® 69th ANNUAL CONFERENCE & EXHIBIT SHOW Amy Benjamin

® 69th ANNUAL CONFERENCE & EXHIBIT SHOW Amy Benjamin Today: 1.Effective and Ineffective Vocabulary Instruction 2.Knowing a word: Not an “all or nothing” thing 3.4E’s of effective vocabulary instruction 4.Selecting words for explicit vocabulary instruction 5.The Academic Word List (AWL) (Averil Coxhead) 6.Classroom Resources: 1.Amy’s word games: Based on Latin word roots (generic academic vocabulary) 2.Amy’s “Decent Exposure”: Teaching literary words 3.Vocabulary.com

Let’s think about how words get learned and stay learned. Authentic communication with new words used in rich context

Polling Q: Vocabulary is strongly correlated with: a. reading comprehension of unfamiliar text b. standardized tests in all subject areas c. formal and informal measurements of intelligence d. understanding and retaining concepts e. all of these

What thoughts come to mind when you hear the words “vocabulary lesson”?

Picture a typical vocabulary list. How are the words organized? How were the words chosen?

When was the last time you looked up a word in the dictionary? What were the circumstances?

Knowing a word is not an “all or nothing” thing. Strangers? Acquaintances? Friends?

Moby Dick by Herman Melville: Chapter 42 “The Whiteness of the Whale” What the whale was to Ahab, has been hinted; what, at times, he was to me has been so far left unsaid. Aside from those considerations touching Moby Dick, which could not but occasionally waken in any man’s soul some alarm, there was another thought, or rather vague, nameless horror concerning him, which at times, by its intensity completely overpowered all the rest; and yet so mystical and well nigh ineffable was it that I almost despair of putting it in a comprehensible form. It was the whiteness of the whale that above all things appalled me… Though in many natural objects, whiteness refiningly enhances beauty, as if imparting some kind of special virtue of its own, as in marbles, japonicas, and pearls; and though various nations have in some way recognized a certain royal preeminence in this hue; even the barbaric, grand old kinds of Pegu placing the title “Lord of White Elephants” above all their other magniloquent ascriptions of dominion; and the modern kings of Siam unfurling the same snow-white quadraped in the royal standard; and the Hanoverian flag bearing the snow-white charger; and the great Austrian Empire, Caesarian, heir to the overlording Rome, having for the imperial color the same imperial hue; …

Should I spend time teaching this word explicitly? Three Questions: 1.How useful is this word? Will students be likely to encounter it again soon? Is it necessary for comprehension? 2.Will teaching this word explicitly equip the students with word-learning skills that can be applied to other words? 3. Am I enthusiastic about this word? Can I make it interesting?

Tier 3: glossary word: Multisyllabic Specific to a subject area Latin or Greek-based topography, photosynthesis, isoceles triangle, sedimentary, oxygenated, cartographer Tier 2: Words of education, business, government, religion: Components: Prefix, root, suffix Latin-based elevation, formation, protrude, expansive, isolated, remote Tier 1: Basic conversational words: Friends & family 1 or 2 syllables Learned naturally, through exposure hills, grass, rocks, land, sky, clouds, fly, climb, green, high… Different kinds of vocabulary.

The Academic Word List (AWL): Background: The Academic Word List consists of 570 word families that are not in the most frequent 2,000 words of English but which occur frequently over a very wide range of academic texts. These 570 word families are grouped into ten subsets that reflect word frequency. A word like analyze falls into Subset 1, which contains the most frequent words, while the word adjacent falls into Subset 10 which includes the least frequent (among this list of high incidence words). The AWL is not restricted to a specific field of study. That means that the words are useful for learners studying in disciplines as varied as literature, science, health, business, and law. This high-utility academic word list does not contain technical words likely to appear in one, specific field of study such as amortization, petroglyph, onomatopoeia, or cartilage. Two-thirds of all academic English derive from Latin or Greek. Understandably, knowledge of the most high-incidence academic words in English can significantly boost a student’s comprehension level of school-based reading material. Students who are taught these high-utility academic words and routinely placed in contexts requiring their usage are likely to be able to master academic material with more confidence and efficiency, wasting less time and energy in guessing words or consulting dictionaries than those who are only equipped with the most basic words that characterize ordinary conversation. The following link gives you a two-page version of the list: Source: Coxhead, Averil. (2000). A new academic word list. TESOL Quarterly, 34,

