Something significant happened between picking up the first Harry Potter (Rowling,
1997) book in August and finishing Great Expectations (Dickens, 1861) in June that
made reading more accessible and engaging.
Harry Potter is a seven book series about a young wizard who fights against evil,
and discovers the power of genuine love and compassion. For this high school student,
the author used words in a way that was accessible and meaningful, making reading an
enjoyable process for the first time. J.K. Rowling used a variety of neologisms that
required the reader to process and develop meanings for words based on context clues
and inferences. Rowling's writing style provided ample opportunities for the student to
practice the reading strategies she had learned, but needed to practice. For the first time,
the student was using her imagination to visualize descriptions, creating character voices
in her head, engaging in book discussions with friends theorizing about what would
2
happen next, and contemplating why certain events unfurled as they did. Most
importantly, the way the author used words provided opportunities to develop the reader's
vocabulary incidentally through morphemic and contextual cues.
Statement of the Problem
This project addressed the complexity of word consciousness and lexical
semantics at a morphemic level, and provided specific strategies that help students
grapple with this complexity. Many students struggle with reading because of vocabulary
deficiencies. Without the skills and strategies to acquire vocabulary incidentally, students
will continue to struggle with reading. It is difficult to motivate struggling readers to read
because they lack the confidence to try reading strategies, and remain unengaged with the
text. Through an extensive survey of the literature, a handbook was created that provided
teachers with source-based vocabulary lessons and strategies that equip students with the
skills and strategies they need to acquire vocabulary incidentally. The handbook was
created to support teachers in the creation of vocabulary units focused on teaching
students independent vocabulary acquisition skills.
Significance of the Problem
By the time children enter school a vocabulary gap has already formed creating a
divide between children who come from lower socio-economic homes and their more
affluent peers. Due to a lack of exposure to words over the course of their 0-5 experience,
these children lag significantly behind their peers, creating a gap of up to 30 million
words over their lifetime. This vocabulary gap continues to develop over time as they fall
further behind and their more affluent peers continue to develop their vocabulary and
3
expand their background knowledge (Stanovich, 1986; Harte & Risley, 1995). Harte and
Risley (1995) found that even after six years of schooling experience, children from
lower socio-economic households continue to lag behind their more affluent peers.
Longitudinal data has shown that children who enter school with higher oral
vocabularies tend to become successful readers with expanding vocabularies over time
(Harte & Risely, 1995; Pan, Snow, & Willett 1993). Stanovitch (1986) proposed that a
Matthew effect is in place, where the children with advanced vocabularies and reading
skills continue to grow and progress, while their less advantaged peers, who began with a
deficiency, continue to struggle with vocabulary and reading development.
With an estimated 88,500 distinct word families and 180,000 semantically related
words in grades 3-9 content material it is impossible for classroom teachers to teach the
amount of vocabulary words children need to close the expanding vocabulary gap. Many
teachers tend to rely heavily on weekly vocabulary lists, but Nagy, Herman, & Anderson
(1985) posit that vocabulary lists are simply not enough. Many students lack the skills to
derive new word meanings through independent reading and contextual analysis, which is
the single greatest source of new vocabulary knowledge for students. If students read the
recommended one million words a year, they have the potential to learn up to 5,600 new
words (Nagy et al., 1985). It is imperative that students possess the skills they need to
acquire vocabulary incidentally, as this will be the largest source of vocabulary
development throughout their life. Therefore, students should receive explicit instruction
in both weekly vocabulary lists and vocabulary acquisition skills for incidental learning.
4
Aside from direct instruction, students' word knowledge should be expanded
through authentic and meaningful experiences with language (Cunningham & O'
Donnell, 2012). These exposures to text and vocabulary have the potential to foster word
consciousness and enhance a child's ability to draw on word learning strategies to assist
them in determining the meanings of new words. In addition, when children read
interesting and meaningful text, it is far more likely that their interest and engagement
levels will increase (Alvermann, 2010). It is challenging to motivate struggling readers,
and far more challenging to help them see themselves as successful readers. Providing
students with high interest, source-based vocabulary lessons will help facilitate
opportunities for them to try out the new skills they are learning in a meaningful context
(Alvermann, 2010; Pace Nilson & Nilson, 2006).
Nagy et al. (1985) posit that children learn most vocabulary incidentally through
exposure to text. However, not all children have the skills and strategies to acquire
vocabulary during independent reading. This is why it is important that teachers provide
students with explicit instruction in word acquisition strategies. Children who study
morphology and context clues have shown great success in determining the meanings of
new words with previously taught affixes and bases (Kelley, Lesaux, Kieffer, & Faller,
2010). Additionally, children who draw on their knowledge of context clues have shown
higher levels of word acquisition than their peers who studied textbook vocabulary words
(Bauman, Edwards, Boland, Olejnik, & Kame'enui, 2003). Additionally, Bauman et al.
(2003) found no statistical difference on the content area test when comparing the
performance of children who received instruction in morphemic contextual analysis and
5
children who received instruction in textbook-based vocabulary lessons, proving that
texts from many content areas can be successfully integrated with source-based lessons.
Choosing source-based lessons for instruction of vocabulary words is a great
challenge for teachers as the word selection task can be daunting. There are so many
words that could be taught that it can become overwhelming for a teacher to decide
which words are more important. As Nagy et al. (1985) pointed out, there are over 88,533
word families alone, and most occur rarely. Beck, McKeown, & Kucan (2002) suggest
using Tiers to help select vocabulary words, while Graves (2006) suggests that teachers
draw from lists, literature or student-selected words for word study. Each of these
approaches have shown great success in working towards the development of student
vocabulary (Beck et al., 2008; Graves; 2006; Beck et al., 2002).
When selecting words from literature, it is important that teachers keep in mind
the diverse needs of the students in their classroom. When working specifically with
struggling readers, it is important that teachers choose vocabulary to study from high
interest, source-based literature (Pace Nilsen & Nilsen, 2003). This type of literature
provides children with opportunities to receive instruction in a meaningful context, and
engages the reader in the process. Children who struggle with reading strategies will have
opportunities to work with a text at their reading level, and practice the word acquisition
strategies they are learning.
6
Methodology
Researcher has found that children learn most of their vocabulary incidentally
through independent reading (Elley, 1997; Nagy et al., 1985). Students with strong
vocabulary acquisition skills and strategies are able to learn vocabulary as they read.
However, not all children have these skills, and many struggle with reading as a result.
These children need explicit direct instruction in vocabulary acquisition strategies. It is
not enough for these children to simply read more; they need a teacher to provide them
with modeling and guided practice as they master the skills. The handbook was created to
provide teachers with explicit direct instruction lessons in morphology and contextual
analysis. The lessons focus on modeling skill development through think-aloud and
guided practice until they have mastered the strategies.
Struggling readers often self-proclaim themselves as "non-readers" claiming that
they do not like any books. These "non-readers" are often the hardest to motivate. This
research culminated in the creation of a handbook that provides teachers with research
based lessons in teaching morphology and contextual analysis strategies to specifically
support these struggling readers. It is the hope of the researcher that teachers use the
handbook to create a series of vocabulary lessons to serve as a companion to their novel
unit, in an effort to teach independent vocabulary acquisition strategies using source-based
literature.
The vocabulary lessons serve as a companion to a novel unit, and are not intended to
replace classroom instruction about the novel. Additionally, the handbook contains a
7
sample unit based on Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Rowling, 1997), a high
interest novel written at a fifth grade reading level (Accelerated Reader, 2013).
Limitations
The handbook includes lessons that are limited to twenty minutes in length due to
time constrictions placed on teachers, and the need to cover other material in a 45 to 50
minute classroom period. Though the handbook can be used to create lessons for a
variety of novel units, the sample contained within the handbook is limited to only one
book from J.K. Rowling’s seven book series, Harry Potter. Additionally, the handbook is
limited to lessons directed towards middle school and high school struggling readers.
However, using the framework provided, teachers could potentially adapt the lessons to
fit the needs of their upper elementary students.
Definition of Terms
Academic Language: language that is used for academic purposes in school settings. It
is formal, discusses abstract topics and uses precise vocabulary terms.
Derivation: the source from which a word is derived
High Interest Literature: adolescent literature that provides settings, characters and
themes that students are familiar with, can relate to and are easier to understand
Lexicon: the vocabulary of an individual person
Morpheme: the smallest unit of a word that holds meaning, yet cannot be divided into
smaller grammatical parts
Morphology: the study of the patterns of word formation in a particular language,
including inflection, derivation, and composition.
8
Neologism: a newly created word
Prefix: an affix placed before a word, base, or another prefix to modify a terms meaning
Root: the unit of a word after all affixes are removed
Strategy: a careful plan or method used to accomplish a goal
Suffix: an affix that is added to the end of a word to modify the terms meaning
Weekly Word Lists: weekly vocabulary lists used in classrooms that are assigned at the
beginning of the week and assessed for student knowledge and usage at the end of the
week
Word Consciousness: an interest in and awareness of words
Handbook Organization and Contents
1.
Research based mini lessons in delivering lessons in morphology and contextual
analysis.
2.
Framework for teaching lessons in morphology and contextual analysis, including
student engagement activities, modeling, guided practice, independent practice and
extension assignments.
3.
Research based assessment suggestions for pre-assessing and post-assessing
students progress.
5.
Sample of a completed unit based on J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the
Sorcerer's Stone(1997).
9
Summary
This chapter provided the background of this project and introduced the purpose
that supports the development of independent vocabulary acquisition strategies through
high interest, source-based vocabulary lessons. The next chapter frames the context of
this project within the scope of the relevant literature on the development of the
vocabulary gap, theories related to morphemic contextual analysis, and effective practices
in vocabulary instruction.
10
Chapter 2
REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
The purpose of this chapter is to review the research that has been conducted in
the areas of vocabulary instruction using morphology, contextual analysis and incidental
learning through independent reading. This review includes a variety of important articles
and theories focusing on vocabulary instruction through morphemic contextual analysis
and incidental learning. Primary sources were sought as the basis of this review, however,
where necessary, secondary sources were utilized when invaluable understandings were
presented.
This chapter presents a review of the relevant literature that has been summarized
and synthesized in the area of vocabulary development. Specifically, there are explicit
references in the literature that indicate that morphological and syntactical aspects of
context cues lead to incidental learning through reading. There are, however, tacit
instructional questions raised regarding the effectiveness of explicit vocabulary
instruction and incidental learning. There has been an increasing amount of research
conducted in the field of vocabulary instruction, and as such, this review will focus
specifically on four key ideas: the vocabulary gap, incidental learning, morphology and
contextual analysis, and motivating adolescent readers.
The Vocabulary Gap
For an individual who spends a large amount of time with school age children, it
is easy to notice the varying vocabulary competencies. Each child presents his/herself as
a unique individual who brings with them a lifetime of prior knowledge. The degree to
11
which children have experienced a life full of rich and immersed language experiences is
varied. This presents itself as a challenge to teachers because children arrive in the
classroom with a vocabulary gap already developing. This gap in vocabulary directly
correlates with reading success and motivation (Stanovich, 1986). The less words a child
knows, the more difficult the reading and comprehension aspect of literacy will become,
eventually making reading a frustrating experience.
Students who come from more advantaged backgrounds, middle to upper class,
tend to have higher vocabularies than their less advantaged peers (Harte & Risely, 1999).
Additionally, as time progresses, these more advantaged students tend to read more,
which leads to learning more vocabulary. Throughout their school age years, these
students engage in more reading. Over time, a widening vocabulary gap becomes present,
and strong readers with tremendous vocabularies continue learning more words. This
trend has become known as the Matthew effect (Stanovich, 1986). In this case, the more
advantaged students tend to acquire more vocabulary, while their less advantaged peers
fall further behind. It is important that educators understand the impact of the vocabulary
gap on their classrooms as it has deep and lasting implications for students.
In their 1995 study Meaningful Differences in the Everyday Experience of Young
American Children, Harte and Risely recorded and analyzed verbal interactions in 42
families with young children. The study lasted for roughly two and a half years,
collecting data across a wide range of socio-economic levels. Though their study found
that the children all began developing speech around the same time, vast differences were
found between the spoken vocabulary knowledge of children from professional, working
12
class, and welfare recipient families. There was a stark difference in the language
exposure of children from professional and welfare recipient families. Children in
professional families heard an average of 2,153 words per hour, while children from
welfare recipient families heard, on average, 616 words per hour (with most of these
being direct commands). Over one year, this amounts to an 8 million word gap between
the two families. By age four, the total gap amounted to 30 million words. Consequently,
the oral vocabularies of the children varied dramatically as well, with children in
professional families using roughly 1,100 words, and children from welfare recipient
families using close to 500 words (Harte & Risely, 1995).
This 30 million word gap begins long before the child from a welfare recipient
family enters school, which places them far behind their more advantaged peers in their
pre-literacy development. The number of words that a child is exposed to directly affects
their language and vocabulary development (Harte & Risely, 1995; Pan, Snow, & Willet,
1993). Six years after their initial study, Harte and Risely found that the children who
came from professional families were far more advanced in their literacy development
than the children from welfare recipient families (Harte & Risely, 1995).
In a 2005 study, Pan, Row, Singer & Snow investigated the patterns of growth in
observed vocabulary among children from low socio-economic families between the ages
of one and three. 108 families participated that had children in early head start programs
for the first time. Though the purpose of the 2005 study was not to compare low socieconomic children with professional families, the researchers found that there was a
visible difference in vocabulary production beginning as early as age three when
13
compared with their 1993 study (Pan et al., 1993). With such varying differences in
vocabulary production, clearly noticeable by kindergarten, the Matthew effect begins to
widen the gap. Accordingly, Harte and Risely (1995) place a huge impact on the early
language development of children and their later development as successful readers.
Children who enter school with an expanded vocabulary repertoire are likely to
experience great success in their development as readers. However, children who enter
school lacking phonological awareness and adequate exposure to language are likely to
experience a great deal of frustration as their peers continue to advance, leaving them
behind. Stanovich (1985) proposed his Matthew effect theory in regards to the
comprehension success of readers; however, the effect seems just as present in the
vocabulary development of children across varying socio-economic backgrounds as
presented by Harte & Risely (1995). Without direct intervention and the development of
reading skills, the lower achieving children eventually become older low achieving
students, arriving at the secondary levels far behind their more advantaged peers.
Incidental Learning
There will always be socio-economic differences between children, and the
research clearly shows that without a language rich environment during the pre-schooling
years, children will inevitably develop a vocabulary gap between developmental levels.
Immediate and meaningful exposure to vocabulary is of primary concern for if educators
aim to close the gap. The question begs to be asked, how can teachers equip students with
the vocabulary knowledge they need to ensure vocabulary growth and later success in
reading and academics? Incidental word acquisition plays a major role in a student's
14
vocabulary development throughout their school years, and is the largest source of
vocabulary growth for adolescent readers (Nagy et al., 1986; Elley, 1997). It is then
imperative that teachers provide students with explicit instruction in independent
vocabulary acquisition skills to ensure their continued growth of vocabulary.
In a 1985 study, Nagy et al., conducted research seeking to discover if students
could acquire measurable knowledge about unfamiliar words while reading natural text.
57 eighth grade students participated in their study, reading either an expository or
narrative passage of roughly 1,000 words in length. Two vocabulary assessments were
administered, focusing on 15 target words from each passage. Through interviews and
multiple-choice tests, the researchers found small, but statistically reliable gains in word
knowledge from context alone. Through statistical analysis, the researchers found that, on
average, children learn roughly 5% of the unfamiliar words they encounter in natural text.
This finding provides an opportunity for intervention for struggling readers that are
experiencing difficulties due to vocabulary deficiencies. If students are able to acquire
vocabulary incidentally, from context, developing word acquisition skills and contextual
analysis are of great importance. If children are empowered to acquire vocabulary
incidentally, they have the potential to begin closing the vocabulary gap, little by little.
It is clear that good vocabulary instruction goes beyond weekly word lists. Nagy
et al. (1985) reported that there are roughly 88,533 distinct word families and 180,000
semantically related words in grades 3-9 content material alone. Even if teachers were to
continue to teach weekly vocabulary lists, for the entire 40 week school year, students
would only have learned about 7,000 of these word families by the end of 12th grade. It
15
is impossible for teachers to teach all of the word families and related words, as it would
mean teaching thousands of words over the course of a year. Children need to be
equipped with the skills it takes to acquire vocabulary incidentally during independent
reading. All students have the potential to become lifelong readers, and educators should
make it a priority to help students see themselves as such. Since each child is unique and
is interested in different topics, every intension should be made to expose them to
interesting and authentic experiences with literature.
Cunningham and O' Donnell explained in their 2012 study Reading and
Vocabulary Growth that in addition to direct instruction, children's word knowledge
should be developed through authentic experiences with language. In this way, students
indirectly encounter language through independent reading. In many cases, children
select reading materials because they appear to be interesting and engaging. Struggling
readers need to learn and experience the value of high interest literature in the classroom.
These encounters with language can provide struggling readers with meaningful
experiences that have the potential to foster word consciousness and enhance their
reading development. The Matthew effect demonstrated that children who have rich and
meaningful experiences with language, over time, increase their reading and language
skills, leading to even more rich and meaningful experiences with language (Stanovich,
1986). Educators can work towards closing the vocabulary gap by helping struggling
readers find meaningful reading materials that capture their interests for extended periods
of time.
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Morphology and Contextual Analysis
Instruction aimed at developing morphemic and contextual analysis skills will
provide struggling readers with the support they need to engage with rich and meaningful
texts. Regular systematic instruction in academic vocabulary boosts student reading
comprehension skills, and equips students will the ability to use morphology and context
clues to decipher the meaning of novel words based on previously taught roots (Kelley,
Lesaux, Kieffer, & Faller 2010). When provided with systematic lessons in academic
vocabulary and morphology, including how affixes and bases work, students have shown
significantly better results on multiple choice tests of academic words. Despite first
language differences, both language minority and native English speakers performed
better after receiving instruction in academic vocabulary and morphology.
Bowers and Kirby (2009) studied the effect of morphological instruction on
vocabulary acquisition and found that students who received instruction in morphology
were better at identifying the base of complex words; however, this was only true for
bases that had been taught. Additionally, students struggled with phonological shifts in
words, citing the difficulty in identifying word parts because of differences in spelling
when compared to the previously taught bases and affixes. Through targeted lessons in
morphology and empowering students to take ownership of their interactions with words,
children explored vocabulary words that were of interest of them.
There is no one way in approaching the teaching of vocabulary, and research
holds insufficient data to prove that one approach is better than another (Beck, McKeown
& Kucan, 2002). However, it is clear that students learn words from context (Nagy et al.,
17
1985; Elley, 1997), and equipping students with skills to interpret word meanings when
context is insufficient provides them even more access to learning words incidentally
(Bauman, Edwards, Boland, Olejnik, & Kame'enui, 2003). In a 2003 study, researchers
found that children who received instruction in using morphemic contextual analysis
outperformed their peers who received textbook instruction in vocabulary on a test
measuring morphology and contextual analysis skills (Baumann et al., 2003). Where
context clues fail, children can rely on morphology to assist them in deciphering the
meaning of new words that share the bases and affixes of words previously taught. The
research continues to show that children who are taught morphology skills are unable to
determine the meanings of novel words with untaught bases or affixes (Bauman, et al.,
2003, Bowers & Kirby, 2009) However, children who receive instruction in morphology
and contextual analysis are equipped with the skills to decipher the meanings of
thousands of words encountered during independent reading.
