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Vocabulary
Linda Pearce
Literacy Consultant
OVEC
[email protected]
Vocabulary Session Goals
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To provide research based information
regarding vocabulary instruction
To provide strategies for vocabulary
development
Vocabulary
“. . . vocabulary is the
glue that holds stories,
ideas, and content
together . . . making
comprehension
accessible for children.”
—Rupley, Logan, & Nichols,
1998/1999, p. 339
Types of Vocabulary
Speaking
Listening
Reading
Writing
Vocabulary Acquisition
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At age 5-6 children have 2,500-5,000 word in
their oral vocabulary.
3,000 words per year are added during their
early school years (average 8 words/day).
Typical vocabulary lessons focus on 10-20
words per week.
25-50% of annual vocabulary growth is
incidental.
Vocabulary Acquisition
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At age 5-6 children have 2,500-5,000 word in
their oral vocabulary.
3,000 words per year are added during their
early school years (average 8 words/day).
Typical vocabulary lessons focus on 10-20
words per week.
25-50% of annual vocabulary growth is
incidental.
Model/Demonstration

Carving is appropriate for
most green and blue slopes
and even some black slopes.
However, if you try to carve
through moguls, especially in
packed powder or corn snow,
you’re going to face-plant.
Goals of Effective Reading
Vocabulary Instruction
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Enhance a more sophisticated language
Connect new words to existing knowledge
Strengthen ability to understand text
Increase reading comprehension and
academic success
Expand leisure reading
What We Know from
Research
Students develop vocabulary through:
wide reading
explicit vocabulary
instruction
— reading a lot
— focusing on
— reading
different types
of text
__ fiction and
non-fiction
specific words
and their
meanings
__ teaching
independent
word learning
strategies
Vocabulary Research

Researchers have named vocabulary
knowledge as the most important factor
in reading comprehension. (White, Sowell, &
Yanagihara, 1989)
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Effective vocabulary instruction requires
active and positive student
participation. (Carr & Wixson, 1986)
Personal engagement with a new word
can lead to deep processing of
meaning. (Dole, Sloan & Trathen, 1995)
Vocabulary Research
(Continued)
National Reading Panel 2000:
 Repetition and multiple exposures to
vocabulary items are important.
 Learning in rich contexts, incidental learning,
and the use of computer technology all
enhance the acquisition of vocabulary.
 Direct instruction should include task
restructuring and should engage the student.
 Dependence on a single vocabulary instruction
method will not result in optimal learning.
“It is imperative to be mindful of the serious
limitations inherent in the three most common
vocabulary teaching practices in K-12
classrooms” Kevin Feldman & Kate Kinsella
What Doesn’t Work
1.
2.
3.
Looking up words in the dictionary;
Using written context to figure out word
meanings;
Unplanned vocabulary teaching.
Marzano’s Six Steps to Effective
Vocabulary Instruction
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Teacher provides description, explanation, or
example of new term
Students relate explanation of the term in their
own words
Students create nonlinguistic representation of
term
Students periodically do activities that help
them add to their knowledge of vocabulary
terms
Periodically, students are asked to discuss
terms with one another
Periodically, students are involved in games
that allow them to play with the terms
Guidelines for Selecting “To-BeLearned” Vocabulary:
DO:
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Less is more—Depth is more
Teach terms that are central to the unit or
theme of study
Teach terms that address key concepts or
ideas
Teach terms that will be used repeatedly
throughout the term, semester, or year.
Guidelines for Selecting “To-BeLearned” Vocabulary:
AVOID:
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Teaching/Assigning words just because they
are highlighted in some way
Teaching/Assigning words just because they
appear in a list at the end of a text chapter
Teaching/Assigning words that will have little
utility once the student has passed the student
has passed the test
Assigning words that you cannot define
Assigning large quantities of words
Assigning words that students will rarely
encounter again
Which words are critical?
Consider these questions:
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Is the word important to comprehending the
text?
Does the word appear again and again?
Will knowledge of the word help in other
content areas?
Is the word likely to be in the student’s prior
knowledge?
Is the word defined within the body of the
text?
Levels of Language
“Selecting Words”
Level I
High Frequency Words
Level II
Vocabulary
Level III
Specialized Vocabulary
Beck, McKeown, and Kucan, 2002
Levels of Language
Tier I Language
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High Frequency Words
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Examples: give, have, that, the of, baby, crawl
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Basic words whose meanings are
commonly known or function words- words that
make spoken and written language coherent and
readable
Irregular/Sight Words
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contain some letters that do not represent
their most commonly used sounds
tend to be high frequency words that
students encounter often in their reading and
writing
can be partially decoded
Teaching
High-Frequency Words
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High-Frequency words are those words
that students need to know by sight because
they appear so often in texts that automatic
recognition is helpful
The ultimate goal is for all words to be read
automatically and with little effort
a, and, for, he, is, in, it,
of, that, the, to, was, you
Automaticity
-
refers to a reader’s ability to recognize words
without conscious decoding
*readers recognize words as whole
units
*readers recognize words quickly and
accurately
Levels of Language
Tier II Language
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Sophisticated words (examples: absurd, commotion, reluctant)
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Words that appear frequently across a variety of domains
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Words can be worked with in a variety of ways to build rich
representations and connections
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New words not common to young children’s oral language, high
frequency for mature language users, mature or more precise
labels for concepts young children have under control, words
more typically found in written language
Levels of Language
Tier III Language
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Specialized Vocabulary
Examples: evaporation asymmetrical
peninsula
Specialized words typically associated with a
content area or topic
Bringing Words to Life: Robust
Vocabulary Instruction Isabel Beck et al
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Tier II:
Johnny Harrington was a kind master who
treated his servants fairly. He was also a
successful wood merchant, and his business
required that he travel often. In his absence,
his servants would tend to the fields and
cattle and maintain the upkeep of his
mansion. They performed their duties
happily, for they felt fortunate to have such a
benevolent and trusting master.
Possible Explanations
Tier Two Words:
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Merchant
Required
Tend
Maintain
Performed
Fortunate
Benevolent
Students’ likely
expressions:
 Salesperson or clerk
 Have to
 Take care of
 Keep going
 Did
 Lucky
 Kind
Bringing Words to Life: Robust
Vocabulary Instruction Isabel Beck et al

