1. A Process for Learning Academic Language
Word Generation
A Process for Learning
Academic Language
Do: Introduce yourself and read title.

2. Goals
To learn the importance of explicitly teaching academic vocabulary in each content-area.
To give an overview of Word Generation.
1 minute
Do: State the goals of the presentation.

3. Think about your content area
Think about your content area. What are the biggest challenges to comprehension of the text?
Pick top two:
Do: Read the slide

4. Fluency Motivation Background knowledge Vocabulary Syntax Text Structure
Do: Tell participants to pick 2 of the issues and then turn to a shoulder partner to discuss. Each person gets one minute.
2 minutes

5. Is this happening? 1 minute
Consider saying: Read the slide. Have you taught your kids to whistle? You have taught vocabulary words and you don’t hear them using the words in classrooms discussions or when they are engaged in content area writing.

6. Adolescent Literacy Challenges
Only 30% of secondary students read proficiently (nationally)
89% of Hispanic and 86% of African-American middle and high school students read below grade level (NCES, 2005)
96% of 8th grade LEP students scored below the basic level (4% scored proficient or advanced on 2005 NAEP)
1 minute
Consider Saying: These are the challenges to literacy that we are facing as content area teachers. Read slide

7. The Marlup Who was poving his kump?
The marlup was poving his kump. Parmily a narg horped some whev in his kump. “Why did vump horp whev in mh frinkle kump?” The marlup jufd the nard. “Er’m muvvily trungy,” the narg grupped. “Er heshed vump norpled whev in your tranquil kump.” Do vump pove your kump frinkle?
Consider saying: When students are unable to read and comprehend text in your classroom, for students the experience is almost like you learning a foreign language. They recognize a few words but can’t comprehend the entire text. The experience children feel is similar to you actually speaking Marlup. Does anyone speak Marlup in the room? We have an activity and I need a volunteer from the audience to read The Marlup. Afterwards we are going to answer a few comprehension questions to determine how much you have learned.
Do: A participant will read the passage and then the presenter can begin questioning the audience. Read the first question.
Answer: The Marlup
Who was poving his kump?

8. The Marlup Who jufd the narg?
The marlup was poving his kump. Parmily a narg horped some whev in his kump. “Why did vump horp whev in mh frinkle kump?” The marlup jufd the nard. “Er’m muvvily trungy,” the narg grupped. “Er heshed vump norpled whev in your tranquil kump.” Do vump pove your kump frinkle?
Do: Ask question.
Answer: The Marlup
Who jufd the narg?

9. The Marlup How trungy was the narg?
The marlup was poving his kump. Parmily a narg horped some whev in his kump. “Why did vump horp whev in mh frinkle kump?” The marlup jufd the nard. “Er’m muvvily trungy,” the narg grupped. “Er heshed vump norpled whev in your tranquil kump.” Do vump pove your kump frinkle?
Do: Ask the question
Answer: Muvvily
How trungy was the narg?

10. The Marlup What kind of kump does the marlup have?
The marlup was poving his kump. Parmily a narg horped some whev in his kump. “Why did vump horp whev in mh frinkle kump?” The marlup jufd the nard. “Er’m muvvily trungy,” the narg grupped. “Er heshed vump norpled whev in your tranquil kump.” Do vump pove your kump frinkle?
Do: Ask the question.
Answer: tranquil kump
What kind of kump
does the marlup have?

11. How would you feel if a narg horped in your marlup’s kump? Why?
The Marlup
The marlup was poving his kump. Parmily a narg horped some whev in his kump. “Why did vump horp whev in mh frinkle kump?” The marlup jufd the nard. “Er’m muvvily trungy,” the narg grupped. “Er heshed vump norpled whev in your tranquil kump.” Do vump pove your kump frinkle?
Do: Ask the question
Answer: There is not an answer to this question.
How would you feel if a narg horped in your marlup’s kump? Why?

12. What enables the reader to read this passage?
Debrief
The marlup was poving his kump. Parmily a narg horped some whev in his kump. “Why did vump horp whev in mh frinkle kump?” The marlup jufd the nard. “Er’m muvvily trungy,” the narg grupped. “Er heshed vump norpled whev in your tranquil kump.” Do vump pove your kump frinkle?
Do: Ask the question
Possible Answers: The reader can decode, is a fluent reader in another language, knows pronunciation, phonemic awareness.
What enables the reader to read this passage?