Morphology and contextual analysis can be taught across the content areas,
creating opportunities for teachers of all subjects to engage their students in word study.
Bauman et al. (2003) also found that dedicating time during social studies lessons to
teaching morphemic contextual analysis did not hinder students’ content area knowledge.
In fact, morphemic contextual analysis students and textbook vocabulary students
performed equally as well when assessed for content area knowledge. When provided
with instruction in how to identify word parts and use context, students will use these
skills during reading. In contrast, when given textbook vocabulary to study, children will
memorize the words and their meanings, and perform well on standardized textbook
18
vocabulary assessments (Bauman, et al., 2003). Though both approaches showed that
students will perform well when taught the expectations of how to master the format of a
test, the difference between the two approaches is that one further equips students with
skills that can be used outside of history lessons to acquire vocabulary incidentally, and
the other limits students to acquiring the number of words taught.
Acquiring vocabulary incidentally is the most substantial contribution to a school
aged child's vocabulary repertoire. Because children only learn up to 5 percent of the
unfamiliar words they read in text, incidental learning can only enhance a student’s
vocabulary if they read enough (Nagy et al., 1985). In order for students to come across a
significant number of unknown words during reading, they need to read often, and they
need to read challenging enough texts to find new words. Further, when combining
morphology and contextual analysis skills, results are greatly improved. In a study
monitoring eye movements, researchers found that readers, when self-paced, combine
both contextual and morphemic cues to determine the meaning of new words
(Brusnighan & Folk, 2012). With such a vast number of words, most occurring rarely, it
is impossible for students to receive instruction in all words. When students are equipped
with the strategies to acquire vocabulary incidentally, teachers can begin working
towards closing the vocabulary gap.
Choosing the Words to Teach
There are over 88,500 distinct word families with 150,000 semantically related
words, posing a daunting task for teachers hoping to close the vocabulary gap. It is an
impossible expectation that teachers hold the responsibility of teaching all of these words
19
during the K-12 schooling of a child. Further, even if taught, many of these words are
words that might only be encountered in text once in a lifetime. Therefore, teachers need
explicit direction in how to appropriately select words for vocabulary study in the
classroom.
Using tiers to select vocabulary words. The most challenging aspect of any
vocabulary program is choosing the right words to teach children. With so many word
families to choose from, where does one start? One way of approaching this is to look
through the lens of "Tiers" (Beck et al., 2002). When viewing vocabulary this way, it
allows the teacher to make judgments based on a classroom's unique learning needs, as
all classrooms are made up of different children who bring individual learning
experiences with them (Beck et al., 2002; Graves, 2006; Harte & Risely, 1999).
The three tiers categorize words based on unique characteristics of instructional
goals. Tier One consists of the most basic words (clock, baby, happy) a child would
encounter in text. Many of these are words children are already familiar with from
spoken word as well. In contrast, Tier Three consists of words with frequency of uses that
are very low and most often limited to specific content areas (isotope, hypothesis,
matrix). Tier Two words are high-frequency words for "mature language users" and as a
result, instruction in these words can add effectively to an individual's language ability
(Beck et al., 2002).
In their book Bringing Words to Life: Robust Vocabulary Instruction Beck, et al.,
(2002) suggest that teachers be methodical about choosing Tier Two words for
instruction. Teachers should choose "words that are likely to appear frequently in a wide
20
variety of texts and in the written and oral language of mature language users" (p. 16).
One such test for this is to consider if students already have ways to articulate the
concepts represented by the words, and if students can use other words to explain the
concept. If so, then the word may be a more "mature" way of expressing one's ideas and
could possibly be considered a Tier Two word. It is important to note that Beck, et al.
(2003) suggest that teachers use their best judgment in selecting Tier Two words based
on their individual and collective student needs. Each classroom will be different, with
different prior knowledge and educational needs, and instruction in vocabulary should
reflect that.
Using literature selections to identify vocabulary. Michael Graves discusses an
additional approach to choosing the words to teach in his 2006 book Teaching Individual
Words. He points out that there are three categories that teachers can pull from when
determining what words to teach: word lists, the students themselves, and the selections
students are reading (or listening to). The most logical place to draw words from for
vocabulary study is the literature that students are studying in the classroom (Beck et al.,
2002; Pace Nilsen & Nilsen, 2003). In many cases, authors use repeated words or
phrases, providing students with multiple exposures to words, and a rich and meaningful
context in which they are used. When selecting words from literature, Graves points out
that teachers should consider the importance of each word selected from the text.
Consider the following: (1) Is understanding the word essential to the selection it appears
in? (2) Is structural analysis built into the context to assist readers in determining the
meaning, (3) Can working with this word further students' contextual analysis, or
21
dictionary skills, and (4) how useful is this word outside of the reading selection currently
being taught? (Graves, 2006).
When children take ownership of their learning, it becomes authentic and
meaningful, and they are more willing to become active participants in furthering their
word knowledge (Graves, 2006). In an aforementioned study, Bowers and Kirby (2009)
found that children who had morphology and contextual analysis skills were motivated to
identify new words and delve into their meanings in a structural analysis as a class.
Graves (2006) claimed that another source of selecting vocabulary words is the students
themselves. When their interests are peaked and they feel motivated, students are often
willing to self-identify words they are interested in learning more about. Children who
experience these encounters with text have increased their reading skills and abilities over
time (Stanovich, 1986). Teachers who provide students with meaningful and authentic
experiences with text are working towards closing the vocabulary gap.
Motivating Adolescent Readers
The trouble with relying on independent reading for vocabulary acquisition as
part of a balanced vocabulary program, is that not all students are active participants or
motivated readers. In fact, students are not shy in sharing that they read for zero minutes
a night outside of school (Nagy et al., 1985). This lack of motivation prevents students
from acquiring the necessary vocabulary to succeed in the educational system, including
the collegiate years (Elley, 1997). Alverman (2012) explained in her article Effective
Literacy Instruction for Adolescents that children who feel cared for by their teacher and
believe they are being set up for success are more motivated and willing to engage in
22
lessons. One way of showing students that a teacher cares for them and their education, is
to provide engaging lessons using topics and literature that are interesting to students.
If students feel uncared for and view themselves as inadequate, they will be less
likely to exert effort during instructional lessons, and as a result may exhibit bad behavior
in the classroom as a way to focus the attention away from their poor academic
performance (Colvin & Schlosser, 1998). Teachers have the unique ability to intervene
and build up student confidence. They can also re-teach and rebuild the literacy skills
students need to be successful across content areas. One of the most challenging aspects
of rebuilding a child's self-efficacy is finding educators who truly believe that all children
are capable learners. Further, students want teachers to challenge them through authentic
tasks that are broken down into component steps and addressed on step at a time (Colvin
& Schlosser, 1998). Additionally, it is important that teachers are honest about the
difficulty of tasks and provide instruction in what to do if a student does not know what
to do.
Summary
The purpose of this chapter was to review the relevant literature behind the
complexities of the vocabulary gap, the impact of incidental learning on students'
vocabulary development, and the strategies needed for applying morphemic contextual
analysis to independently acquire vocabulary during reading. This review of the literature
provided research based support for independent vocabulary acquisition strategies to
support struggling readers. The next chapter presents the background and explains the
23
creation of the handbook as it was informed by this research and the available literature
on the topic.
24
Chapter 3
METHODOLOGY
Theoretical Development
Based on the theoretical research, meaningful and engaging strategies have been
organized into a handbook that equips teachers to build and create their own units
focused on teaching word part strategies and context clues to their struggling readers.
Additionally, a high interest, source-based unit was created using Harry Potter and the
Sorcerer's Stone (Rowling, 1997) as the reading selection and anchor for the lessons. The
handbook serves as a guide for teachers to create a companion unit that focuses on
teaching independent vocabulary acquisitions skills in addition to their already existing
novel unit.
Direct Instruction
Ample research supports the idea that children learn the majority of their
vocabulary incidentally through independent reading (Elley, 1997; Nagy, Herman &
Anderson, 1985). The data widely supports the fact that it is children who possess strong
independent vocabulary acquisition skills that are able to do this successfully. Not all
children have the skills to acquire vocabulary incidentally, and many of these children
struggle with reading, or are self-proclaimed non-readers. Adolescent readers who
struggle with reading because of a vocabulary deficiency need explicit and direct
instruction in the area of independent vocabulary acquisition skills. In conjunction with
this, students need to read high interest texts that foster student engagement and
motivation.
25
Many children who come from low socio-economic households enter school with
a vocabulary deficiency when compared to their more advantaged peers. Research
indicates that children who are raised in low socio-economic homes are exposed to far
less language on a daily basis, and that much of this language is communicated in the
form of direct commands (Harte & Risely, 1995). By the time these children enter the
educational system, they have been exposed to roughly 30 million words less than
children from professional working families. The effects of this gap last far into a
student's future as it has been shown to impact not only their oral, written and reading
vocabulary competencies, but their self-efficacy as well.
Students who are not confident in their ability to read and understand text will be
less likely to engage with text (Stanovich, 1985), especially when it is assigned by a
teacher. Students need explicit and direct instruction in the development of vocabulary
acquisition skills that can be practiced in a safe and supportive learning environment. If
they receive this instruction, they will encounter meaningful and authentic experiences
with text, which have proven to have a significant amount of positive effects in their
reading and vocabulary development (Alverman, 2010; Beck, McKeown & Kucan, 2002;
Graves, 2006; Stanovich, 1985).
It is for this reason that the handbook was created to provide teachers with lessons
in explicit and direct instruction for developing independent vocabulary acquisition skills.
The handbook provides teachers with guidance in how to create lessons that teach
students how to break words down into their word parts in order to determine the
meaning of new words encountered during reading. Additionally, the lessons prompt
26
students to not only use their knowledge of word parts, but context clues as well.
Through extension activities, teachers have opportunities to help students see the value in
transferring these skills outside of the literature (Pace Nilsen & Nilsen, 2006). Deciding
where to start is often the most difficult part, as the vocabulary deficit in a classroom can
become overwhelming. It is for this reason that the handbook was created in an easy to
follow and adapt format that will allow teachers to practice teaching the skills and
strategy based lessons within the framework of a sample novel unit. Additionally, the
handbook provides suggestions and ideas for adapting the vocabulary lessons to more
literature units to continue developing morphemic contextual analysis skills throughout
the academic school year.
As Nagy, Herman and Anderson (1985) have pointed out, the majority of a
student's vocabulary is gleaned incidentally through exposure to words in authentic
contexts, especially independent reading for enjoyment (Graves, 2006; Beck et al., 2002).
However, students who are not instructed in how to determine new word meanings based
on word parts and context clues will continue to struggle with reading, and thus fall
further behind in their vocabulary development. It is important that these children, in
particular, receive direct instruction in vocabulary acquisition skills that are practiced and
monitored by a classroom teacher (Graves, 2006). With these newfound skills, students'
view of themselves as poor readers can begin to change, and a world of adventure,
fantasy and exploration can open up, providing them with rich and meaningful
vocabulary acquisition through confident independent reading.
27
The handbook contains twelve vocabulary lessons that are designed to develop
vocabulary acquisition skills, and teach students how to apply these skills and strategies
during independent reading. The lessons were created to be taught as part of a larger
novel unit using high interest, source-based literature as an approach to increase student
engagement (Alverman, 2012; Colvin & Schlosser, 1998). The lessons within the
handbook will provide teachers with direction in determining the words to choose and
how to help students gain incidental vocabulary acquisition strategies for independent
reading (Graves, 2006; Beck, et al., 2002). The sample unit, Harry Potter and the
Sorcerer's Stone (Rowling, 1997) provides opportunities for students to practice and
monitor their skills development.
Selection of the Literature
The literature for the handbook was selected based on the following criteria: (1)
student engagement, (2) the frequent use of morphemes to create novel words, (3) context
clues that assist the reader in determining the meanings of novel words, and (4)
readability (Graves, 2006).
According to the BBC, by 2013 the Harry Potter series had sold more than 450
million books ("JK Rowling to Pen," 2013). Arguably, this series is one of the most
popular and engaging series of all time. During its height, it was common to see multiple
copies of the novel series being read during independent reading. There is no doubt that
the Harry Potter (Rowling, 1997) series is one of the most popular book series in history,
and their popularity remains, even today. Though Rowling uses a variety of neologisms
throughout her story, she draws on her own knowledge of Latin morphemes to create the
28
meanings of words. Lumos and Expelliarmus are examples of just this. Lumos for
instance, was created from the Latin bases lumen meaning "light" and solis meaning
"sun" (Pace Nilsen & Nilsen, 2006). Throughout the story readers will encounter many of
these made up words. Teachers can draw on these opportunities to teaching explicit
lessons in morphology with high interest, source-based literature.
If it weren't for Rowling's integration of morphemes and context clues the reader
might be left confused or frustrated because they are unable to understand the meanings
of these neologisms. However, Rowling intentionally uses these neologisms within
contexts that provide clues as to what their meanings could be. For example, in Harry
Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Rowling, 1997) the three main characters have gotten
themselves into a difficult situation where they are trying to sneak out of the dormitory to
stop an evil professor from acquiring the Sorcerer's Stone. A fourth student, Neville,
finds them out of bed and tries to stand up to them. Hermione Granger heads him off by
pointing her wand at him and saying "Petrificus Totalus." Neville's arms snap to his
sides, his legs spring together and his whole body becomes rigid before he falls to the
floor, stiff as a board (Rowling, 1999, pg. 272). The context in which Rowling presents
the spell Petrificus Totalus provides opportunities for working with the words, breaking
them into their word parts and discussing the context to determine a meaning for the
spell. Throughout the novels, Rowling presents words in this fashion.
The Harry Potter books are written in this way to make reading accessible to
many levels of readers. The use of morphemes to create neologisms and context clues to
help foster word consciousness and define new words makes them even more accessible
29
to readers. The books are written at reading levels that span three grades, ranging from
5.5 - 7.2 according to the Accelerated Reader program (Accelerated Reader, 2013). The
books provide opportunities for teachers to engage struggling readers in high interest text
that will foster strategy and skills development. Additionally, selecting the first book in a
seven part series presents those same readers with a chance to become hooked on a high
interest, but extended book series that will engage them long after the literature unit is
complete. Since the same author wrote the entire series, the students will have repeated
exposure to challenging words and many chances to practice their newly developed
morphemic contextual analysis skills.
Identifying the Right Words
It is important that teachers provide students with direct instruction in vocabulary
acquisition skills (Baumann et al., 2012; Baumann et al., 2003), and integrating these
lessons into an engaging unit based on an extended piece of literature (Pace Nilsen &
Nilsen, 2003). When choosing the right words to teach, teachers have a variety of
approaches and options they can choose from. The handbook provides a foundation for
selecting words based on extensive research for determining which words should receive
direct instruction. All of the word parts and words selected for the sample unit are chosen
for specific reasons: (1) the importance a word has in understanding the selection, (2) the
structural analysis that is crafted into the context, (3) the practice provided to students to
work with contextual analysis that is built into the syntax, and (4) how useful the
meaning of the word/word stem is outside of the literature (Graves, 2006 and Beck et al.,
2002). When selecting the words to teach, teachers must thoughtfully consider the
30
usefulness of the words they selected in a variety of situations. Throughout vocabulary
lessons, emphasis should be placed on the value of both understanding words and word
learning strategies.
Morphemic Analysis
The goal of any vocabulary instructional program should be to empower students
to take ownership of the words they learn, and use them appropriately in a variety of
contexts. Vocabulary instruction is one of the most difficult facets of the literacy diet.
There are over 88,533 distinct word families, with 180,000 semantically related words in
grades 3-9 content material alone (Nagy et al., 1985). It is impossible for teachers to
teach all of these words through weekly vocabulary lists. If students received instruction
in at least ten words per week throughout an academic year, they may learn close to 400
words. Over the course of their K-12 experience students would come close to learning
roughly 4,000 words, which is a small fraction of the 88,533 word families. Instead of
teaching individual words, teachers can teach students the skills they need to access the
meanings of new words, thus opening up opportunities for students to acquire thousands
of words per year through independent reading.
Morphemic analysis provides students with the skills and strategies to decipher
the meaning of new words when they are encountered in text for the first time (Bauman,
Edwards, Boland & Font, 2012). If a student has received instruction in the morpheme
bio which means life, they now have access to a family of words such as biology,
bioluminescence, biography, and biodiversity. Many of these words contain other
morphemes such as graph, ology and lumin, which, when paired with the morpheme
31
reveal partial, or even whole definitions of words. For example, bio means life, while
ology means study of. When put together the definition of biology becomes the study of
life. Many words can be broken down into their word parts to reveal partial meanings that
can aid a student in determining the meaning of a word. There are cases, however, where
there are phonetic shifts in word and the morphemes are difficult to identify. These
spelling shifts pose a challenge to students, but direct instruction in this can assist
students as they learn to recognize word parts (Bauman, Edwards, Boland, Olejnik &
Kame'enui, 2003).
The handbook was developed with the intention of providing students with skills
and strategies to identify morphemes within words, and how to use word parts and
context clues to determine the meaning of new words during independent reading. The
handbook provides teachers with a framework for explicit direct instruction in
morphology and contextual analysis. Each lesson follows the same basic direct
instruction format: an opener activity, modeling, guided practice, independent practice,
and extended practice as developed by Graves, Ruda, Sales and Bauman, (2012). The
opener activities integrate the use of both morphemic and contextual analysis skills,
though emphasis can be placed on either set of skills when necessary (Graves, 2006;
Beck, et al., 2003). Explicit modeling through think-aloud and guided practice ensures
that students are equipped with the tools they need to acquire words incidentally.
The initial lessons focus on teaching students vocabulary rules, or guidelines
about words (Bauman et al., 2003). The vocabulary rule is the foundation in which the
vocabulary unit it based. Once it is introduced students receive repeated exposure to the
32
rule and how to use it independently throughout the unit. Students will learn how to use
context clues and word part clues, in addition to how to make hypotheses about the
meaning of a word and test their predictions for accuracy. Once the Vocabulary Rule is
introduced, teachers will begin instruction in using word part clues to determine the
meaning of new words.
Beck, et al. (2002) posit that children learn words best when they are encountered
in the text naturally. It is for this reason that the handbook emphasizes choosing to teach
morphemes that are naturally present in the text, rather an artificially teaching a list of
words without context. The lessons in the handbook introduce students to word parts that
will be encountered in the text selection before it has been assigned. For example, in the
sample unit using Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Rowling, 1997) students will
learn the Vocabulary Rule, Word Part Clues, and the "not" prefix family, un-, im- and dis before chapter one is assigned. When students begin reading the selection, they will
have been introduced to the vocabulary words and will be encouraged to keep track of
words they are learning in their vocabulary logs.
Students are motivated to learn new words when they are given the freedom to
choose the words they are interested in learning (Graves, 2006). The vocabulary log
provides students with a place to track the words they are learning through direct
instruction, in addition to the words they encounter and decipher during independent
reading. In their 2003 study Vocabulary Tricks: effects of instruction in morphology and
context in fifth-grade students' ability to derive and infer word meanings, Bauman, et al.
