Vocabulary Instruction in the Inclusive Classroom Presented by Janine Struyde

NCLB + IDEA = INCLUSION The alignment of NCLB & IDEA brought about the push for Inclusion or the practice of educating all students in regular education classes However just because a place is inclusion does not necessarily mean it’s inclusive

Inclusion is what we are…..Inclusive is what we do One of the biggest issues we deal with in Inclusion is “Fairness”

Inclusion and Fairness In the classroom all students have access to the general education curriculum…..but do all kids benefit from it

Equal is not always fair…. but equity is Equity is what makes inclusion inclusive and fair

The Learning Field Wired for School Model Scaffold Release Low Achievers High Achievers Wired for School Model Scaffold Release

The Inclusive classroom relies on responsive teaching to provide equity Responsive teaching is merely knowing who is in your classroom and then purposefully planning your instruction so all students have opportunity to benefit from it

If I know a student in my class struggles with reading and my lesson will require a lot of reading---how do I accommodate for that child so he benefits from my lesson? Audio books, collaborative reading, books of differing levels

If I have a child in my class with auditory processing problems and I plan to lecture----how do I accommodate for that child so she benefits from my lesson? Do 10-2, provide advance organizer, visuals, Think-pair-share

If I have a child in my class who has already mastered the topic --how do I challenge that student so he benefits from my lesson? Kids who challenge us at the other end of the spectrum

Consider Student A Student B 40 80 POST 80 PRE First two students can get info from IEP, second maybe from observation…but how else can I derive information that will inform my instructional decisions? 80 PRE

Leveling the Learning Field with Differentiating Instruction Greatest leveler is DI because inherent in its principles are the notions that all kidz can learn and all kidz learn differently But it takes a lot of skill, time and professional development to build ones comfortability with it

Leveling the Learning Field with Vocabulary Instruction Direct Vocabulary Instruction enhances student achievement Correlates highly with reading comprehension and student achievement Acquired through wide reading Those who truly need to develop their fund of word knowledge are those who are also poor readers They do not have the skills to infer meaning from unfamiliar words …even in context Nor do they typically read books that would contribute significantly to their vocabulary growth A leveler that is more accessible as well as easily applicable is vocabulary instruction

Tier I Tier II Tier III Isabel Beck Basic walk, run, happy More sophisticated, high utility, occur across domains Tier III Domain or subject specific It matters what words are taught. Isabel Beck presents the notion of three levels or types of words. She suggests focusing on tier II words found in reading because they are apt to occur across domains and provide the most potential for improved comprehension for deeper learning.

Robert Marzano Study by Marzano also confirms relationship between vocabualry and student achievement but then he goes one step further. He says by focusing on academic or tier III terms will result in an even greater improvement in comprehension and student success in that subject area

Why Academic Vocabulary? Increasing academic vocabulary increases background knowledge in that subject which then leads to greater comprehension of the content and student success Academic background knowledge is the interaction of a student’s access to academic experiences and their ability to process and store information Two types of experiences Direct Field trips Mentor programs Indirect Includes academic vocabulary

Academic terms or knowledge packets , encapsulate the concepts essential for understanding the subject By unpacking those terms you build a students fund of knowledge that becomes background knowledge A systematic approach ensures deep processing and retention of terms Direct Instruction of academic vocabulary becomes a leveler because the greatest imbalance in our classroom is background knowledge and skills… what students know and can do

Direct teaching of academic vocabulary can provide the academic background knowledge that will enable our students to learn more effectively and efficiently.

What should Vocabulary Instruction Look Like? Should not be Look and Remember Rote Verbal Rehearsal “Look It Up” Should be Rich Continuously adding detail Frequent Multiple exposure Meaningful Association and Connections Not about memorization but about unpacking and building word knowledge. Old methods ineffective great fro kids with great memory or rote skills but becoming more and more the minority. Just because

Just because I remember it doesn’t mean I know it… But if I know it… there’s a great chance I’ll remember it

Characteristics of Effective Direct Vocabulary Instruction Effective vocabulary instruction does not rely on definitions. Students must represent their knowledge of words in linguistic and nonlinguistic ways. Effective vocabulary instruction involves the gradual shaping of word meaning through multiple exposures. Teaching word parts enhances student's understanding of terms. Marzano pulls out 8 characteristics and developed a 6 step process for teaching based on these characteristics

Different types of words require different types of instruction. Students should discuss the terms they are learning. Students should play with words. Instruction should focus on terms that have a high probability of enhancing academic success.

Six Step Process for Teaching Vocabulary Describe: Teacher provides a description explanation or example of the new term Restate: Students restate the explanation of the new term in their own words Illustrate: Students create a nonlinguistic representation of the term Activate: Students periodically do activities that help them add to their knowledge of vocabulary terms Discuss: Periodically students are asked to discuss the terms with one another Play: Periodically students are involved in games that allow them to play with the terms

Just to Recap…. Inclusion is not inclusive without equity Equity through responsive teaching seeks to level the learning field so all students benefit from instruction Direct systematic instruction of academic vocabulary terms can level the learning field and contribute to student success