Word up vocabulary instruction in the 21st century classroom

Word Up!

Vocabulary Instruction in the
21st Century Classroom

by Hello Literacy


Where in the day could
word learning occur?



Receptive Vocabulary (in)
&
Expressive Vocabulary (out)






“The difference in the number
of words known by students
with poor vocabularies versus
students with rich vocabularies
is extensive, grows over time,
and becomes apparent early.”
(Baker, Simmons & Kameemui, Big IDEAS, University of Oregon)

“The extent of oral language is
highly correlated with later
reading proficiency.”
(Bishop &Adams, 1990; Butler, Marsh, Sheppard & Sheppard, 1985;
Pikulski & Tobin, 1989; Share, Jorm, MacLean & Matthews, 1984)


“Some children decode words
fluently and still have reading
comprehension problems that
seem to stem from language
comprehension problems.”
(Oakhill, Cain & Yuill, 1998; Yuill & Parkin, 1986)


“We use words to think; the
more words we know, the finer
our understanding is about the
world.”
(Stahl, 1999)


“Comprehension of a text
depends crucially on knowledge
of specific words that may not
be familiar to some students.”
(Nagy, 1998)

Now What?
Directions: For each word, write a sentence and use the word
correctly in the sentence.
1. epiphenomenal: having the character of or relating to an
epiphenomenon
________________________________________________________
2. kern: to form or set (as a crop of fruit)
________________________________________________________
3: stative: expressing a bodily or mental state
________________________________________________________


“Definitions, as an instructional
device have substantial
weaknesses and limitations.
Definitions do not teach you
how to use a new word and do
not effectively convey concepts.
Think of it this way: Why isn’t
a glossary of biological terms
an adequate substitute for a
biology textbook?” (Nagy, 1989)
“…thus knowing a word cannot
be identified with knowing a
definition.” (Nagy & Scott,
2000)


Marzano’s

steps


• All these steps in 1 day
(5-10 minutes)
• Done IN a content area
notebook, mixed in with
other content area notes
• 4 point rubric of
understanding
• These steps done over
several days.
• Done outside the notebook
• In pairs, groups, at centers,
etc.
• 4 point rubric of
understanding


A Kagan “Structure”
A “Game”

Quiz
Quiz
trade
www.kaganonline.com

The Text-Talk Lesson
30
Minutes
Read-Aloud
(15 minutes)
Word Play
(15 minutes)


A Demonstration Lesson


Create “student friendly” definitions
•
•
•
•

Ask yourself “When do I use this word?”
Use everyday language to explain the meaning.
Keep focused on the central meaning.
Try to include something, someone, or describes in your
explanation to clarify how the word is used.

Create and use instructional contexts
•

•
•

Contextual meaning for the word that are from the
teacher, in a context other than the book.
Instructional contexts are used along with (not
instead of) “student friendly.”

Active Engagement & Interaction
•
•

It is essential that students begin using a new word
immediately, meaningfully, and in multiple contexts.
Examples are: Word Associations, Have You Ever…?,
Applause! Applause! , Idea Completions or Open-Ends
like “When might…How might…Why might…”


Comparing Two Target Words
•
•
•

The sidewalk: paved or amazing?
Taking a walk to look for shells: amazing or exploring?
Michael Phelps 25 gold medals: amazing or paved?

Using All Target Words Together