(2003) presented students with a vocabulary log under to understanding that students
33
were taking on the role of "word detectives" who were tracking vocabulary in their "VFiles." In this particular study the vocabulary logs served mainly as a support for the
content area learning for both groups of students in the study, however, students were
motivated and maintained their vocabulary journals throughout the unit. Teachers, on the
other hand, can integrate the use of the vocabulary log throughout their lessons by
requiring students to keep notes about lessons in their vocabulary logs and track the
words they are learning during independent reading. Extension activities provide students
opportunities to discover the words they want to learn more about and discuss them with
their peers.
It is important to note, as it is in the lessons, that not all words follow the wordpart clues rule. There are phonetic shifts in words that pose a challenge even to the most
advanced learners. For this reason, the lessons emphasize that these are simply strategies,
not rules for determining the meanings of novel words encountered in text.
Contextual Analysis
When morphemic analysis fails, students can draw on their knowledge of context
clues to help them determine the meanings of words. Context clues are built in cues
within a sentence to help the reader develop an understanding of the meaning of a
particular word, in the specific way it is used. For struggling readers, authors who write
context clues into their stories open the doors to the acquisition of vocabulary and
enjoyment of their stories. Often, there are multiple meanings of words depending on
how they are used, and the context in which they are presented. It is important that
students are taught the skills to use context clues because it will assist them in
34
determining the meaning of new words they encounter in text (Graves, et al. 2012;
Graves, 2006; Baumann, et al.; 2003; Beck, et al, 2003).
In order to use context clues to determine the meaning of words in text, students
need explicit direct instruction in the five major types of context clues and how to use
them. Though contextual analysis is weaved throughout all of the lessons in the
handbook, students will receive explicit direct instruction in context clues beginning in
the middle of the lesson series. The handbook presents five types of context clues for
potential study: (1) definition, (2) synonym, (3) antonym, (4) example, and (5) general
context clues (Baumann, et al., 2012 and Baumann, et al., 2006). Because students learn
vocabulary best when it is framed within natural context (Beck, et al., 2002) the types of
context clues that students receive instruction in will vary. In the sample unit that is
attached to the handbook, students receive instruction in three types of context clues
because those are the only three the author used throughout the text.
Transfer of Skills
As soon as students begin receive direct instruction in morphology and contextual
analysis they will begin transferring their developing knowledge to their independent
reading. Through the use of their vocabulary log, students will be challenged by their
teacher to monitor their vocabulary acquisition by taking notes on words they are
learning during independent reading. Through extension activities such as independent
reading and word discussions teachers and students will have opportunities to discuss the
words they are interested in and words they are learning. The handbook provides support
for teachers facilitating discussion about vocabulary knowledge between students.
35
Additional extension activities such as mystery questions, word association brainstorms
and sentence completions invite students to extend their knowledge of word parts outside
of the context of the novel they are studying (Beck, McKeown, & Kucan, 2008).
Conclusion
The handbook was created based on several factors including: research conducted
in the field or morphology and contextual analysis, how to choose words for vocabulary
study, motivating adolescent readers and closing the vocabulary gap. The theoretical
design of the handbook was created on specific research in the area of vocabulary
development and instruction. Ultimately, this handbook was created to work as a
companion to a literature unit based on a novel. This is a companion to the teacher’s
lessons. The vocabulary lessons should last roughly fifteen to twenty minutes in an effort
to ensure that teachers have the time they need to devote to the standards and skills they
are teaching within the greater unit. There is no simple way to determine how much a
child will learn incidentally, but it is the goal that students will have skills to assist them
as they are developing their independent reading skills.
36
Chapter 4
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Through the process of developing this handbook, the author's understanding of
the complexities of vocabulary deficiencies and remediation has been broadened. The
purpose of the handbook was to create a series of lessons using high interest, sourcebased lessons to teach independent vocabulary acquisition strategies to students. These
lessons were created to be used by teachers to enhance their vocabulary program during a
novel unit. The lessons would serve as a companion to the novel unit, rather than
additional lessons outside of a meaningful context. In this chapter, a discussion of the
significance of this project, summary of the findings, limitations, recommendations and
conclusions are presented.
Discussion
Research has revealed that a growing vocabulary gap exists between children
raised in affluent homes and children raised in low socio-economic households. As early
as the age of three, researchers have been able to identify expanding statistical differences
in oral vocabulary development (Harte & Risely, 1995; Pan, Snow & Willett, 1993). By
the time these children enter school, the vocabulary gap has widened to the point of
becoming an obstacle for students who are learning to read. In follow up studies,
researchers found that the children who came from low socio-economic households still
lagged behind their more advantaged peers in their vocabulary knowledge. The gap in
vocabulary knowledge is related to the success and motivation a student experiences with
37
learning to read (Stanovich, 1986). When a student lacks vocabulary knowledge, reading
comprehension becomes a challenging and frustrating experience.
If children do not receive explicit and direct instruction in word acquisition
strategies the vocabulary gap will continue to widen. Stanovich (1986) claimed this
widening vocabulary gap is the result of the Matthew effect, in which the rich get richer,
while the poor get poorer. In this case, children rich in vocabulary knowledge will
continue to grow in their knowledge of words as they are more motivated to read. In
contrast, children who are poor in vocabulary knowledge tend to continue to lag behind
their peers, and later struggle with reading due to vocabulary deficiencies. These children
often develop low self-efficacy as readers because they believe they are not good at
reading, and self-identify as non-readers.
The challenge with children low in vocabulary knowledge is that they miss
opportunities to learn thousands of words a year by not reading. This is why the
vocabulary gap is ever expanding. The more a child reads, the more vocabulary they will
learn incidentally. Nagy, Herman and Anderson (1985) posit that children can potentially
learn up to 5,533 words if they read the recommended one million words per year. This
includes both academic materials and independent reading selections. Struggling readers
often find it difficult to self-motivate as they view themselves as poor readers and
experience frustration during reading. Teachers can intervene and empower students
through explicit direct instruction in vocabulary acquisition skills.
Many children seem to acquire morphological and contextual analysis skills on
naturally (Graves, Ruda, Gregory, & Baumann, 2012). They are able to break words
38
down into their word parts to determine their meaning, and draw from their knowledge of
context clues to strengthen their understanding of words. Struggling readers need direct
instruction and modeling of the strategies and skills in order to develop these independent
vocabulary acquisition abilities. Studies have revealed that children experience a
significant growth in their vocabulary knowledge once they have received instruction in
how to use morphemic cues and contextual analysis to infer word meanings (Kelley,
Lesaux, Kieffer & Faller, 2010; Bowers & Kirby, 2009; Bauman, Edwards, Boland,
Olejnik & Kame'enui, 2003). Though children who studied morphemic contextual
analysis outperformed peers who received textbook instruction in vocabulary, they were
still unable to determine the meanings of new words with untaught bases or affixes
(Bauman, et al., 2003; Bowers & Kirby, 2009). There is no perfect approach to teaching
vocabulary in the classroom; however, children who are taught how to use word
acquisition strategies will have the ability to learn more vocabulary on their own, when
compared to children who do not know how to use morphology and contextual analysis.
Summary
This handbook provides teachers with lessons explicitly focused on teaching
struggling readers the skills and strategies they need to acquire vocabulary incidentally,
during reading. The handbook contains a guide for teachers to create a companion unit to
a class novel, which focuses specifically on teaching students to identify word parts and
use context clues to determine the meaning of new words encountered during reading.
Throughout the unit, lessons will focus on teaching students to use a vocabulary log to
track the word acquisition strategies they are learning, and to keep a record of the new
39
words they have learned. Additionally, the lessons are fashioned in a way that introduces
morphology and weaves contextual analysis into the skills development.
The lessons first focus on equipping students to identify word parts. Beck,
McKeown, & Kucan (2002) posit that children learn vocabulary best through natural and
meaningful contexts, which is why the handbook focuses on equipping teachers with the
skills they need to choose words to study from the novel selection, and identify patterns
of morphemes that will be taught throughout the lessons. Children need to receive
repeated exposure to words in order for them to acquire a deep and meaningful
understanding of the word (Graves, 2006 and Beck et al., 2003). Through "opener"
activities and extended practice, students will encounter the word parts and target words
for the unit of study multiple times. The lessons are intended to last no more than fifteen
to twenty minutes per day, and they do not span every day of the unit. Teachers have
built-in opportunities to shape and create review lessons based on the needs of their
students.
The second half of the handbook includes a sample unit that was created using the
approaches presented in this study. This unit contains copies of a vocabulary log designed
especially for students who are studying the novel Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
(Rowling, 1997) and mini lessons that support the development of morphemic contextual
analysis skills. The lessons in the sample unit are presented as a model of what one unit
may look like, but teachers are not limited to the words suggested for instruction and/or
lesson activities. Since vocabulary is a very personal knowledge, the approach to
instruction in all classrooms should be unique.
40
Each student’s vocabulary repertoire is based on the experiences that they have
lived and the language that they have been exposed to. When students arrive in the
classroom teachers must assess and get to know the vocabulary needs of their students. It
is for this reason that the handbook provides instructions and models of how to select the
right words for instructing students. Though struggling readers share one thing in
common (that they are struggling with reading) their vocabulary deficiencies are very
unique, and teachers must adjust their instruction as needed. Words that may be difficult
or challenging for one group of students, may be easy and clearly understood by another.
The words that are chosen for instruction will be dependent upon the diverse needs of the
students in that particular classroom, in that particular city.
Strengths and Limitations
The limitations of this project include convincing teachers that there is intrinsic
value in providing students with explicit direct instruction in word acquisition skills.
Many teachers are accustomed to using word lists, and many teacher's guides for novel
units have already pulled suggested words for each chapter for word study. Since teachers
are limited in the amount of time they have to prepare their lessons, it will be challenging
to help teachers see the value in pre-reading a novel, choosing Tier 2 words for their
students, and identifying patterns of affixes and bases that should be taught in the lessons.
Additionally, during the pre-reading stage, teachers need to keep an eye out for the five
types of context clues that are taught in the lessons. Research suggests that children learn
best from meaningful exposures to text in a natural context, meaning that teachers should
teach the context clues that appear naturally in the text.
41
Teachers will have to dedicate a significant amount of time to reading through the
literature to identify patterns in morphological cues and context clues in order to prepare
for the lessons. Creating the vocabulary companion unit will be time-consuming in the
beginning. With practice and repeated exposure to designing the unit, teachers will
become accustomed to building lessons that are focused on teaching independent word
acquisition skills. Teachers will need to spend ample time reading through the entire
handbook, and modeling their units after the sample unit that is provided. Over time,
teachers will become more proficient in teaching morphology and contextual analysis and
the creation of these companion units will take much less time and effort by the teacher.
Recommendations for Implementation of the Handbook
Additional research should be done in the area of using high interest, sourcebased literature for lessons with struggling readers. Studies that focused specifically on
using source-based literature to teach independent vocabulary acquisition strategies were
difficult to find. The use of high interest literature in the classroom has the potential to
capture the attention of struggling readers, and maintain that attention throughout the
unit. These novel units provide opportunities to integrate independent vocabulary
acquisition lessons into curriculum currently being taught in Language Arts classrooms.
In order for students to build their confidence in reading and comprehending text, they
need frequent and repeated exposures to working with text and explicit direction in
developing the skills to comprehend and remember what they read. The more words that
a child knows, the greater their chances will be at comprehending the text selection.
42
Teachers need to empower struggling readers and work towards closing the
vocabulary gap. Using high interest, source-based lessons provides these opportunities. It
is recommended that educators use the handbook as a guide to create source-based
lessons using high interest literature to teach students independent vocabulary acquisition
skills.
Conclusions
As a result of the vocabulary gap and deficiencies in vocabulary that exist in
classrooms, students lack the word knowledge they need to be successful readers.
Educators have the opportunity to work towards closing this gap by providing students
with explicit direct instruction in the area of independent vocabulary acquisition skills.
Students who receive weekly instruction in word lists may learn a single definition of a
word for a week, before moving on to the next list. In contrast, students who receive
instruction in using morphology and inferring word meanings through context clues will
have strategies to grapple with the complexities of learning vocabulary incidentally
through independent reading. It is impossible for one teacher to teach the thousands of
words that children are lacking in their vocabulary repertoire, however, teachers can
equip and empower young readers to learn vocabulary on their own during independent
reading.
This handbook was created to provide teachers with the tools they need to be
successful educators of morphology and contextual analysis. The lessons were
specifically designed to meet the needs of struggling readers who find reading to be a
frustrating and/or unenjoyable experience. With the use of high interest literature,
43
teachers can grab the attention of even the most reluctant of readers and use that
opportunity to teach meaningful vocabulary acquisition skills. A book series such as
Harry Potter (Rowling, 1997) is accessible and interesting to young adults, and has the
potential to capture their interest for an extended period of time. High interest reading
material can become a doorway into the development of lifelong reading as well as
independent vocabulary acquisition skills.
44
APPENDIX A
Teaching Morphemic Contextual Analysis Skills
A Handbook for Teachers
45
Teaching Morphemic Contextual Analysis Skills
A Handbook for Teachers
By Christa A. Kile
California State University, Sacramento
46
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 48
Users Guide ........................................................................................................................... 50
Vocabulary Log .................................................................................................................... 51
Choosing the Words to Teach ............................................................................................ 53
Introducing Morphology ..................................................................................................... 55
Lesson Plan Format for Morphology Lessons.................................................................. 58
Strategies for Teaching Morphology ................................................................................. 60
Openers ..................................................................................................................... 60
Word Association Brainstorm .......................................................................... 60
Decoding the Sentence ...................................................................................... 61
Direct Instruction..................................................................................................... 62
Teaching Word Parts ......................................................................................... 62
Extended Practice .................................................................................................... 64
Sentence Completions ....................................................................................... 64
Idea Completions ............................................................................................... 66
Teaching Contextual Analysis ............................................................................................ 69
Lesson Plan Format for Contextual Analysis Lessons .................................................... 72
Strategies for Teaching Contextual Analysis ................................................................... 74
Opener....................................................................................................................... 74
Mystery Questions ............................................................................................ 74
47
Direct Instruction..................................................................................................... 75
Teaching Context Clues ................................................................................... 75
Extended Practice .................................................................................................... 77
Independent Reading ........................................................................................ 77
Defining the Words .......................................................................................... 79
Assessing Morphology and Contextual Analysis ............................................................ 81
Vocabulary Continuum ......................................................................................... 81
Context Interpretation ............................................................................................ 83
Appendix B Sample Unit .................................................................................................... 85
Teaching Morphemic Contextual Analysis Skills Using Harry Potter ............ 86
48
Introduction
Purpose of this Handbook
One of the most demanding tasks of being a teacher is convincing students to see
the value of reading independently. Research has revealed that students acquire most of
their vocabulary incidentally through independent reading. When children are not
engaged in reading on a daily basis, they are losing opportunities to develop and expand
their vocabulary repertoire. Another difficult challenge teachers face is equipping
struggling readers with the skills and strategies they need in order to be effective readers.
Many children appear to independently acquire the vocabulary acquisition skills
they need in order to read independently. However, children, especially struggling
readers, need explicit and direct instruction in vocabulary acquisition skills. They need to
see their teacher model the skills through a think aloud and to experience guided practice
as they learn to master the skills themselves. Teachers must empower these readers to use
their new skills independently. If they do not, these readers are in danger of falling
further and further behind while their more advantaged peers progress.
This handbook is comprised of summaries and rationales for a direct instruction
approach to teaching students the skills and strategies they need to acquire vocabulary
incidentally. More specifically, this handbook focuses on teaching students morphemic
contextual analysis skills. Through a series of mini lessons and modeling, students will
learn how to break words down into their word parts and use context clues to help them
determine the meaning of new words encountered during authentic reading experiences.
The lessons that are contained in the handbook are meant to serve as a companion
to a novel unit that would be taught in a class for supporting struggling readers. The unit
49
is not meant to be taught on its own, but rather as a blending of literary analysis and
vocabulary analysis lessons. The lessons in this handbook are meant to last no more than
fifteen to twenty minutes in length, with opportunities for extension activities to be
completed at home. The lessons are designed to build student knowledge about
vocabulary rules related to meeting new words during independent reading, breaking
words down into their affixes and bases and empowering students to draw on their
knowledge of context clues to assist them in learning words as they read.
Additionally, as an added support for teachers, a model unit has been attached to
the handbook based on the novel Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
(1997). This novel unit is based on a high interest book that is sure to capture and
maintain students' attention. A model vocabulary log book with sample lessons provide
additional support to teachers seeking to equip their students with the skills they need to
be empowered, confident readers.
50
Users Guide
This handbook was created to provide you with strategies to teach your struggling
readers independent vocabulary acquisition skills. Before beginning your unit, it is
important that you read through the entire handbook and thoughtfully consider how you
want to approach designing your lessons. It is recommended that you design your unit in
this order:
1. Select the book that your class will be reading.
2. Read through the book and choose words and word parts for instruction.
3. Organize a schedule of lessons, deciding which word parts and context clues to
teach.
4. Select the word parts and context clues based on what is naturally presented in the
novel your class will be reading.
5. Begin creating the lessons for the unit by integrating the strategies and approaches
presented in the handbook.
6. Begin instruction with teaching the vocabulary rule and word part clues in the
first two lessons.
7. Create the extended practice and assessment worksheets for the lessons.
8. Decide on a theme and design for the vocabulary log that students will use to take
notes in during the unit.
51
Vocabulary Log
Summary: Students should keep a record of the words they are learning through direct
instruction and incidentally through independent reading. The vocabulary log should
include a record of the words students are learning, their meanings and a good context
sentence. Depending on the needs of the students, teachers can add differentiated levels
of support in the form of pre-made vocabulary log pages where all of the information is
already printed, or students can fill the information in themselves as lessons progress.
Rationale: Keeping a vocabulary log or journal of some type provides students with a
place to record words that are introduced. Students can organize their words in the word
journal by lessons, relationships, such as common affixes or bases, or words encountered
during independent reading. Students should record the meaning of the word,
relationships to other words and include a context sentence.
Materials:
• Pens/pencils
• Notebook (this can be lined paper stapled together or a composition book)
Strategy Prep Steps:
1. Provide each student with a vocabulary notebook, or require that they purchase
one in the beginning of the school year.
2. Divide the vocabulary log into two sections with some type of tag (sticky notes or
self-sticking tabs work well for this).
3. Track all vocabulary notes in the logs during vocabulary lessons.
4. Vocabulary lessons will vary depending on your teaching approach, however it is
best to ensure that all students at least integrate the following into their notebooks:
a. Word
b. Meaning of Word
c. Sentence demonstrating the usage and meaning of the word with context
clues
5. During independent reading, students should track the vocabulary words they
notice from lessons, words they learn through word-part strategies, or words they
are interested in learning.
Implementing the Strategy:
1. Motivate students to keep track of their learning through a themed vocabulary log
such as describing students as "word detectives" who keep track of their
"evidence" in their "V-Files" or something similar. These can also be novel, or
theme specific depending on the unit under study.
2. Provide explicit modeling for students during instruction.
52
3. Encourage students to work together to during vocabulary activities such as
creating sentences that demonstrate the meaning of the word with context clues.
4. Provide students time to share out the vocabulary words they encounter during
independent reading with a partner or the whole class.
Example:
From a unit using Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone:
• Role of Student: Word Wizards
• Keeping Track of their: Magical Knowledge
• Title of Vocabulary Log: The Standard Book of Words and How to Find Them
Example of morphemes taught during whole class instruction:
Word
Meaning Example
Context Sentence
Part
Words
unnot
uneasy,
Mrs. Potter was Mrs. Dursley's sister, but they
uncoil,
hadn't met for several years; in fact, Mrs. Dursley
unDursleyish pretended she didn't have a sister, because her
sister and her good-for-nothing husband were as
unDursleyish as it was possible to be.