13. Why were you able to answer most comprehension questions?
Debrief
The marlup was poving his kump. Parmily a narg horped some whev in his kump. “Why did vump horp whev in mh frinkle kump?” The marlup jufd the nard. “Er’m muvvily trungy,” the narg grupped. “Er heshed vump norpled whev in your tranquil kump.” Do vump pove your kump frinkle?
Do: Ask the question.
Possible Answer: The answers are in the passage.
Why were you able to answer most comprehension questions?

14. Why is the last comprehension question difficult to answer?
Debrief
The marlup was poving his kump. Parmily a narg horped some whev in his kump. “Why did vump horp whev in mh frinkle kump?” The marlup jufd the nard. “Er’m muvvily trungy,” the narg grupped. “Er heshed vump norpled whev in your tranquil kump.” Do vump pove your kump frinkle?
Slide minutes
Do: Ask the question.
Answers: It requires knowledge of the definition of the words in the passage.
Why is the last comprehension question difficult to answer?

15. True or False
Vocabulary is acquired incidentally by just encountering words in conversation and while reading.
Word meanings can usually be inferred from the text.
Students can learn word meaning from dictionary definitions.
We can understand texts in which we know 75% of the words.
We can learn a word from a few exposures.
Students know when they don’t know words.
If you can spell/pronounce a word you know it.
False
Presenter notes: This is an action slide. False should be the last item you see on the page. You will read each statement one at a time. Participants should have a handout in front of them with the statements. After everyone has marked their individual answers, you could ask for a show of hands for each question. Example: “For question one, how many answered true and how many answered false?”
Consider saying: Based on the Marlup experience, we know that if you don’t know the meaning of the words your comprehension of the text goes down. So we all know we have to teach vocabulary, but what is the best way to accomplish that very task? Lets take a True/False quiz regarding vocabulary instruction. In your handouts you have a quiz document. While I read through each question mark you answer on your document. Then we will review the answers to the quiz. Pause before you reveal the answers to all the statements.

16. Jigsaw As an individual read the myths assigned to your group.
Each person will share a sentence that he/she feels is particularly important from the assigned myths.
As a group select a sentence to share to the larger group.
Slides minutes
Do: Direct participants to look in their Teacher’s Guide and Materials for Word Generation to Roman Numeral IX (Vocabulary Learning and Teaching). Based on the number of participants sitting in table groups, assign myths. Follow directions on the slide. Allow participants 3 minutes to read the myths individually. Then they should have 4-5 minutes to share their sentence to the table group and select one sentence as a group to share to the larger group. Then all groups will have 4 minutes total to read their sentence to the larger group.

17. Research-based Principles of Vocabulary Instruction
Pick words to be used in the unit of study
Present them in motivating ways (not lists)
Provide learner-friendly definitions
Ensure recurrent exposures
Provide opportunities to use the words
Teach word-learning strategies
Motivate ‘word awareness’
2 minutes
Consider saying: Now that you have read the myths of vocabulary instruction, let’s look at research-based principles of good vocabulary instruction. Read slide and elaborate based on your discretion.

18. Three Tiers of Vocabulary
Electives
Science Language
Math Language
Literature Language
History/Social Studies
Language
General Academic language for knowing,
thinking, reading and writing
2 minutes
Consider saying: (This is an action slide and the tiers will come in the order of 1, 3, and then 2) Now you know the how of vocabulary instruction, but what words should you actually teach?There are three tiers of vocabulary. Tier 1 is common language students use at home and within their community. Tier 3 are content-specific terms that are specifically taught in your academic disciplines and can be referred to as brick words. Tier 2 is academic language that is used in all content areas and can be referred to mortar words.
Foundation of home and community language
and cultural factors

19. History/Social Studies
Brick Words/Tier III
Electives
Science Language
Math Language
Literature Language
History/Social Studies
Language
Content-specific terms/vocabulary
Technical words
High-yield words that play a key role in the lesson
Tools for understanding the lesson
Words in big, bold-faced print
3 minutes
Consider saying: If you look at Tier III words or brick words they are: Read slide and elaborate based on your discretion. Ask Participants to popcorn out brick words that are indigenous to their content area.

20. Mortar Words/Tier II
General Academic language for knowing,
thinking, reading and writing
General academic words that are common terms in everyday communication
Words used across a variety of domains
Subtle words or expressions that connect bricks
Consider saying: Now mortar words are used as cement that connects the brick words together. Read slide and elaborate at your discretion.

21. Example of Mortar Words
implies
contains
reflects
represents
supports
consequently
therefore
factors
contrast
differ from
analyze
ramifications
ELA
Social Studies
Math
Science
Any discipline
Slides minutes
Consider saying: (This is an action slide. The words will appear on the left side first, then the content areas. ) Here are examples of mortar words. Read slide. Pause a bit and ask for a show of hands from participants if they use these words in their content area classrooms. Then show second part of slide.