Academic Word List: Subset 1 analyze approach area assess assume authority available benefit concept consist context constitute contract data define derive distribute economy environment establish estimate evident factor finance formula function income indicate individual interpret involve issue labor legal legislate major method percent period principle proceed process policy require research respond role section sector significant similar source specific structure theory vary Academic Word List: Subset 2 achieve acquire administrate affect appropriate aspect assist category chapter commission community complex compute conclude conduct consequent construct consume credit culture design distinct equate element evaluate feature final focus impact injure institute invest item journal maintain normal obtain participate perceive positive potential previous primary purchase range region regulate regulate relevant reside resource restrict secure seek select site strategy survey tradition transfer

Can you think of at least 4 words for each of these roots? tract pel;pul gress/ grad to step port to carry rupt to break duce/duct to lead mit/miss to send struct to build subtract extract attract distract support report export import disrupt erupt rupture interrupt impel repel propel compel remit submit remit emit produce introduce reduce induce progress congress regress aggressive attain maintain contain retain construct structure instruct obstruct to draw or drag to drive tain/ten to hold

Effective Vocabulary Instruction Depends on the 4 E’s, anagrammed below: Eesurpxo Ennoilaatxp Enthusiasm Demonstrate your own excitement and interest in words; model yourself as a learner Esshmaiunt Exposure: Elevate your language when you speak in class Explanation: Provide ample information about a word; Exceed brief definitions Emslxpea Examples Give several examples and non-examples, especially ones that evoke a visual image

Polling Q:Which one of the following would be the MOST effective way to teach a word and make it stay learned? a) Give a vocabulary test every Friday, based on words presented on the previous Monday. b) Teach a single word in depth, providing a cluster of words that are related in meaning and structure. c) Use flashcards to drill words and definitions. d) Give students matching columns with words and definitions

How do we make vocabulary learning engaging and fun?

How to Play: Try to put together the designated number of words for each board. To reorganize the word parts, click. There are three versions for each board. Why Play: 1. Reinforce the concept of word components (prefixes and roots) 2. Elevate awareness of key supportive academic words, so that they will be used 3. Reinforce spelling

PORT RE GRESS PRE VERT SCRIBE TRANS A DE VERSE CON 13 Words

PORT RE GRESS PRE VERT SCRIBE TRANS A DE VERSE CON 13 Words

PORT RE GRESS PRE VERT SCRIBE TRANS A DE VERSE CON 13 Words

Answers: prescribe ascribe describe transcribe report deport avert transport revert regress transgress congress avert convert converse

AWL Puzzle Page: Subset 1 AnagramsCryptograms Word FindClueless Mini X-Word megcjby: __ __ __ __ __ ___ ___ fgadoafbp: __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ qpmadp: __ __ __ __ __ ___ oedhahi: __ __ __ __ __ __ __ ydybrlp: __ __ __ __ __ __ __ 1. cnifaen: : ___________________ 2. ttrruusce:____________________ 3. deothm:_____________________ 4. otnneemnriv:__________________ 5. ssilbeath:_____________ D E I T E Y R CES R N A I I N CSAH P E N V E O N T E Y X Y A C I E E E L D B C FF G H U E V R O P I R E R SS S W H R E TI T T F F D T Y T P R VU R L N D A cryptogram is a code. Solve the puzzle by breaking the code, letter by letter. Hint: Y stands for A (Replace all Y’s in the cryptogram with A’s) A E S O U C (find 6 hidden words) N E R H

port re cede con re con re ception tain duct tract con cept verse re ject tain con re cessiontract con ceive con Word Components Match-Up (Colors Must Match!)