Student Created Sentence:
Eating your boogers is as unMikaelaish as it is possible to be because they are disgusting
and taste bad.
Example of words taught, presented with context clues, during whole class instruction:
Word
Meaning
Context Clue Context Sentence
Type
muggle
people
definition
"A Muggle," said Hagrid, "it's what we call
without
nonmagic folk like them."
magic
Student Created Sentence:
Being a Muggle is a lot less interesting than being a witch because they cannot use spells to
make their rooms clean themselves.
abnormal
out of the synonym
"Then she met that Potter boy at school and
ordinary,
they left and got married and had you, and of
strange
course I knew you'd be just the same, just as
strange, just as --as--abnormal--and they, if
you please, she went and got herself blown up
and we got landed with you!"
Student Created Sentence:
My brother and his smelly friends are abnormal because they wear their Halloween
costumes to public places long after they are supposed to.
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Choosing the Words to Teach
How to Select Words and Morphemes to Teach
Summary: As each classroom is unique, all teachers should keep the needs of their
students in mind when selecting words and morphemes to teach. Teachers should select
high-frequency words and morphemes that often appear in a wide variety of texts and can
add productively to an individual's vocabulary. Choosing words from literature currently
being studied provides rich contexts to discuss the meanings of these words.
Rationale: Selecting high-frequency words and morphemes that appear in a wide variety
of texts provides struggling readers with access to words and morphemes that are often
encountered during reading. Teachers should keep in mind the following when selecting
words and morphemes: (1) importance and utility, (2) instructional potential, and (3)
conceptual understandings.
•
•
•
Importance and utility: words/morphemes that are often encountered across a
variety of texts/subject areas.
Instructional potential: words/morphemes that can be used in a variety of ways so
students can build connections to other words and concepts.
Conceptual understandings: words/morphemes that students have a general
understanding of, but need additional support.
Selecting words from sources that children are reading provides vocabulary support for
often challenging or difficult texts. Teachers should consider the following in selecting
words from literature: (1) the importance of the word for comprehending the text, (2) the
presence of context clues built into the sentence, (3) the practice offered by the sentence
to develop contextual analysis, (4) the usefulness of the word outside of the text selection.
Materials:
• Pen/paper for collecting words
• Text selection/novel
Strategy Prep Steps:
1. Preview the reading selection looking for high-frequency words.
2. Look for words that are:
a. important to comprehending the text.
b. presented with context clues.
c. useful outside of the text selection.
3. Create a list of potential words.
4. Use your best judgment based on your understanding of your students' to select
the words to be studied.
54
5. From the selected word list, identify patterns of affixes that are present in the text.
6. Determine the importance of teaching the affixes and select for instruction.
7. Organize morphology lessons to be taught prior to when the selection will be read
by the students.
Example:
Words selected as potential words for instruction from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's
Stone, chapters one and two:
• nonsense
• ruffled
• mysterious
• careless
• unDursleyish
• unsticking
• chortled
• astounding
• uneasy
• spectacles
• contrary
• astrice
• unusually
• tuft
• unable
• disagree
• pursed
• uncoiling
• unblinkingly
• unknown
• unwelcome
Identified prefix for instruction: "un-, dis-"
Organize the words in a schedule of your lessons based on when you will be teaching
each chapter. It is important that the vocabulary lessons match up with the dates and
times you are teaching specific chapters as the goal is to prepare students to use the
strategies during reading.
Lesson number, focus
and novel pages
Lesson 3
Pages 1-17
Assessment or
instructional content
Chapter 1
Strategy
Anchor Vocabulary
Teach "not" prefix
family: dis, un, im, in
uneasy, unable,
unsticking, disagree,
uncoiling
Lesson 4
Pages 18-30
Chapter 2
Teach suffix ious, ous,
eous
dangerous, poisonous
Lesson 5
Pages 31-45
Chapter 3
Teach suffix ly and
Definition context clues
gruffly, sharply, timidly
55
Introducing Morphology
How to Begin Lessons in Morphology
Summary: When students are able to break words into parts, they can use their
knowledge of bases, prefixes and suffixes to help them construct a meaning for the word.
If students possess the skills to deduce the meanings of words based on their word parts
they have the potential to learn thousands of words independently throughout their life
time.
Rationale: Students who receive instruction in how bases and affixes work have shown
significant growth in their vocabulary knowledge over time. Regular systematic
instruction in morphology enables students to decipher the meaning of new words with
previously taught bases and affixes. Though there are children who seem to pick this skill
up on their own, most children need explicit instruction in how to use these skills to
enhance their vocabulary.
Materials:
• Chart papers (or posters) with the Vocabulary Rule and Word-Part Clues
• Handouts of the Vocabulary Rule and Word-Part Clues for vocabulary logs
• Pens/pencils for students
• White board/overhead projector with overheads
Strategy Prep Steps:
1. Be sure to have all of the materials ready for the lesson
Implementing the Strategy:
Day 1
1. Explain to students that sometimes when we read we come across words that we
don't know. Even though we may not know the word, there are some strategies
that we can use to help us figure out the meaning of these words. Together, we are
going to use our word detective skills to figure out the meanings of new words.
To help us with this we have a secret weapon.
2. Point out the Vocabulary Rule Poster and explain the four parts.
3. Provide students with the handout to glue into their vocabulary logs.
56
Adapted from a study conducted by Baumann et al., 2003.
VOCABULARY RULE
When you come to a word, and you don't know what it means, use
1. CONTEXT CLUES: Read the sentences around the word to see if there are clues
to its meaning.
2. WORD-PART CLUES: Try to identify word parts such as a root word, prefix, or
suffix to help you determine its meaning.
3. HYPOTHESIZE: Make a guess about the meaning of the word based on what you
know
4. CONTEXT CLUES: Read the sentences around the word again to see if you have
figured out its meaning.
Day 2
1. Review the Vocabulary Rule Poster.
2. Tell students you are going to focus on "Word-Part Clues" today. You might say
something like this:
Over the next few weeks we are going to look at how we can use
word parts to help us learn the meanings of words we don't know
while reading. The word parts we are going to learn about are
called prefixes, suffixes and roots. These are small parts of words
that come at the beginning, middle or the end of a word. Knowing
these word parts gives us clues about the meanings of a lot of new
words. As you already know, figuring out the meanings of new
words is an important part of understanding what you read.
3. Point out the Word-Part Clues poster and read with the class.
4. Provide students with the handout to glue into their vocabulary logs.
5. Introduce the first prefix for your unit series.
a. Explain that prefixes are a group of letters that go in front of a word. You
might explain it like this:
A prefix is a group of letters that go in front of a word. Un- is the
first prefix that we are going to study, and you have probably seen.
It means "not." Though we can make a big list of all the prefixes
we know, they are not words by themselves; they are always
attached to another word. Think about the word unhappy. Do you
recognize a smaller word inside? You probably saw the word
happy. We know what happy means, but when the prefix un- is
attached to it, the word changes to mean not happy.
b. Provide them with a meaningful example from the text selection they are
reading.
57
c. Explicitly teach the meaning of your first prefix, or prefix family by
providing students with the prefix, meaning, example words and a context
sentence showing the meaning of the prefix.
d. Students should practice creating their own sentences using the target
morpheme.
e. This should be recorded in the student's vocabulary log.
Adapted from a study conducted by Baumann et al., 2003.
WORD-PART CLUES
1. Look for the ROOT WORD, which is a single word that cannot be broken into
smaller words or word parts. See if you know what the root word means.
2. Look for a PREFIX, which is a word part added to the beginning of a word that
changes its meaning. See if you know what the prefix means.
3. Look for a SUFFIX, which is a word part added to the end of a word that changes
its meaning. See if you know what the suffix means.
4. Put the meanings of the ROOT WORD and any PREFIX or SUFFIX together and
see if you can build the meaning of the word.
Example:
Example Vocabulary Log entry from a lesson using Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's
Stone
Morpheme
Meaning
Example Words
Context Sentence
disnot
disagree,
Everybody knew that Dudley's gang
disrespect,
hated that odd Harry Potter in his baggy
disloyal
old clothes and broken glasses, and
nobody liked to disagree with Dudley's
gang.
Student Created Sentence:
No one wanted to disagree with Dudley and his gang because they were a bunch of
bullies who would beat you up if you didn't like something they were doing.
58
Morphology Lessons
Lesson Plan Framework for Teaching Affixes and Roots
Summary: The lesson plan format below serves as a guide to ensure that teachers
include engaging lessons in morphology. The format organizes a lesson that includes an
opener, direct instruction, guided practice and independent practice. There is also room
for an extension activity if the teacher feels students would benefit from additional
practice.
Rationale: The approach to teaching the morphology lessons is explicit. The lessons
include student engagement through an opener activity, explicit description of the
strategy and when and how it should be used, modeling of the strategy, guided practice
using the strategy and independent practice. It is imperative that the teacher model
thinking skills aloud so students have an example on which to base their skill
development. During guided practice, students and teachers collaborate together on the
usage of the strategy as the teacher gradually lessens the support. Eventually, students
will engage in independent practice where they try the skill on their own as the teacher
conferences with individual students.
Lesson Plan Format:
Morphemes to
teach: Select the
target morphemes for
this lesson
Opener:
Capture students'
interest in the study
by beginning with an
engaging activity
Direct Instruction:
Explicitly teach the
meaning of the target
morphemes
Example Lesson
un, dis, non
Word Association Brainstorm:
List as many words as you can think of that contain the following
word parts: un, dis, or non
(Example: when I see the word stem un I think of the word
unhealthy, like eating too much candy, or the word untidy, like
my bedroom this morning. Make a list of words that you think
of…").
Allow students time to brainstorm the words (60 seconds) then
ask pairs to share out as a class, creating a master list on the
board. When the list is finished, read through the words one at a
time asking students to identify the word part to show the
relationship.
Instruct students to write their notes in their vocabulary log.
Display the morphemes and their meanings on the board and
explain them to the class. Provide students with example words
and sentences using the target morpheme in a word. You context
sentence should be taken directly from the book or text you are
59
studying.
un, dis, non (word meaning: not)
Example Words: disagree, unable, unwilling, nonsense
Context Sentence: Harry had dreamed and dreamed of some
unknown relation coming to take him away, but it had never
happened; the Dursley's were his only family.
As a class, create a sentence (on the board) using one of the
Guided Practice:
Practice the skill with morphemes in which you demonstrate the meaning of the target
students, calling on
word.
students to participate
through modeling the Example: Mrs. Dursley was the most unfriendly neighbor one
could ask for because she gossiped and complained about the
skill and thinking a
loud
people around her.
Instruct students to create sentences in their vocabulary logs
Independent
Practice: Provide
using the target morphemes.
time for students to
independently
During independent practice, monitor student work by checking
practice the skill and in with struggling students.
give them feedback
on their progress
Instruct students to share their context sentences with a partner,
then share out a few examples as a class.
Handout copies of the Sentence Completion with Word Parts
Extended Practice:
Reinforce the
worksheet, review the directions and model the correct strategy
morpheme meanings for completing the sentences.
through extended
practice
60
Strategies for Teaching Morphology
Mini Lessons
Openers
Word Association Brainstorm
Summary: Word associations provide students an opportunity to identify
connections between the word stems and words they already know. This is a
quick activity that can be done independently or in pairs, where students have a
chances to brainstorm ideas together. Additionally, the word association
brainstorm provides an opportunity for students to access prior knowledge and
prepare them for learning.
Rationale: Encouraging students to make connections between words helps them
to see how words are related. In this case, students will begin to see the
relationship between the meaning of the morpheme and the meaning of the words
on their brainstorm list. This further supports their developing conscientiousness
of how morphemes change the meanings of base words.
Materials:
• Vocabulary Journals
• Pencils
Strategy Prep Steps
1. Gather the target morphemes for the study.
2. List the morphemes on the board or on an overhead, do not give
definitions.
3. Instruct Students to do the activity in their vocabulary logs.
4. Ensure that you have a timer and/or stop watch set for 60 seconds.
Implementation of the Strategy
1. Place the target morphemes on the board/overhead.
2. Explain to students that they have 60 seconds to brainstorm as many
words as they can think of that contain those word parts.
3. Allow students to work in pairs to brainstorm together.
4. Instruct students to write the target morphemes in their vocabulary logs
and begin listing the words they know that contain the target morphemes.
5. When the time is up, ask students to share out examples of the words.
6. List the words on the board for all students to see.
7. As a class, review the words, one by one, identifying the word part.
8. If words do not belong, cross them off the list.
61
9. If there are questions about word parts, place a question mark next to them
and discuss the word as a class to determine if that word demonstrates the
appropriate word part.
10. Finally, ask students if they can guess the meaning of the target
morphemes based on what they see on the board.
Decoding the Sentence
Summary: In this activity, students draw on their knowledge of word part clues
to help them determine the meaning of a sentence, and then to paraphrase the
given sentence.
Rationale: When students are aware of words that are unfamiliar to them and
they strategically break them down into their word parts they learn more words
during independent reading. Decoding the Sentence is an activity in which
students must identify word parts to aid in their analysis of a word's meaning.
Further, students must take that word meaning and paraphrase a sentence
communicating the general message. Students may struggle with this activity at
first, but providing them with a word part clue under the sentence will aid in
fostering word consciousness as they use the clues to break the word apart to
determine its meaning.
Strategy prep Steps:
1. Create an overhead with the directions for decoding the sentence and a
model sentence to be practiced together.
2. Prepare a model sentence that draws on the context presented in the text
selection.
3. You may choose to introduce a new word part now, or reinforce and
review a word part clue from a previous lesson.
Implementation of the Strategy:
1. Place the overhead on the board with the directions and model sentence
2. Read the directions with the students and model decoding the sentence
through a think aloud
a. Read the sentence aloud, stopping at the underlined (target) word.
b. Think-aloud about possible meanings of the word.
c. Look for the word parts and consider what they mean.
d. Use the word part clue given by the teacher.
e. Create a hypothesis for the meaning of the underlined word and
test it out by reading the sentence again.
f. Restate the sentence, but put it in your own words.
62
3. Complete a second sentence with the students and ask volunteers to justify
their responses. During this time assess if students understand how to use
the strategy.
4. Provide students time to work independently or in pairs, to apply and
strategy and paraphrase the sentence.
5. Have students pair share their response and justify the decisions they made
while paraphrasing the sentence.
6. Share out as a class and ask students to justify their decision by explaining
how they used the word part clues to determine the meaning of the
underlined word.
Example:
Taken from a unit using Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.
Decoding the Sentence
Directions: Read and paraphrase the sentence below. Be sure to demonstrate that
you understand the meaning of the underlined word. Try to do this on your own,
but use the word part clue if you need help.
1. She got a letter just like that and disappeared off to that--that school--and came
home every vacation with her pockets full of frog spawns, turning teacups into
rats.
2. "Shouldn't have lost my temper," he said ruefully "but it didn't work anyway."
Word Part Clues:
dis- not
rue- regret
Direct Instruction
Teaching Word Parts
Summary: Struggling readers need explicit direct instruction in how to identify
and use word parts. With modeling, guided practice and independent practice
students will become conscious of word parts and use them to determine the
meanings of new words encountered during reading.
Rationale: Using the same procedure for teaching all of the word parts taught in
the unit means that students can learn the routine, then focus all of their attention
on learning the word parts and working with them to determine word meanings.
With a consistent approach to teaching the word part strategy students can
63
concentrate on simply learning the word parts, rather than worrying about
understanding the instructional approach.
Strategy Prep Steps:
1. Ensure students have their vocabulary logs ready for notes, or that they
have blank teacher made copies of the log pages.
2. Gather the morphemes that you are teaching for this lesson.
3. Collect context sentences from the text under study.
Implementing the Strategy:
1. Review the word part strategy poster that was taught on day two. Remind
students that word parts can help readers figure out the meaning of new
words encountered during reading.
2. Introduce the word part by providing students with the morpheme and the
meaning.
3. Brainstorm at least one example word through a think-aloud, then ask
students to add two additional example words to their chart. You may
consider providing them time to work in pairs to do this, or as extended
practice.
4. Model using an example word in a context sentence demonstrating the use
of the morpheme. This should be a quote taken directly from the text in
which the morpheme was collected when you were selecting words for the
unit.
5. Create another example sentence together as a class on the overhead.
Allow students to either draw on the context of the novel unit, or relate the
word to personal experience.
6. Provide students time to work independently to use the example word in a
meaningful sentence that demonstrates their understanding of the target
morpheme.
64
Example:
Example log entry taken from a unit using Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.
Word Part Lessons
Word Part
Meaning
Example Words
Context Sentence
un-
not
uneasy, uncoil, "Mrs. Potter was Mrs. Dursley's sister, but
unDursleyish
they hadn't met for several years; in fact,
Mrs. Dursley pretended she didn't have a
sister, because her sister and her good-fornothing husband were as unDursleyish as it
was possible to be" (pg 2).
Student Created Sentence:
Eating your boogers is as unMikaelaish as it is possible to be because they are disgusting
and taste bad.
Extended Practice
Sentence Completions with Words Containing the Prefixes
Summary: Sentence completions with words containing the prefixes provides
students with additional exposure to the target morphemes and words under study.
Through these varied exposures, students will have encountered the target words
multiple times, making it more likely that they will be stored in their long term
working memory.
Rationale: One of the strongest findings in vocabulary research is that effective
vocabulary instruction provides students multiple exposures before a word or
word part is truly known. It is not enough for a student to simply receive direct
instruction in the meaning of a word; they must have time to work with and think
critically about the meaning of the word. This activity requires that students think
critically about the meaning of the word parts, and how they support the message
of the sentence. During review, teachers should ask students to justify their
responses by explaining why they made the selection that they did.
Materials:
• Sentence Completion worksheet
• Writing utensils
• Overhead with model for teaching the extension activity
65
Strategy Prep Steps:
1. Make copies of the Sentence Completion worksheet. These can be half
sheet copies that can be glued into the students vocabulary log.
2. Copy the worksheet onto an overhead for direction and modeling of the
strategy.
Implementing the Strategy:
1. Explain to students that they are going to be practicing working with
words that contain the word parts they have been studying.
2. Handout copies of the Sentence Completion worksheet.
3. Read through the directions with students, answering questions a needed.
4. Using the model sentence, demonstrate to students how to appropriately
select a word that finishes the sentence.
5. Model thinking aloud about the meaning of the word part and asking
yourself questions to monitor your vocabulary selection.
6. Fill in the blank (in the sentence) with the appropriate word, read the
sentence aloud to make sure it makes sense in the context provided.
7. Answer questions.
Example:
From a lesson using Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, adapted from Nilsen
and Nilsen, 2006.
Sentence Completions Using Word Parts
un, dis and non
Directions: As you fill in the blanks, choose from: unusually, unable,
nonsense, uncoiling, disagree
1. The great snake was _____________ itself rapidly , slithering out onto the
floor.
2. All this 'You-Know-Who' ___________________ --for eleven years I have
been trying to persuade people to call him by his proper name Voldermort.
3. Birdwatchers everywhere have reported that the nation's owls have been
behaving very _____________ today.
4. Everyone knew that Dudley's gang hated that odd Harry Potter in his baggy
old clothes and broken glasses, and nobody liked to_______________ with
Dudley's gang.