Tier II:
The servants would never comment on this strange
occurrence [finding the kitchen clean even though
none of them were seen doing the cleaning], each
servant hoping the other had tended to the chores.
Never would they mention the loud noises they’d
hear emerging from the kitchen in the middle of the
night. Nor would they admit to pulling the covers
under their chins as they listened to the sound of
haunting laughter that drifted down the halls to their
bedrooms each night. In reality, they knew there
was a more sinister reason behind their good
fortune.
Possible Explanations
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Tier Two Words:
Comment
Occurrence
Tended
Mention
Emerging
Admit
Haunting
Reality
Sinister
fortune
Students’ likely expressions:
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Something someone has to say
Something happening
Took care of
Tell
Coming out
To say you did something
Scary
Being real
Scary
Luck
What If There Are Not Enough
Words?

Bringing Words to
Life: Robust
Vocabulary
Instruction by
Isabel L. Beck,
Margaret G.
McKeown, & Linda
Kucan
What If There Are Not Enough
Words?
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Consider a story in which two children
(Pam and Matt) try on a number of silly
hats, some of which are very big and
two of which are exactly alike.
A number of words came to mind, and
we chose absurd, enormous, and
identical.
Next, we suggest how those words
might be introduced to young children.
What If There Are Not Enough
Words?
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In the story, Pam and Matt had very,
very silly hats.
Another way to say that something is
very, very silly is to say that it is
absurd.
When something is absurd, it is so silly
it’s hard to believe.
What If There Are Not Enough
Words?
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Some of the hats that Pam and Matt
word were so big that all you could see
were their feet.
Another way to say that something is
very, very big is to say that it is
enormous.
Enormous means “very big—very, very
big.”
What If There Are Not Enough
Words?
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Pam and Matt put on red hats that were
almost exactly alike.
A way to say that two things are exactly
alike is to say that they are identical.
Identical means “exactly alike.”
Beck Routine for choosing Tier II
words:
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Put word on a card
Include a picture
Students generate a student friendly
definition
Students use word(s) in a sentence
Let’s look at some tools for
teaching words in new ways:
1.
2.
Rate Your Knowledge
Frayer Model
Rate Your Knowledge
Word
No Clue
Heard it
Use in a
sentence
Know
Definition
Definition
Application
Listen to each word
2.
Rate your knowledge by marking the
appropriate column.
3.
Form a co-operative group to construct
definitions.
4. Listen as I read each word in context
5.
If you were in a group, you would make
changes, or leave the definition as it is.
6.
If you cannot figure out the definition, check
in a dictionary or textbook.
1.
Word
moonlet
horde
romantic
Io
shepherded
deflected
shield
quest
Titan
mystics
No
clue
Heard
of it
Use in
sentence
Know
meaning
Definition
Frayer Model

The Frayer Model is a word
categorization activity that helps
learners develop their understanding of
concepts. (Frayer, Frederick & Klausmeier, 1969)
Frayer Model
University of Wisconsin
Definition
Characteristics
A mathematical shape that is a
closed plane
figure bounded by 3 or more line
segments.
Examples
Pentagon
Hexagon
Square
Trapezoid
Rhombus
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Closed
Plane figure
More than 2 straight sides
2-dimensional
Made of line segments
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Polygon
Non-examples
Circle
Cone
Arrow
cylinder
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Vocabulary Term
Visual Representation
Dust Bowl
Definition
Make A Personal Connection
A region or area where there
has been very little
precipitation and the top soil
turns to dust and blows away.
The wind blowing across the
infield of a baseball field
Semantic Map
Word Description
Word Art
A word or list of words a
person knows
WORDS
Words
Words
vocabulary
More Understanding
Examples
Semantic Map
Word Description
Word Art
A word or list of words a
person knows
WORDS
Words
Words
More Understanding
vocabulary
The words I know and use are
in my __________.
Examples
Semantic Map
Word Description
Word Art
WORDS
A word or list of words a
person knows
More Understanding
Words
Words
vocabulary
The words I know and use
are in my __________.
Examples
My math vocabulary is
improving with each new
unit.
Application
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Choose a key term from your content
vocabulary

Design a sample ‘Frayer Model’
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Post examples to share with others
Develop a Plan for
Vocabulary Instruction
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Engage students in wide reading
Provide direct instruction
Assure both verbal and nonlinguistic
representation
Encourage elaboration and refinement
The Importance of Vocabulary Skills
The strongest action a teacher
can take to ensure that
students have the academic
background knowledge they
need to understand the
content they will encounter in
school is vocabulary
instruction. (Marzano, Pickering,
2005)
Frayer Model
Definition
Examples
University of Wisconsin
Characteristics
Non-examples
Word
No
clue
Heard
of it
Use in
sentence
Know
meaning
Definition