22. Three Tiers of Vocabulary
Electives
Science Language
Math Language
Literature Language
History/Social Studies
Language
General Academic language for knowing,
thinking, reading and writing
Consider saying: Word Generation doesn’t emphasize the use of Tier I or Tier III words; it focuses in on the academic vocabulary that is used in all content area classrooms. The programs picks words that will transfer from your class (refer to an audience member), to your class (refer to an audience member), to your class and so on.
Foundation of home and community language
and cultural factors

23. Brick vs. Mortar
If we simply pile bricks up to make a wall-overdo vocabulary quizzes and dictionary work-the wall will fall. The bricks need mortar to stick together
Jeff Zwiers Building Academic Language
1 minute
Consider saying: Emphasis needs to be placed on teaching mortar words that are used in all content area classrooms because, read slide

24. Why do we focus on academic vocabulary?
Hard to learn incidentally (especially for poor/reluctant readers)
Found in content area texts and state tests
Crucial to full comprehension, yet no one takes responsibility for it
Teachers often overlook its importance
1 minute
Consider saying: What are some tangible reasons for focusing on academic vocabulary? Read the slide. You may want to use a word such as analyze as your reference word for all of the points.

25. Using academic words in classroom discussions
Opportunities to hear the words
Opportunities to practice the words
Opportunities to link the words to different content areas
Opportunities to formulate arguments
Opportunities to sharpen arguments
Preparation for writing
1 minute
Do: Read slide and elaborate at your own discretion.

26. Some key starting points
Integrate language teaching with content teaching
Recognize that explicit and implicit teaching both work, and can be used together
Honor disciplinary respectability
Build coherence across content areas
Amplify, don’t simplify
Make it engaging
1 minute
Consider saying: We now know how we need to teach vocabulary, we know what words we need to teach, but the question that remains is can we get this done with one program that links all the content area classes together? We do where to begin to answer that question. Read slide

27. Word Generation
1 minute Background information names of professors and went to Harvard

28. Why Word Generation?

29. Benefits of Word Generation
Build the vocabulary of middle school students through repeated exposure to high frequency academic words in various contexts;
Promote regular use of effective instructional strategies among teachers;
Facilitate faculty collaboration on a school-wide effort.
Slides minute

30. Book Walk What do you see?
List 5 things that you notice in the Word Generation Teacher Guide.
3 minutes
Consider saying: Before we get into the nut and bolts of the program, take 3 minutes on your own to look through the book and write down five things that you see. All participants to share to the larger group.

31. Word Generation Materials
24 weeks – Passages written to engage adolescents in the “National Conversation” as well as in topics that are of great interest to this age group
Each are focused on a set of 5 target words selected from the Academic Word List (AWL)
The 5 target words include two topic related and three all-purpose words(mortar)
1 minute
Do: Read the slide.

32. Passages are written at a 6th grade level
15 minutes a day/5 days a week
Embeds activities for all content areas
Slides minute
Do: Read the slide

33. Topics Should school be a place for debates?
Should secret wiretapping be legal?
Should the government regulate genetic testing?
Should it be mandatory to get a parent license?
Who is responsible for protecting teens from online predators?
Should you be able to rent a pet?
1 minute
Do: Read the slide

34. Weekly Schedule ELA Read the passage Introduce the words
Monday
ELA
Read the passage
Introduce the words
Tuesday-Thursday
Social Studies, Science, Math
Content-area activities
1 minute
Friday
ELA
Writing with focus words

35. District Implementation
Each HISD Word Generation campus will:
Create a campus WG Action Committee
Create a campus implementation plan
Conduct initial campus-wide WG training
Administer pre and post WG test
Sequence their WG work as follows: Launch—cross discipline work—writing—Launch—cross discipline work—writing—Launch ….

36. District Implementation
Campus WG Coaches will:
Provide PD for WG with a focus on accountable talk
Provide ongoing, collaborative support for WG using student progress
Provide weekly reminders and updates
Model effective WG practices in the classroom
Do: Read Slide

37. Campus based implementation
Campus creates an implementation plan and places information on slide. Participants are asked to fill in a note page to make the session interactive. Also allow teachers to complete the activity of fill in the Implementation plan. Possible question how does this effect my work and classroom as a content area teacher.

38. Think Pair Square Generate questions
Do: Tell participants to think about questions they may have regarding Word Generation and write them on post-it-note. Then participants should pair with a partner and each should share their. The partner may be able to answer the question. Then participants should pair with a different partner and share their original question or a new question. Finally participants can post-it-note the question on the parking lot. Before the end of the training all questions should be answered.