5. Experts are ___________ to explain why the owls have suddenly changed
their sleeping pattern.
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Now write at least three original sentences that use a word based on the word
parts we have studied. You may reuse some of the words we have talked
about or think of others. You are welcome to use your dictionaries for help.
Idea Completions
Summary: Instead of simply having students write a sentence using a target
word, students are provided with a sentence that requires them to consider the
word's meaning and the context in which it is presented in order to explain a
situation. This type of activity prevents students from writing the obvious
sentence (such as "The child was unhappy.").
Rationale: Teachers often require students to write sentences using a target
vocabulary word as part of their vocabulary program. This most often results in
meaningless sentences, or contexts in which the word is not properly used. When
a student is provided with a sentence stem and they are required to finish the
sentence, they must make judgments and justifications for why they chose the
words that they did. This higher level thinking further ingrains the knowledge
about the meaning of the word.
Materials:
• Vocabulary log
• Writing Utensils
• Overhead with sentence stems
Strategy Prep Steps:
1. You will need to create the handout and sentence stems prior to the
activity.
2. Make enough copies for your students.
3. To save paper, print the assignment on a half sheet of paper.
4. Use words and/or word parts that you have recently studied.
5. Review past words and/or word parts you have previously studied.
6. Draw from the context what the novel unit you are currently studying for
the names of characters, settings and actions.
Implementing the Strategy:
1. Create sentence stems ending with "because…" requiring students to
complete the thought.
2. The sentence stems should be created drawing from the context of the
novel unit under study.
3. When introducing the assignment to students, explicitly explain the
purpose of the strategy.
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You may say something like this:
Today we are going to practice using our knowledge of word parts
to help us finish sentences. It is important that we show the reader
that we understand the meaning of the underlined word when we
choose our words for writing.
Let me show you what I mean. The first sentence says "Harry was
miserable living with the Dursley's because…" I notice that there is
an underlined word, this must be the word that I need to show the
meaning of in my sentence. When I look closely at the word I
notice a word part we just learned! That word part is mis-, I know
that mis- means wrong, bad, or badly. That word must mean
something related to feeling bad because I know that Harry was
very unhappy living under the stairs and he wasn't very loved. I
think I will finish the sentence like this "Harry was miserable
living with the Dursley's because he was forced to live in a
cupboard under the stairs and got smelly socks for his birthday,
which made him very unhappy."
4. Allow students to practice the skills with you through guided practice
You may say something like this:
Now that I have shown you how to complete the sentence, let's try
one together. Which sentence would you like to try?
Follow up with questions such as:
Why did you choose to finish the sentence that way?
What made you think that?
What word part clue did you find?
5. Monitor students as they work independently on completing the sentences
Example:
Taken from a lesson using Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. This activity
follows the introduction of the following morpheme: mis-, and review of the
following morphemes: dis-, unIdea Completions
Directions: Read the given sentence stem and complete the sentence
demonstrating your understanding of the underlined word.
1. Harry was miserable living with the Dursley's because…
2. Ronald Weasley discontinued using his broken wand because…
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3. Hermione disabled the curse during the Quidditch match because…
4. Draco made Hermione feel like a misfit because…
5. Harry unlatched the window because…
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Teaching Contextual Analysis
Teaching Students to Use Context Clues
Summary: Contextual analysis is one of the most important word learning strategies
because it can be used to help students determine the meaning of new words. Instruction
in each of the five context clues strategies will assist students during analysis, and help
foster word consciousness during independent reading.
Rationale: When students are unfamiliar with words they are reading they can use a
variety of strategies to help them determine the meaning of a word. Students should
understand that different contexts provide different levels of information about word
meaning. Instruction in contextual analysis should start with explicit modeling, and then
instruction should be scaffolded until students are successfully able to use the skills
themselves. There are five different types of context clues that students can draw from to
help them deduce the meaning of a word: (1) definition context clues, (2) synonym
context clues, (3) antonym context clues, (4) example context clues, and (5) general
context clues.
Materials:
• Text selection
• Vocabulary notebook
• Pens/pencils
Strategy Prep Steps:
1. Introduce the context in which the word is presented.
2. Question during reading.
3. Identify and/or emphasize the unfamiliar word.
4. Look for clues in the text.
5. Make a hypothesis and test it.
6. Summarize the meaning of the sentence.
Implementing the Strategy:
1. Before beginning lessons on context clues, introduce the types of context clues
you will be studying. You do not need to teach all five in one unit.
2. Read and provide examples for the types of context clues you will teach
throughout the unit.
3. Model reading a selection from the text.
a. Through thinking aloud, stop at an unfamiliar word and question yourself
b. Identify the unfamiliar word.
c. Look for clues in the text and think about how they help or do not help
you determine the word meaning.
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d. Test your hypothesis by making a guess about what the word means.
e. Go back and look for more clues or summarize the meaning of the
sentence.
CONTEXT CLUES
1. DEFINITION CONTEXT CLUES: The author gives you a definition for a word
right in the sentence.
2. SYNONYM CONTEXT CLUES: The author uses another word that means about
the same as the word you are trying to understand.
3. ANTONYM CONTEXT CLUES: The author uses another word that means the
opposite or nearly the opposite of the word you are trying to understand.
4. EXAMPLE CONTEXT CLUES: The author gives you several words or ideas that
are examples of the word you are trying to understand.
5. GENERAL CONTEXT CLUES: The author gives you some general clues to the
meaning of a word, often spread over several sentences.
Example:
From a unit on Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
READING SELECTION: "He's not going," he said. Hagrid grunted. "I'd like to see a
great Muggle like you stop him," he said. "A what??" said Harry, interested. "A Muggle,"
said Hagrid, "It's what we call nonmagic folk like them."
TEACHER: Muggle? That's a word that I have never seen or heard before. I wonder what
it means? Well, I see here in the text that one of the characters asks that the word means,
so I am going to read on and see if I can find a definition clue in the text.
READ THE SELECTION AGAIN
TEACHER: As I kept reading I saw that another character defined it as "nonmagic folk."
This must mean people who are not wizards, because I also know that non- means not,
and people who are not wizards do not have magic. I am going to make sure I enter this
new word in my vocabulary log.
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Example Vocabulary Log Entry
Word
Meaning
Context Clue
Context Sentence
Type
muggle
people
definition
"A Muggle," said Hagrid, "it's what we
without
call nonmagic folk like them."
magic
Student Created Sentence:
Being a Muggle is a lot less interesting than being a witch because they cannot use spells
to make their rooms clean themselves.
abnormal
out of the synonym
"Then she met that Potter at school and
ordinary,
they left and got married and had you,
strange
and of course I knew you'd be just the
same, just as strange, just as --as-abnormal--and they, if you please, she
went and got herself blown up and we got
landed with you!"
Student Created Sentence:
My brother and his smelly friends are abnormal because they wear their Halloween
costumes to public places long after they are supposed to.
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Lesson Plan Format for Contextual Analysis Lessons
Lesson Plan Framework for Teaching Context Clues
Summary: It is important that students receive consistent instruction in approaches to
teaching as this will better prepare them for learning a skill, practicing it with a teacher,
then mastering it on their own. The lesson plan format below serves as a guide to ensure
that teachers include engaging lessons in contextual analysis.
Rationale: The approach to teaching the contextual analysis lessons is explicit. The
lessons include student engagement through an opener activity, explicit description of the
strategy and when and how it should be used, modeling of the strategy, guided practice
using the strategy and independent practice. Be sure to provide ample think aloud
opportunities for both teachers and students as contextual analysis is a deep thinking skill.
There are many steps, questions and judgments that must be made and students will need
a lot of modeling and guided practice to master the strategy.
Lesson Plan Format:
Context Clue to
teach: Select the
target context clue
for this lesson
Opener:
Capture students'
interest in the lesson
by beginning with an
engaging activity
Direct Instruction:
Explicitly teach the
meaning of the target
morphemes
Example Lesson
Definition
Mystery Questions
Display the mystery questions on the board and allow students to
work in pairs to answer the questions. Students should writing in
complete sentences.
Instruct students to write their notes in their vocabulary log.
Display the context clue that you will be focusing on during that
lesson. Explain the type of context clue, then review examples of
that context clue taken from the novel unit.
Model using the context clue through a think-aloud, and ask
students to explain how you were able to find the meaning of the
word. You may also draw on your knowledge of word parts to
demonstrate how using both strategies together can help you
determine the meaning of the word (which is the ultimate goal).
Instruct students to take notes in their vocabulary log:
Word: muggle
Meaning: people without magic, regular people
Context Clue Type: definition
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Context Sentence: "A Muggle," said Hagrid, "it's what we call
nonmagic folk like them."
Guided Practice:
Practice the skill with
students, calling on
students to participate
through modeling the
skill and thinking a
loud
Independent
Practice: Provide
time for students to
independently
practice the skill and
give them feedback
on their progress
Read a selection of the text together (that has at least two to
three of the target words for instruction). Ask a volunteer to
share, in a think-aloud, how they used the context clue to help
them determine the meaning of the word.
During independent practice students should work on reading the
text either independently, or in pairs. During reading, students
should monitor their understanding of words. When they come to
words that are unfamiliar, they should try using the context clues
to determine the meaning of the new word.
Students should keep track of the words they encounter and the
type of context clue it is in the independent reading section of
their vocabulary log.
Independent Reading
Extended Practice:
Reinforce the
morpheme meanings
through extended
practice
Example Log Entry for Instruction in using Context Clues:
From a lesson using Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Word
Meaning Context Clue Context Sentence
Type
muggle
people
definition
"A Muggle," said Hagrid, "it's what we call
without
nonmagic folk like them."
magic
Student Created Sentence:
Being a Muggle is a lot less interesting than being a witch because they cannot use spells to
make their rooms clean themselves.
abnormal out of the synonym
"Then she met that Potter boy at school and
ordinary,
they left and got married and had you, and of
strange
course I knew you'd be just the same, just as
strange, just as --as--abnormal--and they, if you
please, she went and got herself blown up and
we got landed with you!"
Student Created Sentence:
My brother and his smelly friends are abnormal because they wear their Halloween costumes
to public places long after they are supposed to.
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Strategies for Teaching Context Clues
Mini Lessons
Openers
Mystery Questions
Summary: In this activity, students are required to consider how words are
related or connected to each other. Students can draw on their knowledge of
word parts and context clues to determine their answer to the question. Students
must also provide a rationale for why they chose the selected answer.
Rationale: Requiring students to determine relationships between words allows
them to make decisions and support their response. This also provides students
with an opportunity to engage with the morpheme and context clues to determine
and justify their answer.
Materials:
• Vocabulary Journals
• Pencils
Strategy Prep Steps:
1. Gather 2-5 of the target words from the study.
2. Create questions with built in context clues that reflect the type of context
clue you have been studying.
3. Draw ideas from the natural context of the text selection/novel such as
integrating the names of characters, settings or plot events.
Implementing the Strategy:
1. Place directions and a model sentence on the board for students to see.
2. Explain to students that the purpose of mystery questions is to think about
how the meanings of the words interact with the context in order to
respond to the question.
3. Remind students that they must respond using complete sentences that
show they understand the meaning of the underlined/target word.
4. Read through the directions with the students and practice the model
sentence together.
5. During modeling, think aloud your thought processes as you work to
determine the answer to the question.
6. Model using the word part clue to help you adapt your answer as needed.
7. Model writing the answer to the mystery question, restating the question
in the answer.
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8. Allow students to work in pairs to answer the mystery questions.
9. When students have completed the activity, probe them to justify their
answers by explaining how they arrived at their answer.
Example:
Taken from a unit using Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, after students
have received instruction in the morphemes un-, dis-, non- and finished reading
chapter 1.
Mystery Questions
Directions: Answer the following questions using complete sentences.
Demonstrate that you understand the meaning of the underlined word in your
answer.
1. Did Harry feel like an unwanted child in the Dursley home?
2. Would performing magic to clean the house be considered unDursleyish?
3. Why does Dudley see Harry as an unmatched opponent when he picks on him
at school?
4. How would a wizard disable an alarm clock in the morning?
5. Would a nonmagical person be able to perform magic?
Direct Instruction
Teaching Context Clues
Summary: Struggling readers need explicit direct instruction in how to identify
and use different kinds of context clues. With modeling, guided practice and
independent practice students will become conscious of context clues and use
them to determine the meanings of new words encountered during reading.
Rationale: Using the same procedure for teaching all of the word parts and
context clues taught in the unit means that students can learn the routine, then
focus all of their attention on learning the word parts and context clues, and
working with them to determine word meanings. With a consistent approach to
teaching the word part strategy and context clues students can concentrate on
simply learning the strategies, rather than worrying about understanding the
instructional approach.
Strategy Prep Steps:
1. Ensure students have their vocabulary logs ready for notes, or that they
have blank teacher made copies of the log pages.
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2. Choose a few passages of text that demonstrate the target context clue and
the target words for the lesson.
Implementing the Strategy:
1. Review the word context clues poster that was taught. Remind
students that context clues can help readers figure out the meaning of
new words encountered during reading.
2. Introduce the context clue directly stating the name of the context clue
and giving an example.
3. Students should copy the context clue type and example sentence in
their vocabulary log.
4. Model through a think-aloud how to use the context clue during
reading.
5. Students should write the target word and the definition in their
vocabulary log.
6. Direct students towards a new section of text that demonstrates the
context clue you are studying, and read the text aloud.
7. Ask volunteers to share if they noticed a context clue during the
reading, and explain how the context clue helps the reader learn the
meaning of a word.
8. Probe students with follow up questions to justify why they believe the
clue demonstrates the meaning of the word.
9. Direct students back to the text to continue reading and note when they
come across context clues and the meanings of new words in their
vocabulary log.
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Example:
Example log entry taken from a unit using Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.
Context Clues Lessons
From a lesson using Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Word
Meaning
Context Clue
Context Sentence
Type
muggle
people
definition
"A Muggle," said Hagrid, "it's what we
without
call nonmagic folk like them."
magic
Student Created Sentence:
Being a Muggle is a lot less interesting than being a witch because they cannot use spells
to make their rooms clean themselves.
abnormal
out of the synonym
"Then she met that Potter boy at school
ordinary,
and they left and got married and had
strange
you, and of course I knew you'd be just
the same, just as strange, just as --as-abnormal--and they, if you please, she
went and got herself blown up and we got
landed with you!"
Student Created Sentence:
My brother and his smelly friends are abnormal because they wear their Halloween
costumes to public places long after they are supposed to.
Extended Practice
Independent Reading
Summary: Providing students with meaningful interactions with new words and the
word acquisition strategies they are learning is an important part of their development as
word smiths. Students need to see and experience the skills in practice in order to solidify
their understandings. During independent reading, students will have opportunities to
actively engage in their reading and draw on their knowledge to learn words in context.
Rationale: Students will have received explicit direct instruction in context clues and
how to apply them during reading. Through modeling guided practice and independent
practice during class, students will have had opportunities to engage in critical analysis of
context clues. Students need to experience contextual analysis in a meaningful and
authentic way in order for them to experience the inherent value in applying the skills.
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Materials:
• Independent reading materials for students (self-selected reading material)
• Vocabulary log
• Writing utensil
Strategy Prep Steps:
1. Students should already be aware of how to enter words into their vocabulary log
through the previous lesson.
2. Ensure that students have copies of the independent reading log forms in their
vocabulary logs.
3. Make sure that the Vocabulary Rule poster and the Context Clues posters are on
display in the classroom.
Implementing the Strategy:
1. Explain to students that they will be reading independently for the allotted time
(the amount of time you choose is dependent on your students' stamina and ability
to stay focused).
2. Instruct students to turn to the Independent Reading section of their vocabulary
log.
3. Explain the expectations for engaging in independent reading and using their
context clues and/or word parts to help them determine the meanings of new
words.
4. Model how to enter a word during independent reading on the overhead. You may
say something like this:
While we are reading today, I want you to pay special attention to context
clues you may find in your stories. Sometimes writers give us clues about
words in the story and we want to be sure we are on the look-out for these
clues. I am going to show you what I want you to do when you learn a new
word by using the context clues.
I have been reading this book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. I really
like it because it is interesting and has a lot of action. When I was reading
today, I discovered the meaning of a new word because I learned how to use
context clues! I want to share with you how exciting it was, and how I wrote
about it in my vocabulary log. I don't want to forget this new word I learned.
When I was reading I read this sentence: "Draco Malfoy didn't go red, but a
pink tinge appeared in his pale cheeks."
I have never seen the word tinge before, but I think I might have an idea of
what it means based on the general context clues provided. You see, I notice
that the author says he didn't turn red after he was insulted by Harry Potter.
Instead a pink tinge appeared in his cheeks. I know pale has to do with the
color of someone's face because my mom has told me my face looked pale
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before. So, since they talk about red and pink in the face, tinge must mean
something to do with color. Maybe they are referring to the color of his face.
I am going to enter this into my vocabulary log like this. I also don't want to
forget to try and use the word in a sentence myself.
Word
Meaning
tinge
color
Context Clue
Type
general
Context Sentence
"Draco Malfoy didn't go red, but a pink
tinge appeared in his pale cheeks."
Student Created Sentence:
A pink tinge appeared in my cheeks after that boy said I was pretty.
5.
Elicit questions from students to clarify using the vocabulary log during
independent reading.
Defining the Words
Summary: After reading independently students should have attempted to identify and
define words using the context clues provided in the text. Students should be encouraged
to talk about the words they discovered with a partner and/or look up the definitions to
determine if they created an appropriate definition for their word.
Rationale: Since students are practicing contextual analysis on their own, and they do
not have the guidance of a teacher, they should be encouraged to talk about the new
words they identified with a partner and/or define the words using a dictionary to
determine if they created an appropriate definition of their word. This will reinforce
students' confidence in contextual analysis and support them in a understanding the
words they are learning.
Materials:
• Independent reading book
• Vocabulary log
• Writing utensil
• Dictionary
Strategy Preparation Steps:
1. Obtain enough copies of dictionaries for students and/or partners.
Strategy Implementation Steps:
• Explain to students that they will be working in pairs to share and talk about the
words they learned during independent reading.
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•
•
•
•
They should share the words they learned with their partner and talk about their
definitions.
When they find disagreements, or they are unsure of a word's meaning, they
should use the dictionary to determine their accuracy.
They should update and/or change the definition in their vocabulary log as needed
After students have had time to work with their peers, ask for volunteers to share
out some of their conversations about words.
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Assessing Morphology and Contextual Analysis
Summary: When students apply their knowledge of morphology and contextual analysis
to words presented in authentic context they are required to go beyond thinking about the
word's definition. They must apply the word's meaning in order to understand the context
of its use. Since words often have multiple meanings, students must rely on their
understanding of both word parts and context clues to determine the meaning of the word
within the context it is presented.
Rationale: When assess student knowledge of word parts and contextual analysis the
assessor should keep in mind what specific skills they are hoping to assess. If the goal of
the assessment is to determine a student's knowledge of word parts, then the assessment
should reflect that. Likewise if the goal of an assessment is to assess a student's
knowledge of context clues, the assessment should reflect that. Assessments can be
designed to assess student's combined knowledge of morphology and contextual analysis.
Assessment Examples:
NOTE: Any of the vocabulary activities mentioned above can serve as meaningful
assessments. However, below you will find two additional suggestions that might better
fit the needs of your students:
Vocabulary Continuum
Summary: In this assessment, students must place word phrases on a continuum
and justify their placement on the word line. There is no correct ordering of the
word phrases, however, the format elicits student justifications that involve the
target words. Additionally, the format presents the target word in a context
sentence requiring students to draw on their knowledge of words and context.
