Word Savvy What word did you
hear or see today
that grabbed your
attention?
Word of the Day
What is your favorite word?
What is the most interesting word you heard
today?
What is the most interesting word you read
today?
What is the most important word you learned
today?
Morning Message Friendly Gree+ng -­‐ I a2empt to use a form of allitera9on, playing with first le2er sounds, grabbing students a2en9on, while se?ng the tone for the school day (i.e. Mellow Monday, Wise Wednesday, ThoughDul Thursday). Current Event -­‐ I incorporate a sentence or two that relates to something we have been discussing in school, a current event or the weather. Expository Text -­‐ I explain the student
s first assignment, weaving in transi9on words, academic vocabulary and novel vocabulary. This provides students an opportunity to infer the meaning of vocabulary by using context clues or word parts. Students ac9ons allow me to assess understanding and provide feedback. Friendly Closing -­‐ I like to use the closing , trying to communicate that learning is thinking. Happy Thinking , Essen9al Elements of a Word Savvy Classroom Students Listen to Text •  To develop a reservoir of language (oral & wri2en). •  To par9cipate in thoughDul conversa9ons. •  To build an understanding of mul9ple genres of text. •  To develop content specific language. Students Read Daily Students Write Daily Students Study Words Reading Aloud to . . .
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Week 1 - Listen to Words
Week 2 - Note Interesting Words
Week 3 - Note Important Words
Week 4 - Note Words that Create an Image
Week 5 - Word Sketch
Week 6 - Stretch the Sketch
Reading Log Prompts
“While reading today what word(s) grabbed your attention?”
“Why did it grab your attention?”
“Was the word familiar?”
“Do you know what it means?”
“Did the context help you infer the words meaning?”
“Was the word interesting?”
“Would you use the word?”
“Where would you use the word?”
“Summarize the idea of your reading by using a word.”
“Explain the thinking behind your word.”
Prompts to Assess Vocabulary Knowledge •  “What does___ mean? How do you know?” •  “What does the phrase ___ mean ? How would you have said it?” •  “What words has the author used to set the mood of this text?” •  “How does the wri9ng reveal the author’s opinion about the topic?” •  “Explain how the 9tle is connected to the text.” •  If you were the author what 9tle would you have used?” “Why?” Imagine a morning in late November. A coming of winter morning more than twenty years ago. Consider the kitchen of a spreading old house in a country town. A great black stove is its main feature; but there is also a big round table and a fireplace with two rocking chairs placed in front of it. Just today the fireplace commenced its seasonal roar. A woman with shorn white hair is standing at the kitchen window. She is wearing tennis shoes and a shapeless gray sweater over a summery calico dress. She is small and sprightly, like a bantam hen; but, due to a long youthful illness, her shoulders are pi9fully hunched. Her face is remarkable – not unlike Lincoln’s, craggy like that, and 9nted by sun and wind; but it is delicate too, finely boned, and her eyes are sherry colored and 9mid. “Oh my,” she exclaims, her breath smoking the windowpane, “it’s fruitcake weather!” From – “A Christmas Memory” by Truman Capote Rubythroat June 27 Seen in sunlight, it is a blur of wings, an iridescent flash of bronzed green and a touch of ruby red. At dusk it may be mistaken for a hovering sphinx moth. Actually, it is the hummer, the ruby-­‐throated hummingbird, the smallest bird we have and one of the most remarkable. We see it now in the flower gardens, on high terraces in the city, in side yards in the suburbs, at the old-­‐fashioned flowers in the country dooryard. There are only a few varie9es of hummingbirds, all na9ve to the Western Hemisphere, and the only one we know here in the Northeast is the rubythroat. All the dimensions of its life except its migratory flight are on a miniature scale. Its body not much bigger than a bumblebee, its nest is the size of half a walnut shell, and its eggs are no bigger than fat garden peas. It lives on nectar and miniature insects. But it can run away from a hurrying bee., it can outmaneuver a swallow, and on its annual migra9on to Mexico it crosses the Gulf of Mexico, flying some 500 miles nonstop. This brilliant li2le atom of bird life, however, is full of everyday energy and self-­‐confidence that some9mes amounts to truculence. It seems to fear nothing on wings. It will a2ack a hawk, a crow, even a rambunc9ous kingbird, and put any one of them to flight. A strange bundle of paradoxes, this li2le winged jewel. It loves flowers, couldn’t live without them. Its chief compe9tors are bees and moths. But bird it is, every milligram of it, and soon it will be haun9ng, bergamot and the jewelweed, a gem on wings, a li2le demon dressed like a miniature dandy. from Hal Borland’s “Twelve Moon’s of the Year Developing a Class Vocabulary Rubric Class Discussion: How do words make a text powerful? Read Text: Select 2 or 3-­‐exemplar text to be read, analyzed and discussed. Prompt students to no9ce and then mark word choice in exemplar text. Partner share. •  Find strong lines, specific and memorable words. •  Reflect on author’s word choice. Class share. Record Class Thinking: Record thinking on an enlarged or projected copy of text. Repeat for 2 or 3 days. Cra? a Rubric. Test Rubric Validity. Use one of exemplar text to find a memorable, strong line(s). Write under influence of mentor line(s) Use rubric to analyze and evaluate student wri9ng. Word Choice 3