39. Break

40. Weekly Schedule ELA Read the passage Introduce the words Monday
1 minute
Consider Saying: For the rest of the session, we will actually take an in-depth at how week 1 of Word Generation will actually be facilitated through the classrooms. At the beginning of each WG week, we will launch the unit.

41. Day 1 ELA Launch
Introduction to passage, containing academic vocabulary, built around a question that can support discussion and debate
A list of five target words are defined in kid-friendly and dictionary language
A list of five comprehension questions, to guide the class in checking for understanding of the passage
Do: Read the slide
Consider saying:
The launch is the responsibility of the ELA teacher. He/she will introduce the words, the passage could be read to students, and students can complete the comprehension questions in pairs or popcorn out their answers to the entire class. A key point to remember about WG is that this is not a worksheet program.

42. Launch Do: Teach the lesson as a teacher would with students.
Review the Word chart on page 20, the weekly passage on page 21, and the comprehension questions on page 22.
Actually go through the day using accountable talk and debrief.

43. Reading Clips http://www.wordgeneration.org/observe/ButtimerM1.html

44. Weekly Schedule Social Studies, Science, Math Content-area activities
Tuesday-Thursday
Social Studies, Science, Math
Content-area activities
1 minute
Consider saying: Tuesday – Thursday is devoted to using the WG words in content area classrooms. These 3 days can be performed an any order based on the needs of the PLC.

45. Accountable Talk http://www.wordgeneration.org/atbigpic.html
Do: Discuss how you were using accountable talk during the lesson Launch to speak with participants. Have participants to turn to page 10 in their WG Teacher Guide and read the section titled Building Academic Vocabulary through Accountable Talk. (3 minutes)
While reading, participants should answer the 5 “W” questions?
What is Accountable Talk?
Who can use Accountable Talk?
When can Accountable Talk be used?
Where can Accountable Talk be used?
Why should students use Accountable Talk?
Have participants share their answers to the larger group. As they answer, use accountable talk stems to facilitate the conversation.

46. Social Studies The positions in the WG book are based on the passage.
The class may want to include additional position statements.
The students will use Accountable Talk and the 5 target words to debate their positions.
Do: Read the slide.

47. Social Studies Consider: Review Debating the issue on page 22.
Ask each participant at a table to take a position. The group should debate the issue using accountable talk stems available in the WG Teacher Guide Book on page 13 when applicable. Provide an example for the group before they begin. Debrief with the Guiding questions:
How did Accountable Talk facilitate the debate?
How did Accountable Talk lend structure to the debate?

48. Social Studies Clip
Participants will review the clip from the word generation site.

49. Math
A word problem similar to TAKS math is provided using some of the target words.
Suggested ideas:
Work in pairs
Whole group discussion
Open-ended response (show/explain how you got your answer)
Do: Read Slide

50. Review page 23 Focus Words in Math and Math Problem of the Week
Experience and Debrief
Read aloud
Work in Partners
Justify your answer
Debrief Points
Accountable Talk
Note targeted words
Not a worksheet activity
Students working in pairs or groups
Teacher repeats targeted words often

51. Math Clip http://www.wordgeneration.org/observe/henderson1.html

52. Science
Students engage with in a brief experiment designed to provide opportunities for student use of scientific reasoning and academic language in formulating conclusions from the data provided.
Do: Read slide

53. Review pages 24 and 25 Science Activity
Guiding Question

54. Science Clip http://www.wordgeneration.org/observe/Hayes4.html

55. Weekly Schedule ELA Writing with focus words Friday 1 minute
Consider saying: Every launch will end with the closing activity of writing. Once again the ELA teacher will work with the focus words, but students will now use the words in writing a persuasive paragraph.
Friday
ELA
Writing with focus words

56. ELA Writing Closing Activity
no comprehension
to recognition
Consider saying: The writing piece moves students into production. Prior to the launch, students didn’t have any recognition of the words. Students then gained awareness of the words through systematic use of the words in each content area. Now on the final day students will actually use the words in their writing. The goal of the writing is to answer the prompt effectively, but to also correctly use the WG words in their writing.
to production

57. Writing Clips http://www.wordgeneration.org/observe/ButtimerF1.html

58. Q & A

59. Resources
Struggling Adolescent Readers and Vocabulary Development across the Content Areas: “Word Generation” -Claire White, Harvard Graduate School of Education
Promoting Academic Language Use by Teachers and Students- Catherine E. Snow, Harvard Graduate School of Education