Rationale: This assessment requires that students go beyond simply restating the
definition of a memorized word. Instead, they must draw on their knowledge of
both the word/word parts and the context in which the sentence is presented in to
justify their placement on the continuum.
Assessment Preparation Steps:
1. Gather the target words and/or word parts that you wish to assess.
2. Create a main head sentence starter in preparation for the word phrases contain
the target word.
3. Using your target words, create word phrases that finish the sentence starter.
4. Depending on how many words you wish to assess, you should create a variety
of sentence starters and word phrases.
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5.
Make copies of the assessment for students .
Implementing the Assessment:
•
Hand out the copies to students
•
Explain the directions and model how to place and justify a word on the
vocabulary continuum
Assessment Example:
Chapter 1 quiz taken from a unit using Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Vocabulary Quiz
Directions: Place the word phrases on the vocabulary continuum and explain the
reasoning behind why you placed when there you did. (simply write the number
of the word phrase where it belongs on the continuum, then explain why you
placed it there on the line provided.
How does someone feel if…
1.
they are feeling uneasy about the stranger outside their window?
_________________________________________________________________
2.
they are unable to pass their final exam?
_________________________________________________________________
3.
they are unwelcome in the home they grew up in?
_________________________________________________________________
4.
they disagree with their best friend?
_________________________________________________________________
5.
they stare unblinkingly at a house elf?
_________________________________________________________________
Very bad _________________________________________________Very good
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Context Interpretation
Summary: In this assessment, students must respond to a question about
sentences that contain the target word. Students must go beyond simply defining
words, and draw on their knowledge of word parts and contextual analysis to
determine the meaning of the word, and answer the question appropriately.
Rationale: Students must draw on their knowledge of word parts and context
clues in order to formulate a response to the question. The sentences that you
create contain both the word parts under study and context clues to assist the
reader in identifying the appropriate definition of the word, and appropriate
response to the question.
Assessment Preparation Steps:
1. Select the words that you wish to assess.
2. Create a meaningful sentence that contains the target word. You may
either draw from the context of the book unit, or from another context
students are familiar with.
3. Ask a follow question related to the meaning of the target word.
4. Prepare enough copies of the test for your students.
Implementing the Assessment:
1. Hand out the copies to students.
2. Explain the directions and model how to place and justify a word on the
vocabulary continuum.
Assessment Example:
Example assessment for chapter 3 taken from a unit on Harry Potter and the
Sorcerer's Stone.
Vocabulary Quiz
Directions: Read the following sentences, then answer the questions that follow.
Be sure to respond using complete sentences.
1. When Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall left Harry on the
Dursley's steps Hagrid pleaded with them to give Harry to a wizard family. How
do you think Hagrid felt about leaving Harry with a nonmagical family?
2. Fearful of Uncle Vernon's rage, Aunt Petunia timidly asked him if it would be
better to go home. What was Aunt Petunia's tone of voice like when she asked
him to go home?
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3. Sitting on top of the rocky island as the most miserable little shack you could
imagine. What do you think it would be like to spend the night in that miserable
little shack?
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APPENDIX B
Teaching Morphemic Contextual Analysis Skills
Using Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone:
Sample Unit
86
Teaching Morphemic Contextual Analysis Skills
Using Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Sample Unit
87
Letter to the Teacher:
Dear Educator,
Thank you for taking the time to review the model lesson using Harry Potter and
the Sorcerer's Stone (Rowling, 1997). It is my hope that you find the model unit both
informative and useful in creating your own units teaching morphemic contextual
analysis. The purpose of this unit is to serve as a model of what your future units could
look like, but your creativity and lesson delivery should not be limited to what is
presented here.
Within the sample unit you will find directions for implementation of the
vocabulary log, the cover page and vocabulary note pages for lessons in word part clues
(morphology) and context clues (contextual analysis). You may, however, simply choose
to require students to take notes on their own lined paper if you choose. After the lessons,
you will find an appendix that includes the worksheets for each lesson and vocabulary
quizzes. However, you may use any of the vocabulary worksheets to students as an
assessment as well.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Vocabulary Log ..................................................................................................................... 90
Cover Page of Vocabulary Log .............................................................................. 91
Invitation to Study Magical Words ........................................................................ 92
The Vocabulary Rule ............................................................................................... 93
Word Part Clues ....................................................................................................... 93
Word Parts Note Paper ............................................................................................ 94
Context Clues............................................................................................................ 95
Context Clues Note Paper ....................................................................................... 96
Choosing the Words to Teach/Word List ............................................................. 97
Schedule of Lessons ............................................................................................................ 100
Lesson 1: Teach the Vocabulary Rule .............................................................................. 101
Lesson 2: Teach Word Part Clues ..................................................................................... 104
Lesson 3: Chapter 1 (dis-, un, and non-) .......................................................................... 106
Lesson 4: Chapter 2 (-ious, -eous, and -ous) ................................................................... 108
Lesson 5: Chapter 3 (-ly) .................................................................................................... 110
Lesson 6: Chapter 4/5 (Review all word parts taught) ................................................... 112
Lesson 7: Chapter 7 (Overview of five context clues) ................................................... 114
Lesson 8: Chapter 8 (Teach definition and synonym context clues)............................ 116
Lesson 9, Chapter 9/10 (General context clues) ............................................................. 119
Lesson 10, Chapter 11, 12, 13 (Review word parts and context clues) ....................... 122
89
Lesson 11 Chapter 11, 12, 13 ( Review word parts and context clues) ....................... 122
Lesson 12 chapter 14/15 (re-) ........................................................................................... 125
Appendix: Worksheets and Assessments ......................................................................... 127
Worksheets and Assessments ............................................................................... 128
90
Vocabulary Log
Student Role: Word Wizard
Tracking: Magical Knowledge
Title of Vocabulary Log: The Standard Book of Words and How to Find Them
Summary: The following page contains the cover page for the Vocabulary Log for
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. The cover page is intended to be stapled to at least
twenty pages of college ruled, lined paper creating the log for this unit. Students will use
this log daily to keep notes about the vocabulary strategies and words they are learning
during the unit. The teacher should model entering the information in the vocabulary log
to ensure that students properly take down the notes. Additionally, the teacher might
consider conducting vocabulary log checks to provide students feedback on their note
taking skills and independent word learning.
Additionally, you will find the introduction to the students and directions page that
should also be included in the log. For additional support, teachers may choose to use the
log pages instead of lined paper as the graphic organizer has already been created. You
will need to make the appropriate number of copies of the log pages to be included in the
student vocabulary log.
91
COVER PAGE
The Standard Book of
Words and How to Find
Them
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
by J.K. Rowling
This book belongs to the following witch/wizard: __________________________
92
HEADMASTER: Albus Dunbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorcerer, Chief Warlock, Supreme Mugwump,
International Confederation of Wizards)
Dear Student,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of
Witchcraft and Wizardry. Because the term does not start for another month, we have
some work we want you to complete prior to the start of the new term.
As you are a new witch or wizard, it is imperative that you begin your lessons
immediately. Enclosed you will find your copy of The Standard Book of Words and
How to Find Them. This is your assignment: learn how to use word parts and context
clues to determine the meaning of new words as you are reading. There will be many new
words that you will encounter in your studies as a new witch or wizard, and we want you
to be as successful as possible.
Your owl should be arriving shortly with your materials list.
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR
OWN BROOMSTICK.
Yours Sincerely,
Minerva Mc Gonagall,
Deputy Headmistress
93
The Vocabulary Rule
When you come to a word, and you don't know what it means, use
1. CONTEXT CLUES: Read the sentences around the word to see if there are clues
to its meaning.
2. WORD-PART CLUES: Try to identify word parts such as a root word, prefix, or
suffix to help you determine its meaning.
3. HYPOTHESIZE: Make a guess about the meaning of the word based on what
you know
4. CONTEXT CLUES: Read the sentences around the word again to see if you
have figured out its meaning.
Word-Part Clues
1. Look for the ROOT WORD, which is a single word that cannot be broken into
smaller words or word parts. See if you know what the root word means.
2. Look for a PREFIX, which is a word part added to the beginning of a word that
changes its meaning. See if you know what the prefix means.
3. Look for a SUFFIX, which is a word part added to the end of a word that
changes its meaning. See if you know what the suffix means.
4. Put the meanings of the ROOT WORD and any PREFIX or SUFFIX together
and see if you can build the meaning of the word.
94
Word Part Lessons
Morpheme
Meaning
Example
Words
Context Sentence
Example
Words
Context Sentence
Example
Words
Context Sentence
Student Created Sentence:
Morpheme
Meaning
Student Created Sentence:
Morpheme
Meaning
Student Created Sentence:
95
Context Clues
1. DEFINITION CONTEXT CLUES: The author gives you a definition for a word
right in the sentence.
2. SYNONYM CONTEXT CLUES: The author uses another word that means
about the same as the word you are trying to understand.
3. ANTONYM CONTEXT CLUES: The author uses another word that means the
opposite or nearly the opposite of the word you are trying to understand.
4. EXAMPLE CONTEXT CLUES: The author gives you several words or ideas
that are examples of the word you are trying to understand.
5. GENERAL CONTEXT CLUES: The author gives you some general clues to the
meaning of a word, often spread over several sentences.
96
Context Clues Lessons
Word
Meaning
Context Clue
Type
Context Sentence
Context Clue
Type
Context Sentence
Context Clue
Type
Context Sentence
Student Created Sentence:
Word
Meaning
Student Created Sentence:
Word
Meaning
Student Created Sentence:
97
Choosing the Words to Teach/Word List
Summary: Below you will find a list of vocabulary words organized by chapter. After
the list of words, you will find a schedule of lessons in morphology and context clues
based on the word lists.
Chapter 1
nonsense, pg 1
mysterious, pg 1
unDurselyish, pg 2
chortled, pg 2
uneasy, pg 4, 8
unusual, pg 4
contrary, pg 5
unusually, g 6
unable, pg 6
pursed, pg 7
unblinkingly, pg 8
unwelcome, pg 9
ruffled, pg 9
careless, pg 10
nonsense, pg 11
unsticking, pg 11
astounding, pg 12
spectacles, pg 12
astride, pg 14
tuft, pg 15
Chapter 2
photographs, pg 18
bicycle, pg 18
rapped, pg 19
sleepless, pg 24
mid-jump, pg 25
motorcycles, pg 25
dangerous, pg 26, 41
poisonous, pg 26
uncoiling, pg 28
gibber pg, 29
miserable, pg 29
unknown, pg 30
disagree, pg 30
Chapter 3
gruffly, pg 32
twanging, pg 34
unfolding, pg 35
sharply, pg 36
mistake, pg 37
bitterly, pg 38
repaired, pg 39
miserably, pg 39
badly, pg 40
cheerfully, pg 41
quickly, pg 42
timidly, pg 43
exactly, pg 43
disappeared, pg 43
miserable, pg 44
obviously, pg 44
privately, pg 44
Chapter 4
trodden, pg 47
enormous, pg 48
cowering, pg 49
bewildered, pg 49
forbid, pg 50
quailed, pg 50
muggle, pg 53
nonmagic, pg 53
disappeared, pg 53
abnormal, pg 53
mistake, pg 58
ruefully, pg 59
Chapter 5
puncture, pg 62
proudly, pg 63
gleamed, pg 63
transfiguration, pg 66
bustling, pg 67
unbelievable, pg 68
grubby-looking, pg 68
peculiar, pg 68
shabby, pg 68
beaming, pg 69
flutter, pg 69
archway, pg 71
Diagon, pg 71
apothecary, pg 72
tottering, pg 72
swarthy, pg 72
vast, pg 73
passageway, pg 74
passing, pg 74
underground, pg 74
stalactites, pg 74
passage, pg 75
unlocked, pg 75
extraordinary, pg 75
infernal, pg 76
squat, pg 76
drawing, pg 77
sheer, pg 78
quidditch, pg 79
circumstances, pg 80
fascinating, pg 80
depths, pg 82
prickled, pg 82
pliable, pg 82
piercing, pg 82
flitting, pg 84
gawking, pg 86
98
laden, pg 86
thronging, pg 111
Chapter 6
Hedwig, pg 88
swooping, pg 88
punctures, pg 89
platform, pg 89
rubbish, pg 90
paced, pg 90
stranded, pg 91
dividing, pg 92
swarming, pg 92
briskly, pg 92
barrier, pg 92
gangling, pg 93
trolley, pg 93
jostled, pg 93
chattering, pg 94
disgruntled, pg 94
babble, pg 94
compartment, pg 94
chorused, pg 95
gawked, pg 95
billowing, pg 96
prefects, pg 96
goggle, pg 97
clambered, pg 97
Chapter 7
magnificent, 113
drone, pg 113
ceremony, pg 114
dormitory, pg 114
triumphs, pg 114
jolt, pg 115
transparent, pg 115
splendid, pg 116
midair, pg 116
bowlerg, pg 117
chivalry, pg 118
gales, pg 120
craning, pg 121
vigorously, pg 122
miffed, pg 122
irritably, pg 124
seized pg 124
unbearable, pg 124
absurd, pg 126
trot, pg 128
Caput Draconis, pg 130
Chapter 6 Cont.
blurted, pg 98
Scabbers, pg 100
flick, ph 101
clattering, pg 101
corridor, pg 101
unwwrapped, pg 101
sidled, pg 103
miserably, pg 104
dazed, pg 106
toadless, pg 106
describing, pg 108
tinge, pg 109
politer, pg 109
conductor, pg 110
separately, pg 111
Chapter 8
concentrate, pg 131
vanishing, pg 131
scrawny, pg 132
patrolled, pg 132
Binns, pg 133
delicate, pg 127
asphodel, pg 138
infusion, pg 138
bezoar, pg 137
faintest, pg 138
irnoring, pg 138
quivering, pg 138
dungeon, pg 139
quills, pg 139
galoshes, pg 140
frantic, pg 140
scrabbling, pg 140
enormous, pg 140
delighted, pg 141
investigations, pg 141
Chapter 9
boastful, pg 144
narrowly, pg 144
prodding, 144
interrupted, pg 144
gloatingly, pg 145
scowling, pg 145
slopped, pg 145
quaver, pg 146
soared, pg 148
admiring, pg 248
javelin, pg 149
defend, pg 150
trotted, pg 150
puzzlement, pg 151
expelled, pg 151
seeker, pg 151
decent, pg 152
peered, pg 152
sternly, pg 152
gaped, pg 152
flanked, pg 152
duel, pg 153
dodge, pg 154
furiously, pg 155
interfering, pg 155
shuffling, pg 156
squinting, pg 156
beckoned, pg 157
scurried, pg 158
petrified, pg 158
Alohomora, pg 160
forbidden, pg 160
monstrous, pg 160
groped, pg 161
trapdoor, pg 162
Chapter 10
delight, pg 164
soared, pg 164
enviously, pg 165
99
unwrap, pg 165
spite, pg 165
obvious, pg 165
disapprovingly, pg 166
bolted, pg 166
spectators, pg 166
glinting, pg 167
club, pg 168
bludgers, pg 168
pelted, pg 168
wafting, pg 170
Wingaurdian leviosa, pg
171
element, pg 175
deserted, pg 173
fumbling, pg 175
lumbered, pg 175
hesitated, pg 175
berserk, pg 176
Chapter 11
unfortunately, pg 181
bitterly, pg 182
gulped, pg 183
diversion, pg 183
clobbered, pg 184
lurch, pg 189
Chapter, 12
silkily, pg 196
festoon, pg 196
brandished, pg 198
parcel, pg 200
suspended, pg 201
engulfed, pg 203
bonnet, pg 203
embedded, pg 203
luminous, pg 204
interfering, pg 260
Chapter 13
cackled, pg 215
dampen, pg 216
biased, pg 221
locomotor mortis, pg
221
dashing, pg 222
Chapter 16
sweltering, pg 262
fret, pg 243
batty, pg 243
lurking, pg 244
unsettled, pg 244
suspicion, pg 245
drifted, 271
petrficus totalus, pg 273
rumbling, 275
anxiously, pg 276
vicious, pg 279
darted, pg 280
diagonally, pg 282
pounced, pg 283
dashed, pg 286
Chapter 14
sweeping, pg 228
shifty, pg 229
reciting, pg 229
stifling, pg 231
grate, pg 231
stoat, pg 231
ushered, pg 234
bated, pg 234
murmured, pg 235
jet, pg 235
Chapter 15
alibis, pg 242
insulted, pg 245
resolution, pg 246
kindling, pg 247
sacked, pg 247
fuming, pg 255
transfixed, pg 256
swiftly, pg 256
pierced, pg 256
palomino, pg 257
astonishingly, pg 257
dappled, pg 258
codswallop, pg 259
cantered, pg 258
Chapter 17
twitching, pg 288
swooping, pg 288
scurrying, pg 289
examine, pg 289
loathed, pg 290
displeased, pg 291
seize, pg 294
hunched, pg 294
shrieked, pg 294
pinning, pg 295
bewildered, pg 295
delayed, pg 298
detest, pg 300
steamrollered, pg 302
jostled, pg 308
100
Schedule of Lessons
Lesson number,
focus and novel
pages
1
Instructional content
Strategy
N/A
Teach the Vocabulary
Rule
2
Chapter 1
Teach Word Part Clues
strategy
3
Chapter 1
Teach "not" prefix
family: dis, un, im, in
4
Chapter 2
5
Chapter 3
Teach suffix ly and
Definition context clues
gruffly, sharply, timidly
6
Chapter 4/5
Review all
prefixes/suffixes
dis-, un-, im-, in-, -ious,
-ous, -eous, -ly, mis-,
trans-
7
Chapter 7
Formally introduce
Context clues
8
Chapter 8
Teach Synonym and
definition Context clues
muggle & abnormal
9
Chapter 9/10
extraordinary & shabby
10
Chapters 11, 12, and 13
Teach general context
clues and review
definition context clues
Review context clues
and word part clues
11
Chapters 11, 12, and 13
Review context clues
and word part clues
review
12
14/15
Teach prefix re-
remake, retake
Teach suffix ious, ous,
eous
Anchor Vocabulary for
Modeling
uneasy, unable,
unsticking, disagree,
uncoiling
dangerous, poisonous
review
101
Lesson 1
Teach the Vocabulary Rule
Objectives:
• SWBAT explain what to do when they encounter words they do not know during
independent reading
• SWBAT explain the four parts of the vocabulary rule
Materials Needed:
• Vocabulary Rule poster (this needs to be created by the teacher)
• Vocabulary log handout for all students
• Power point and/or overhead with vocabulary rule and examples of each
Lesson Plan:
Opener:
Working in pairs, ask students to answer the following question:
What are some things we can do when we come across words that we do
not know when we are reading?
Direct
Instruction:
Review the question with students, making a list of their ideas and ask
students to justify their responses and/or give examples.
Explain to students that sometimes when we read we come across words
that we don't know. Even though we may not know the word, there are
some strategies that we can use to help us figure out the meaning of these
words.
Together, we are going to use our word detective skills to figure out the
meanings of new words. Today I have for you a very special treat that
will help you as you begin learning about new words!
Handout the vocabulary logs to students and explain the following:
As we read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone you are going to be
learning a lot of new words. This is very exciting as we have all been
invited to participate as word witches and wizards studying our magical
word knowledge. Each of you have your own copy of The Standard Book
of Words and How to Find Them to help you during our word learning.