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The writer has though.ully chosen words that convey the intended message in an interes6ng and precise way, appropriate to purpose and audience. Specific and accurate words make the wri9ng easy to understand. Choice words draw the reader into the wri9ng and remain in the reader’s mind. Phrases and sentences flow, connec9ng ideas. Specific nouns and lively verbs aid sentence construc9on. The writer has effec6vely chosen words that convey the intended message in a func6onal way, appropriate to purpose and audience. Familiar and general words make the wri9ng understandable. Everyday words convey the main idea of the wri9ng. Phrases and sentences do not always flow from one idea to the next. Wri9ng is uneven and choppy. Generic nouns, pronouns, and passive verbs make some sentences uneven or confusing. The writer has a limited word choice that does not always convey the intended message, appropriate to purpose and audience. •  Basic and flat words make the wri9ng confusing. •  Generic words convey a basic idea, some9mes confusing the reader. •  Phrases and sentences are awkward; jump from topic to topic without any type of rhythm. Some sentences are gramma9cally incorrect. •  Plain nouns, redundant pronouns and verbs detract from the meaning. Vocabulary Focus Lesson (10 -­‐ 15 minutes) • 
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Name and introduce the strategy.
Demonstrate how to use the strategy. Give the students an example to try.
Provide feedback while students are working
with example.
•  Debrief
- What did the students learn?
- How will this strategy be applied?
- What makes this strategy challenging?
Levels of Understanding a Word • 
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I have never heard that word I heard the word, but I m not sure what it means I sort of know what it means I know what the word means and it is part of my language I can use the word in mul9ple situa9ons, understand all shades of meaning along with synonyms and antonyms Using Context Clues
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Is the idea defined within the text?
What part of speech is the word?
Are there synonyms within the text that I can use?
Are there antonyms within the text that I can use?
Are there graphic features within the text that I can
use?
•  Have I summarized information from the text?
•  Have I used the title to think about the text/
vocabulary?
•  Have I reread the text to find clues?
Five Day Context Clue Cycle
Day 1
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Name and define how you are going to use context to infer the meaning of a challenging
word.
Use shared reading to read a paragraph.
Demonstrate how to use context clues on an enlarged text.
Day 2
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Redefine how to use context clues. Use shared reading to read a paragraph
Guide students use of context clues by using a think aloud.
Discuss which context clues were used to infer the meaning of an important word.
Day 3
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Students define how to use context clues to infer the meaning of an important, unfamiliar
word.
Students use context clues to infer the meaning of an important word while reading a
teacher provided text.
Students debrief the meaning of the target word, what context clues were helpful, and how
these cues were used.
Day 4
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Students refine their understanding of how to use context clues by reading a teacher
selected text, identifying an important, unfamiliar word, and then use context cues to infer
the meaning of the important
word.
Students debrief the meaning of the target word, what context clues were helpful, and how
these cues were used.
Day 5 • 
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Students work in small groups creating a definition of how to use context clues. Students
definition refers to an anchor text that was introduced on Day 2.
Students and teacher use shared writing to create an anchor chart that students can use as a
reference tool for how to use context clues. Word Study Block -­‐ The First 6 Weeks Goals Create an interest in spelling. Students learn to look and discuss how words are spelled. Students learn to connect spelling features. Students learn to sort spelling features into a variety of categories. •  Students develop a vocabulary and understanding of spelling features. •  Students learn to self-­‐monitor and correct spelling errors. •  Students set their own spelling goals. • 
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Activity
Purpose
Week 1 - Name Exploration
Begin to create an interest in words.
Week 2 - Word Observations
Notice spelling features & language to
discuss spelling.
Week 3 - Word Connections
Use what is known to spell unknown.
Week 4 - Word Sorts
Sort spelling features into categories.
Week 5 - Word Webs
Sort spelling patterns into a web of
words.
Week 6 - Have a Go
Strategically use what words look and
sound like to spell challenging words.
Week 7 - Selling (Self) Assessment
Learn about self as speller and set
spelling goals.