We will take notes in our books during our lessons and we will write
about new words we are learning when we read independently!
To help us with this we have a secret weapon. Point out the Vocabulary
Rule poster and explain the four parts, providing students with examples
of each.
102
VOCABULARY RULE
When you come to a word, and you don't know what it means, use
CONTEXT CLUES: Read the sentences around the word to see if there
are clues to its meaning.
Context clues are clues in the story that help us understand words we
don't know. Let's look at an example. In this paragraph there is a word
that I am not sure of yet. Maybe you can help me figure out what it
means.
"Harry Potter and his duo, Ron and Hermione attended Hogwarts School
of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry met Ron on the platform, or boarding
walkway, before the Hogwarts Express left. Harry was perplexed about
how to get onto Platform 9 3/4 until Ron showed him how."
I am confused about a few words in this paragraph, but maybe if I use my
knowledge of context clues I can figure it out. When I see the word duo I
am not really sure what it means. Maybe I can read that sentence again.
Harry Potter and his duo, Ron and Hermione--Ah, maybe duo could
mean do because there are two names after it. Do you see that? What do
you think? Are there any other words in this paragraph that we can try to
figure out together?
WORD-PART CLUES: Try to identify word parts such as a root word,
prefix, or suffix to help you determine its meaning.
The second part of the vocabulary rule helps me figure out the meanings
of new words by looking at the word parts. Words are made up of smaller
word parts called prefixes, bases and suffixes. Knowing about these word
parts makes learning new words less challenging. Let's look at an
example:
"Neville Longbottom enjoyed studying herbology as part of his first year
studies."
When I look at this sentence I see a word that I have never seen before.
This word is "herbology." I've heard the word herb before, I know it is a
type of plant that is used for cooking or medicines. I learned that ology
means "the study of" so if I put those word parts together I figure out
what the word means. I think it means "the study of plants for cooking or
medicine."
HYPOTHESIZE: Make a guess about the meaning of the word based on
103
what you know
The third part of the vocabulary rule asks us to make a hypothesis, or a
guess about what we think the meaning of the word is. We did this a few
times already when we looked at the context clues and the word part
clues. The next part will help us figure out if we were right!
CONTEXT CLUES: Read the sentences around the word again to see if
you have figured out its meaning.
The final part of the vocabulary rule asks us to go back to our original
sentence and test our hypothesis by reading the sentence again with the
definition we created to see if it makes sense.
Provide students with the handout to glue into their vocabulary logs if it
is not already printed inside.
104
Lesson 2
Teach Word Part Clues
Objectives:
• SWBAT explain the four parts of the vocabulary rule
• SWBAT use word part clues to make predictions about the meanings of new
words encountered during independent reading
Materials Needed:
• Word Part Clues poster (this needs to be created by the teacher beforehand)
• Handout with word part clues for students
• Power point and/or overhead with word part clues and examples
Lesson Plan:
Opener:
Review the Vocabulary Rule Poster.
In pairs, ask students to discuss the Vocabulary Rule and write down one
question they have about the vocabulary rule.
Ask students to share out their questions and provide answers and/or
clarifications
Direct
Instruction:
Tell students you are going to focus on "Word Part Clues" today. You
might say something like this:
Over the next few weeks we are going to be looking at how we can use
word parts to help us learn the meanings of words you don't know while
reading. The word parts we are going to learn about are called prefixes,
suffixes and roots. These are small parts of words that come at the
beginning, middle or the end of a word. Knowing these word parts gives
us clues about the meanings of a lot of new words. As you already know,
figuring out the meanings of new words is an important part of
understanding what you read.
Explain that prefixes are a group of letters that go in front of a word. You
might explain it like this:
A prefix is a group of letters that go in front of a word. Un- is the first
prefix that we are going to study, and you have probably seen. It means
"not." Though we can make a big list of all the prefixes we know, they
are not words by themselves; they are always attached to another word.
Think about the word unhappy. Do you recognize a smaller word inside?
You probably saw the word happy. We know what happy means, but
when the prefix un- is attached to it, the word changes to mean not
105
happy.
Provide students with a copy of the handout for their vocabulary log
WORD-PART CLUES
Look for the ROOT WORD, which is a single word that cannot be
broken into smaller words or word parts. See if you know what the root
word means.
An example of a root word might be happy. "I feel happy when I spend
time with my family." Happy is a root word.
Look for a PREFIX, which is a word part added to the beginning of a
word that changes its meaning. See if you know what the prefix means.
A prefix goes at the beginning of a word. An example of a prefix is un- as
in "I was unhappy when I lost my favorite socks." un means "not" so I
was not happy.
Look for a SUFFIX, which is a word part added to the end of a word that
changes its meaning. See if you know what the suffix means.
A suffix goes at the end of a word and it can change what a word means.
A good example of a suffix might be "I carefully tiptoed around the
room." ly means characteristic of, or helps describe the way something
happened. So, how did I tiptoe around the room? (carefully)
Put the meanings of the ROOT WORD and any PREFIX or SUFFIX
together and see if you can build the meaning of the word.
106
Lesson 3, Chapter 1
The Boy Who Lived
Objectives:
• SWBAT identify the following morphemes during independent reading: dis-, unand non• SWBAT use word part clues to make predictions about the meanings of new
words encountered during independent reading
Materials Needed:
• Power point and/or overhead with Word Association Brainstorm Activity
• Vocabulary Rule Poster and Word Part Clues Poster
• Student copies of the sentence completions activity
Lesson Plan:
Morphemes to
teach: Select the
target morphemes for
this lesson
Opener:
Capture students'
interest in the study
by beginning with an
engaging activity
Direct Instruction:
Explicitly teach the
meaning of the target
morphemes
un, dis, non
Word Association Brainstorm:
List as many words as you can think of that contain the following
word parts: un, dis, or non
(Example: when I see the word stem un I think of the word
unhealthy, like eating too much candy, or the word untidy, like
my bedroom this morning. Make a list of words that you think
of…"
Allow students time to brainstorm the words (60 seconds) then
ask pairs to share out as a class, creating a master list on the
board. When the list is finished, read through the words one at a
time asking students to identify the word part to show the
relationship
Instruct students to write their notes in their vocabulary log.
Display the morphemes and their meanings on the board and
explain them to the class. Provide students with example words
and sentences using the target morpheme in a word. You context
sentence should be taken directly from the book or text you are
studying.
un, dis, non (word meaning: not)
107
Example Words: disagree, unable, unwilling, nonsense
Context Sentence: Harry had dreamed and dreamed of some
unknown relation coming to take him away, but it had never
happened; the Dursley's were his only family.
As a class, create a sentence (on the board) using one of the
Guided Practice:
Practice the skill with morphemes in which you demonstrate the meaning of the target
students, calling on
word.
students to participate
through modeling the Example: Mrs. Dursley was the most unfriendly neighbor one
could ask for because she gossiped and complained about the
skill and thinking a
loud
people around her.
Instruct students to create sentences in their vocabulary logs
Independent
Practice: Provide
using the target morphemes.
time for students to
independently
During independent practice, monitor student work by checking
practice the skill and in with struggling students.
give them feedback
on their progress
Instruct students to pair share their context sentences with a
partner, then share out a few examples as a class.
Handout copies of the Sentence Completion with Word Parts
Extended Practice:
Reinforce the
worksheet, review the directions and model the correct strategy
morpheme meanings for completing the sentences
through extended
practice
Example:
Example Vocabulary Log entry from a lesson using Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's
Stone
Meaning
Example Words
Context Sentence
Morpheme
disnot
disagree,
Everybody knew that Dudley's gang
disrespect,
hated that odd Harry Potter in his baggy
disloyal
old clothes and broken glasses, and
nobody liked to disagree with Dudley's
gang.
Student Created Sentence:
No one wanted to disagree with Dudley and his gang because they were a bunch of
bullies who would beat you up if you didn't like something they were doing.
108
Lesson 4, Chapter 2
The Vanishing Glass
Objectives:
• SWBAT identify the following morphemes during independent reading: ious, ous,
and eous
• SWBAT use word part clues to make predictions about the meanings of new
words encountered during independent reading
Materials Needed:
• Power point and/or overhead with Word Association Brainstorm Activity
• Vocabulary Rule Poster and Word Part Clues Poster
• Student copies of the sentence completions activity
Lesson Plan:
Morphemes to teach:
Select the target
morphemes for this
lesson
Opener:
Capture students'
interest in the study
by beginning with an
engaging activity
Direct Instruction:
Explicitly teach the
meaning of the target
morphemes
Teach suffix ious, ous, eous
dangerous, poisonous
Word Association Brainstorm:
List as many words as you can think of that contain the following
word parts: -ious, -ous, -eous
(Example: when I see the word stem -ious I think of the word
precious, like a sweet newborn baby, or the word curious, like my
nephew is always getting into things. Make a list of words that you
think of…"
Allow students time to brainstorm the words (60 seconds) then ask
pairs to share out as a class, creating a master list on the board. When
the list is finished, read through the words one at a time asking
students to identify the word part to show the relationship
Instruct students to write their notes in their vocabulary log. Display
the morphemes and their meanings on the board and explain them to
the class. Provide students with example words and sentences using
the target morpheme in a word. You context sentence should be taken
directly from the book or text you are studying.
-ious, -ous, -eous (word meaning: possessing the qualities of, full of)
Example Words: dangerous, poisonous, precious, curious
Context Sentence: If there was one thing the Dursley's hated even
109
Guided Practice:
Practice the skill with
students, calling on
students to participate
through modeling the
skill and thinking a
loud
Independent
Practice: Provide
time for students to
independently
practice the skill and
give them feedback
on their progress
Extended Practice:
Reinforce the
morpheme meanings
through extended
practice
more than his asking questions, it was his talking about anything
acting in a way it shouldn't, no matter if it was in a dream or even a
cartoon--they seemed to think he might get dangerous ideas.
As a class, create a sentence (on the board) using one of the
morphemes in which you demonstrate the meaning of the target word.
Example: Curious George peeked through the window of the pet store
because there was a mysterious sound coming from the store he had
never heard before.
Instruct students to create sentences in their vocabulary logs using the
target morphemes.
During independent practice, monitor student work by checking in
with struggling students.
Instruct students to pair share their context sentences with a partner,
then share out a few examples as a class.
Handout copies of the Sentence Completion with Word Parts
worksheet, review the directions and model the correct strategy for
completing the sentences
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Lesson 5, Chapter 3
The Letters from No One
Objectives:
• SWBAT identify the following morphemes during independent reading: -ly
• SWBAT use word part clues to make predictions about the meanings of new
words encountered during independent reading
Materials Needed:
• Power point and/or overhead with Word Association Brainstorm Activity
• Vocabulary Rule Poster and Word Part Clues Poster
• Student copies of the sentence completions activity
Lesson Plan:
Morphemes to teach:
Select the target
words for this lesson
Opener:
Capture students'
interest in the study
by beginning with an
engaging activity
Direct Instruction:
Explicitly teach the
meaning of the target
morphemes
Teach suffix -ly
Example words: gruffly, sharply, timidly
Word Association Brainstorm:
List as many words as you can think of that contain the following
word parts: -ly
(Example: when I see the word stem -ly I think of the word quietly,
like how I quietly snuck up on my brother and scared him, or the
word carefully, like how I carried the cup full of water. Make a list of
words that you think of…"
Allow students time to brainstorm the words (60 seconds) then ask
pairs to share out as a class, creating a master list on the board. When
the list is finished, read through the words one at a time asking
students to identify the word part to show the relationship.
Instruct students to write their notes in their vocabulary log. Display
the morpheme and its meaning on the board and explain it to the
class. Provide students with example words and sentences using the
target morpheme in a word. You context sentence should be taken
directly from the book or text you are studying.
-ly (word meaning: characteristic of)
Example Words: quietly, carefully, timidly, shyly, gently
Guided Practice:
Context Sentence: "I'll take them," said Uncle Vernon, standing up
quickly and following her from the dining room" (pg 42).
As a class, create a sentence (on the board) using one of the
111
Practice the skill with
students, calling on
students to participate
through modeling the
skill and thinking a
loud
Independent
Practice: Provide
time for students to
independently
practice the skill and
give them feedback
on their progress
Extended Practice:
Reinforce the
morpheme meanings
through extended
practice
morphemes in which you demonstrate the meaning of the target word.
Example: Harry carefully and quietly tiptoed into the kitchen because
he did not want to get in trouble for sneaking food from Aunt
Petunia's kitchen.
Instruct students to create sentences in their vocabulary logs using the
target morpheme.
During independent practice, monitor student work by checking in
with struggling students.
Instruct students to pair share their context sentences with a partner,
then share out a few examples as a class.
Handout copies of the Sentence Completion with Word Parts
worksheet, review the directions and model the correct strategy for
completing the sentences
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Lesson 6, Chapter 4/5
The Keeper of the Keys/Diagon Alley
Objectives:
• SWBAT identify the following morphemes during independent reading: dis-, non, un-, ous-, eous-, ious-, and -ly
• SWBAT use word part clues to make predictions about the meanings of new
words encountered during independent reading
Materials Needed:
• Power point and/or overhead with Decoding the Sentence Activity
• Vocabulary Rule Poster and Word Part Clues Poster
• Student copies of the idea completions activity
Lesson Plan:
Morphemes to teach: Review of all past morphemes
Select the target
words for this lesson
Opener:
Decoding the Sentence
Capture students'
interest in the study
Display these sentences on the board, including the word part clue.
by beginning with an
engaging activity
Directions: Paraphrase the sentences in your own words showing that
you understand the meaning of the underlined word.
Uncle Vernon felt it was unnecessary that Harry attend Hogwarts
because he was already enrolled in the local public school.
Hagrid felt upset that the muggles were telling him what to do.
Harry and Hagrid met three dishonest wizards in the pub who tried to
steal their galleons.
Independent
Practice: Provide
time for students to
independently
practice the skill and
give them feedback
on their progress
Review the meanings of all of the word parts students have learned so
far.
Assign students to work in pairs to create two to three words with
each word part.
Have students share out their words with the class, then identify the
word parts by having students underline them on the board. Ask a few
students to think-aloud explaining how the word part helps give the
113
word its meaning.
Idea Completions:
Handout copies of the Idea Completions worksheet, review the
directions and model the correct strategy for completing the
sentences.
Students may work in pairs or individually, depending on the needs
and capabilities of your students.
114
Lesson 7, Chapter 7
The Sorting Hat
Objectives:
• SWBAT explain what the five types of context clues are
• SWBAT begin identifying context clues during independent reading
Materials Needed:
• Power point and/or overhead with Mystery Questions Activity
• Vocabulary Rule Poster, Word Part Clues Poster, and Context Clues Poster
• Student copies of the sentence completions activity
Lesson Plan:
Context Clue to
teach: Select the
target context clue
for this lesson
Opener:
Capture students'
interest in the lesson
by beginning with an
engaging activity
Formally introduce the Context Clues poster and examples
Mystery Questions
Display the mystery questions on the board and allow students to
work in pairs to answer the questions. Students should write in
complete sentences.
•
•
•
Direct Instruction:
Explicitly teach the
meaning of the target
morphemes
Would a nonmagical person know how to do magic?
Can an irritable person ignore something that greatly
bothers them?
Can a spectator at a game wear spectacles to see clearly?
Review the mystery questions as a class. As students to justify
their response by explaining why they made the choices they did.
Place the overhead with the context clues types on the board for
students to see. Explain to them that aside from word parts, good
readers also use clues in the story to help them learn new words.
There are five ways we can do this. Today we are going to learn
about all five, but in our unit we might not see all of them in
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Authors don't have to use
them, so you cannot always find them in the story.
CONTEXT CLUES
1. DEFINITION CONTEXT CLUES: The author gives you
a definition for a word right in the sentence.
2. SYNONYM CONTEXT CLUES: The author uses
another word that means about the same as the word you
115
are trying to understand.
3. ANTONYM CONTEXT CLUES: The author uses
another word that means the opposite or nearly the
opposite of the word you are trying to understand.
4. EXAMPLE CONTEXT CLUES: The author gives you
several words or ideas that are examples of the word you
are trying to understand.
5. GENERAL CONTEXT CLUES: The author gives you
some general clues to the meaning of a word, often spread
over several sentences.
Review the examples below with students. Stop and clarify
questions as needed. Today is just an overview of the types of
context clues, students are not expected to know all five by the
end of the lesson.
Definition: "A Muggle," said Hagrid, "it's what we call nonmagic
folk like them."
Synonym: "Then she met that Potter at school and they left ad
got married and had you, and of course I knew you'd be just the
same, just as strange, just as --as--abnormal--and they, if you
please, she went and got herself blown up and we got landed with
you!"
Antonym:
Example: "He mounted the broom and kicked hard against the
ground and up, up he soared; air rushed through his hair, and his
robes whipped out behind him--and in a rush of fierce joy, he
realized he'd found something he could do without being taught-this was easy, this was wonderful."
General: "Draco Malfoy didn't go red, but a pink tinge appeared
in his pale cheeks."
Extended Practice:
Reinforce the
morpheme meanings
through extended
practice
Provide students with a copy of the type s of context clues if they
do not already have one in their vocabulary log.
Independent Reading
116
Lesson 8, Chapter 8
The Potions Master
Objectives:
• SWBAT explain how to identify definition and synonym context clues during
independent reading
• SWBAT explain the difference between synonym and definition context clues
Materials Needed:
• Power point and/or overhead with Mystery Questions Activity
• Vocabulary Rule Poster, Word Part Clues Poster, and Context Clues Poster
• Student copies of the sentence completions activity
Lesson Plan:
Context Clue to
teach: Select the
target context clue
for this lesson
Opener:
Capture students'
interest in the lesson
by beginning with an
engaging activity
Definition and synonym context clues are introduced during this
lesson.
Mystery Questions
Display the mystery questions on the board and allow students to
work in pairs to answer the questions. Students should write in
complete sentences.
Can a treasure chest be unlocked without a key?
Can a student throw a ball through a transparent ghost?
Would you hear the drone of a crowd if you were wearing
earplugs?
Direct Instruction:
Explicitly teach the
meaning of the target
morphemes
Review the mystery questions as a class. As students to justify
their response by explaining why they made the choices they did.
Explain to students that as part of the vocabulary rule can use
word part clues and context clues to help us figure out the
meaning of words we don’t know. There are many types of
context clues, but today you are going to practice just two.
Let's look at a sentence together. Please this sentence on the
board.
"A Muggle," said Hagrid, "it's what we call nonmagic folk like
them" (pg 53)
When I read the sentence I notice a word that I do not know.
Muggle. That is a new word I have never heard before. I wonder
117
what it means. The first thing I think I should do is read on to see
if I can find any clues. (continue reading the sentence out loud)
I notice that the character, Hagrid, says "it's what we call
nonmagical folk." I know that non is a word par clue that means
not, so nonmagical must mean someone without magic. So, a
muggle must be a person who does not have magic. What do you
think?
Provide time for students to discuss questions they may have,
then instruct students to make notes in their vocabulary logs. On
the following information.
Word: muggle
Meaning: people without magic, regular people
Context Clue Type: definition
Context Sentence: "A Muggle," said Hagrid, "it's what we call
nonmagic folk like them."
Guided Practice:
Practice the skill with
students, calling on
students to participate
through modeling the
skill and thinking a
loud
Read a selection of the text together (that has at least two to three
of the target words for instruction). Ask a volunteer to share, in a
think-aloud, how they used the context clue to help them
determine the meaning of the word.
Let's try it again, but this time let's do it together. Here is another
passage:
"Then she met that Potter at school and they left ad got married
and had you, and of course I knew you'd be just the same, just as
strange, just as --as--abnormal--and they, if you please, she went
and got herself blown up and we got landed with you!"
Ask students if they notice a new word in the sentence. After
students identify the word abnormal ask them what clues they
can use in the sentence to try and figure out what it means.
(students should notice that strange is another word for for
abnormal, and is a synonym context clue)
Word: abnormal
Meaning: strange, out of the ordinary
Context Clue Type: synonym
Context Sentence: " Then she met that Potter at school and they
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Independent
Practice: Provide
time for students to
independently
practice the skill and
give them feedback
on their progress
Extended Practice:
Reinforce the
morpheme meanings
through extended
practice
Word
muggle
Meaning
left ad got married and had you, and of course I knew you'd be
just the same, just as strange, just as --as--abnormal--and they, if
you please, she went and got herself blown up and we got landed
with you!"
Assign students to begin reading chapter 8 either in pairs or
individually, depending on the needs and capabilities of your
students.
During reading, students should monitor their understanding of
words. When they come to words that are unfamiliar, they should
try using the context clues to determine the meaning of the new
word.
Students should keep track of the words they encounter and the
type of context clue it is in the independent reading section of
their vocabulary log.
Idea Completions--explain directions to students and model how
to complete one of them through a think aloud. Answer questions
as needed.
Context Clue
Type
definition
Context Sentence
people
"A Muggle," said Hagrid, "it's what we
without
call nonmagic folk like them."
magic
Student Created Sentence:
Being a Muggle is a lot less interesting than being a witch because they cannot use spells
to make their rooms clean themselves.
abnormal
out of the synonym
"Then she met that Potter at school and
ordinary,
they left and got married and had you,
strange
and of course I knew you'd be just the
same, just as strange, just as --as-abnormal--and they, if you please, she
went and got herself blown up and we got
landed with you!"
Student Created Sentence:
My brother and his smelly friends are abnormal because they wear their Halloween
costumes to public places long after they are supposed to.
119
Lesson 9, Chapter 9/10
The Midnight Duel/Halloween
Objectives:
• SWBAT explain how to identify general and definition context clues during
independent reading
• SWBAT explain the difference between general and definition context clues
Materials Needed:
• Power point and/or overhead with Mystery Questions Activity
• Vocabulary Rule Poster, Word Part Clues Poster, and Context Clues Poster
• Student copies of the sentence completions activity
Lesson Plan:
Context Clue to
teach: Select the
target context clue
for this lesson
Opener:
Capture students'
interest in the lesson
by beginning with an
engaging activity
Teach general context clues and review definition context clue
Mystery Questions
Display the mystery questions on the board and allow students to
work in pairs to answer the questions. Students should write in
complete sentences.
If Professor Snape makes Professor Querrill quaver, are they
friends?
Is it polite to peer into a room you have not been invited into?
It is polite to gape at someone when they walk into the room?
Direct Instruction:
Explicitly teach the
meaning of the target
morphemes
Review the mystery questions as a class. As students to justify
their response by explaining why they made the choices they did.
Ask students to work in pairs to review the context clue learned
the day before, and write one question they might have. Answer
the student questions as needed.
Yesterday we learned about General Context Clues. Today we
are going to look at a few more examples from our story.
Let's look at a sentence together.
Place this sentence on the board.
"Something really extraordinary had to be inside this top secret
120
vault, Harry was sure, and he leaned forward eagerly, expecting
to see fabulous jewels at the very least--but at first he thought it
was empty" (pg 76).
When I begin reading the sentence I notice a word that I do not
know. Extraordinary. That is a new word I have never heard
before. I wonder what it means. The first thing I think I should do
is read on to see if I can find any clues (continue reading the
sentence out loud).
I notice the words top secret, eagerly, fabulous jewels. This
makes me thing that something really special and different must
have been inside this secret hiding place. I know that my mom
keeps her jewelry in a hidden place because it is special to her.
Maybe, extraordinary means really special. When I look at the
word parts I see extra and ordinary. I've heard the word ordinary
before, it means regular. I learned that extra means beyond. So
maybe extraordinary means beyond what is normal, like strange?
Or abnormal? What do you think? Are there any other words in
this sentence that you are unsure of?
General context clues are hints in parts of the sentence that give
extra information to us about other words in the sentence.
Provide time for students to discuss questions they may have,
then instruct students to make notes in their vocabulary logs on
the following information.
Word: extraordinary
Meaning: really special, unexpected
Context Clue Type: general
Context Sentence: "Something really extraordinary had to be
inside this top secret vault, Harry was sure, and he leaned
forward eagerly, expecting to see fabulous jewels at the very
least--but at first he thought it was empty" (pg 76).
Guided Practice:
Practice the skill with
students, calling on
students to participate
through modeling the
skill and thinking a
Read a selection of the text together (that has at least two to three
of the target words for instruction). Ask a volunteer to share, in a
think-aloud, how they used the context clue to help them
determine the meaning of the word.
Let's try it again, but this time let's do it together. Here is another
121
loud
passage:
"The last shop was narrow and shabby. Peeling gold letters over
the door read Ollivanders: Maker of Fine Wands since 282 B.C.
A single wand lay on a faded purple cushion in the dusty
window" (pg 83).
Ask students if they notice a new word in the sentence. After
students identify the word shabby ask them what clues they can
use in the sentence to try and figure out what it means (students
should notice the following word clues: peeling letters, faded
cushion, and dusty window).
Word: shabby
Meaning: unclean, dirty, worn out
Context Clue Type: general
Independent
Practice: Provide
time for students to
independently
practice the skill and
give them feedback
on their progress
Assign students to begin reading chapter 9/10 either in pairs or
individually, depending on the needs and capabilities of your
students.
During reading, students should monitor their understanding of
words. When they come to words that are unfamiliar, they should
try using the context clues to determine the meaning of the new
word.
Students should keep track of the words they encounter and the
type of context clue it is in the independent reading section of
their vocabulary log.
Extended Practice:
Reinforce the
morpheme meanings
through extended
practice
Provide students with opportunities to discuss the words they had
questions about with a partner. Encourage them to use
dictionaries if they need help, or consult with a friend.
Independent Reading
122
Lesson 10/11, Chapters 11, 12, and 13
Review
Objectives:
• SWBAT identify the following morphemes during independent reading: dis-,
non-, un-, -ous, -eous, -iou-, and -ly
• SWBAT identify definition, synonym and general context clues during
independent reading
• SWBAT use word part clues and context clues to make predictions about the
meanings of new words encountered during independent reading
Materials Needed:
• Power point and/or overhead with Mystery Questions Activity
• Vocabulary Rule poster, Word Part Clues poster and Context Clues poster
• Student copies of the idea completions activity
Lesson Plan:
Context Clue to
teach: Select the
target context clue
for this lesson
Opener:
Capture students'
interest in the lesson
by beginning with an
engaging activity
Review context clues and review word part clues
Mystery Questions
Display the mystery questions on the board and allow students to
work in pairs to answer the questions. Students should write in
complete sentences.
•
•
•
Direct Instruction:
Explicitly teach the
meaning of the target
morphemes
Is it good if your teacher disapprovingly stares down at
you?
Would you want to get clobbered in the head with a ball?
If a troll lumbered over to you, would you be able to
move faster than them?
Review the mystery questions as a class. As students to justify
their response by explaining why they made the choices they did.
Ask students to work in pairs to review the context clue learned
the day before, and write one question they might have. Answer
the student questions as needed.
Explain to students that there sometimes authors don't use
definition and/or synonym context clues. Sometimes they use
other clues we call "general context clues" to help the reader
figure out the meaning of new words.
123
General context clues are hints in parts of the sentence that
give extra information to us about other words in the
sentence.
Let's look at a sentence together. Please this sentence on the
board.
"Draco Malfoy didn't go red, but a pink tinge appeared in his
pale cheeks." (pg 97).
When I begin reading the sentence I notice a word that I do
not know. Tinge. That is a new word I have never heard
before. I wonder what it means. The first thing I think I
should do is read on to see if I can find any clues. (continue
reading the sentence out loud)
I have never seen the word tinge before, but I think I might
have an idea of what it means based on the general context
clues provided. You see, I notice that the author says he
didn't turn red after he was insulted, which means put down,
by Harry Potter. Instead a pink tinge appeared in his cheeks.
I know pale has to do with the color of someone's face
because my mom has told me my face looked pale before.
So, since they talk about red and pink in the face, tinge must
mean something to do with color. Maybe they are referring
to the color of his face. I am going to enter this into my
vocabulary log. I also don't want to forget to try and use the
word in a sentence myself.
Provide time for students to discuss questions they may have,
then instruct students to make notes in their vocabulary logs on
the following information.
Word: tinge
Meaning: color
Context Clue Type: general
Context Sentence: "Draco Malfoy didn't go red, but a pink
tinge appeared in his pale cheeks." (pg 97).
Read a selection of the text together (that has at least two to three
Guided Practice:
Practice the skill with of the target words for instruction). Ask a volunteer to share, in a
students, calling on
think-aloud, how they used the context clue to help them
124
students to
participate through
modeling the skill
and thinking a loud
determine the meaning of the word.
Let's try it again, but this time let's do it together. Here is
another passage:
"Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the
chattering crowd, while cats of every color wound here and
there between their legs. Owls hooted to one another in a
disgruntled sort of way over the babble and the scraping of
heavy trunks" (pg 94).
Ask students if they notice a new word in the sentence. After
students identify the word chattering, disgruntled and/or babble
ask them what clues they can use in the sentence to try and figure
out what it means. You may choose to read the entire page out
loud as a class if students need additional context.
Word: chattering
Meaning: talking, specifically about unimportant things
Context Clue Type: general
Independent
Practice: Provide
time for students to
independently
practice the skill and
give them feedback
on their progress
Extended Practice:
Reinforce the
morpheme meanings
through extended
practice
During reading, students should monitor their understanding of
words. When they come to words that are unfamiliar, they should
try using the context clues to determine the meaning of the new
word.
Students should keep track of the words they encounter and the
type of context clue it is in the independent reading section of
their vocabulary log.
Provide students with opportunities to discuss the words they had
questions about with a partner. Encourage them to use
dictionaries if they need help, or consult with a friend.
Independent Reading
125
Lesson 12, Chapter 13/14
Nicolas Flamel/ Norbert the Norwegian Ridgenack
Objectives:
• SWBAT identify the following morpheme during independent reading: re• SWBAT use word part clues to make predictions about the meanings of new
words encountered during independent reading
Materials Needed:
• Power point and/or overhead with Word Association Brainstorm Activity
• Vocabulary Rule Poster and Word Part Clues Poster
• Student copies of the sentence completions activity
Lesson Plan:
Context Clue to
teach: Select the
target context clue
for this lesson
Opener:
Capture students'
interest in the lesson
by beginning with an
engaging activity
re-
Word Association Brainstorm
Brainstorm as many words as you can think of that begin with
the following word parts: re(Example: when I see the word stem re- I think of the word
rewind, like how I rewind the video so I can watch a good part
again, or the word remake, like how I had to remake my bed
when my dog jumped in and messed it up…"
Direct Instruction:
Explicitly teach the
meaning of the target
morphemes
Allow students time to brainstorm the words (60 seconds) then
ask pairs to share out as a class, creating a master list on the
board. When the list is finished, read through the words one at a
time asking students to identify the word part to show the
relationship
Instruct students to write their notes in their vocabulary log.
Display the morpheme and its meaning on the board and explain
it to the class. Provide students with example words and
sentences using the target morpheme in a word. You context
sentence should be taken directly from the book or text you are
studying.
re- (meaning: again)
126
Example Words: repeat, rerun, restock, refill
Context Sentence: "It was hard to relax with Hermione next to
you reciting the twelve uses of dragon's blood or practicing wand
movements" (pg 229).
At this point students should be able to draw on their knowledge
of both context clues and word part clues to derive a word
meaning. You may consider reading the entire paragraph as a
class, rather than the context sentence.
Guided Practice:
Practice the skill with
students, calling on
students to participate
through modeling the
skill and thinking a
loud
Independent
Practice: Provide
time for students to
independently
practice the skill and
give them feedback
on their progress
Extended Practice:
Reinforce the
morpheme meanings
through extended
practice
As a class, create a sentence (on the board) using one of the
morphemes in which you demonstrate the meaning of the target
word.
Example: Hermione had to repeat the directions multiple times
because Ron and Harry were not listening the first time.
Instruct students to create sentences in their vocabulary logs
using the target morpheme.
During independent practice, monitor student work by checking
in with struggling students.
Instruct students to pair share their context sentences with a
partner, then share out a few examples as a class.
Handout copies of the Ideas Completion worksheet, review the
directions and model the correct strategy for completing the
sentences
127
APPENDIX
Assessments and Worksheets
128
Assessments and Worksheets
Lesson 3 Sentence Completions Using Word Parts
un, dis and non
Directions: As you fill in the blanks, choose from: unusually, unable, nonsense,
uncoiling, disagree
1. The great snake was _____________ itself rapidly , slithering out onto the floor.
2. All this 'You-Know-Who' ___________________ --for eleven years I have been trying
to persuade people to call him by his proper name Voldermort.
3. Birdwatchers everywhere have reported that the nation's owls have been behaving very
_____________ today.
4. Everyone knew that Dudley's gang hated that odd Harry Potter in his baggy old clothes
and broken glasses, and nobody liked to_______________ with Dudley's gang.
5. Experts are ___________ to explain why the owls have suddenly changed their
sleeping pattern.
Now write at least three original sentences that use a word based on the word parts we
have studied. You may reuse some of the words we have talked about or think of others.
You are welcome to use your dictionaries for help.
Lesson 3 Vocabulary Quiz
Directions: Place the word phrases on the vocabulary continuum and explain the
reasoning behind why you placed when there you did. (simply write the number of the
word phrase where it belongs on the continuum, then explain why you placed it there on
the line provided).
How does someone feel if…
1. they are feeling uneasy about the stranger outside their window?
_________________________________________________________________
2. they are unable to pass their final exam?
_________________________________________________________________
3. they are unwelcome in the home they grew up in?
_________________________________________________________________
4. they disagree with their best friend?
_________________________________________________________________
5. they stare unblinkingly at a house elf?
129
_________________________________________________________________
Very bad _______________________________________________________Very good
Lesson 4 Sentence Completions Using Word Parts
ous, eous and ious
Directions: As you fill in the blanks, choose from: mysterious, enormous, dangerous,
furious, luminous, obviously, poisonous, courageous
1. Uncle Vernon was _____________________ when Hagrid said that Harry was wizard
because his face turned pink and he looked as if he might explode with anger.
2. They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or
______________, because they just didn't hold with such nonsense.
3. Uncle Vernon looked so ______________ with half his mustache missing that no one
dared to argue.
4. The _______________ candles lit up the corridor so the students could find their way
in the dark.
5. __________________ he thought nobody stood a chance of reaching them here in a
storm to deliver mail.
6. The _____________________ snake uncoiled itself and slid out from his tank and onto
the ground, slithering past small screaming children.
7. The ______________________ zookeeper captured the snake with his bare hands and
put him back into his home.
8. Hagrid reached his ________________ hand out to shake his hand, but ended up
shaking his entire arm.
Now write at least three original sentences that use a word based on the word parts we
have studied. You may reuse some of the words we have talked about or think of others.
You are welcome to use your dictionaries for help.
Lesson 5
Sentence Completions Using Word Parts
-ly
Directions: As you fill in the blanks, choose from: unblinkingly, sharply, bitterly,
miserably, timidly, proudly, briskly
1. The cat stared ________________________ at the Dursley house for hours, but no one
seemed to notice.
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2. Harry __________________ climbed into his cupboard under the stairs, knowing that
when he awoke, no one would be there to wish him a happy birthday.
3. Aunt Petunia ______________ asked Uncle Vernon if he was ready to go home yet,
for fear he might yell at her in his rage.
4. Harry and Hagrid _________________ walked through Diagon Alley because they
needed to get to Gringotts as fast as they could.
5. Hagrid _____________ handed harry the birthday cake he had made for him, pointing
out the letters he wrote himself.
6. Draco Malfloy _________________ told Harry to watch out who he chose to make
friends with, but Harry said he could find the right sort himself.
7. Uncle Vernon __________________ punished Harry for making the glass disappear in
the snake viewing area while they were at the zoo.
Now write at least three original sentences that use a word based on the word parts we
have studied. You may reuse some of the words we have talked about or think of others.
You are welcome to use your dictionaries for help.
Lesson 5 Vocabulary Quiz
Directions: Read the following sentences, then answer the questions that follow. Be sure
to respond using complete sentences.
1. When Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall left Harry on the Dursley's
steps Hagrid pleaded with them to give Harry to a wizard family. How do you think
Hagrid felt about leaving Harry with a nonmagical family?
2. Fearful of Uncle Vernon's rage, Aunt Petunia timidly asked him if it would be better to
go home. What was Aunt Petunia's tone of voice like when she asked him to go home?
3. Sitting on top of the rocky island as the most miserable little shack you could imagine.
What do you think it would be like to spend the night in that miserable little shack?
Lesson 6
Idea Completions
Directions: Read the given sentence stem and complete the sentence demonstrating your
understanding of the underlined word.
1. Harry carefully snuck into the kitchen to find snacks to eat for dinner because…
2. Ollivander thought it was curious that Harry's wand chose him because…
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3. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia disagreed with magic because…
4. The stack of unopened letters was hidden from Harry because…
5. Harry unlatched the window because…
6. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia were perfectly fine living a nonmagical life because…
Lesson 6 Vocabulary Quiz
Directions: Read the following sentences, then answer the questions that follow. Be sure
to respond using complete sentences.
1. How do you think it made Harry feel when Ollivander told Harry it was curious that
his wand chose him because the sister wand belonged to the man who killed his parents?
2. Harry mentioned that he would sometimes carefully sneak into the kitchen to sneak
food. Why did he have to carefully sneak into the kitchen? What would happen if he was
caught?
3.A cat sat near number four Private Drive staring unblinkingly all day. Why would
someone stare unblinkingly at something?
Lesson 10
Idea Completions
Directions: Read the given sentence stem and complete the sentence demonstrating your
understanding of the underlined word.
1. The hallway was deserted because…
2. A strange smell began gently wafting through the hall because…
3.Unfortunately, Gryffindor lost 150 points because…
4. Ron cautiously carried the parcel to harry because…
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5. Hermione quickly lurched forward because…
Lesson 11
Idea Completions
Directions: Read the given sentence stem and complete the sentence demonstrating your
understanding of the underlined word.
1. Ron felt Professor Snape was unhelpful because…
2. Nonstop music played throughout the dormitory because…
3. The discolored painting began shouting at Harry because…
4. Harry felt envious of Ron because…
5. Hagrid did not consider Fluffy vicious because…
Lesson 12 Idea Completions
Directions: Read the given sentence stem and complete the sentence demonstrating your
understanding of the underlined word.
1. Ron had to reread the grade he received on his exam because…
2. Hermione reworded the directions for Harry and Ron because…
3. Harry was allowed to retake his exam because…
4. Professor Snape made Neville Longbottom remake the potion because…
5. Hagrid tried to retell his side of the story because…
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