Enhancing the Tier 2 Vocabulary Development of English Language Learners An Action Research Study by Kenneth McKee

Word Tiers Tier 1 (everday speech words) Tier 2 (general academic vocabulary) Tier 3 (domain-specific vocabulary) Basic words that require little to no instruction. Precise or sophisticated words that appear across domains. Low-frequency words that appear in specific domains. Book, girl, sad, run, etc. Adjust, translation, depend, structure, etc. Allegory, monarchy, hypotenuse, mitosis, etc.

Tier 2 Knowledge

Why focus on General Academic (Tier 2) vocabulary?  Students who lack extensive knowledge of general academic vocabulary are at a serious disadvantage in academic environments (Baumann & Graves, 2010; Coxhead, 2000).  General academic vocabulary is most commonly an academic barrier for English Language Learners (ELL’s) and economically disadvantaged native English speakers (Kieffer & Lesaux, 2010).  Students who lack extensive knowledge of general academic vocabulary are at a serious disadvantage in academic environments (Baumann & Graves, 2010; Coxhead, 2000).  General academic vocabulary is most commonly an academic barrier for English Language Learners (ELL’s) and economically disadvantaged native English speakers (Kieffer & Lesaux, 2010).

Generative Morphology Prefixes Suffixes Roots Students generate “ known” words to link to “ new ” words. Prefixes Suffixes Roots Students generate “ known” words to link to “ new ” words.

Cognates There are positive correlations between students’ comprehension in English texts and their ability to recognize cognate relationships. There are negative correlations for students who do not recognize cognate relationships. (Nagy et al., 1993) There are positive correlations between students’ comprehension in English texts and their ability to recognize cognate relationships. There are negative correlations for students who do not recognize cognate relationships. (Nagy et al., 1993)

Participants  Six high school students, whose first language is Spanish, taking an ESL course

Research Questions  Does morphological knowledge assist students in unlocking the meanings of general academic vocabulary?  Which instructional strategies best develop students’ general academic word knowledge?  What impact does accessing student background knowledge of words have upon new word learning?  Does morphological knowledge assist students in unlocking the meanings of general academic vocabulary?  Which instructional strategies best develop students’ general academic word knowledge?  What impact does accessing student background knowledge of words have upon new word learning?

Innovation  Students will read a short, engaging text.  One or two Tier 2 words that are essential to comprehending the text will be selected for vocabulary instruction. These words will be introduced before reading the text (Kelley, Lesaux, Kieffer, & Faller, 2010), and I will give explicit instruction on the meanings of morphemes within the words.  Students will work in groups to generate all the words they already know (including Spanish cognates) that share morphemes and meaning with the target morpheme (Flanigan, Templeton, & Hayes, 2012; Hiebert & Lubliner, 2008). These words will be captured on morpheme web charts will be displayed.  Each lesson will ask the students to use the words in some way (talking or writing) as a closure activity to the lesson (Kelley et al., 2010).  Students will read a short, engaging text.  One or two Tier 2 words that are essential to comprehending the text will be selected for vocabulary instruction. These words will be introduced before reading the text (Kelley, Lesaux, Kieffer, & Faller, 2010), and I will give explicit instruction on the meanings of morphemes within the words.  Students will work in groups to generate all the words they already know (including Spanish cognates) that share morphemes and meaning with the target morpheme (Flanigan, Templeton, & Hayes, 2012; Hiebert & Lubliner, 2008). These words will be captured on morpheme web charts will be displayed.  Each lesson will ask the students to use the words in some way (talking or writing) as a closure activity to the lesson (Kelley et al., 2010).

Let’s try it. … Reading is more difficult than other more concrete concepts because readers have to demonstrate a grasp of several components at once. What so many students do implicitly when reading strategically, many others do not. We need to more explicitly explain the reading process and use prompts that encourage students to self-monitor, reflect, and make decisions. (Zuerblis, 2014)

Here is our word: components Com, con, co, col = “with; together” Pon; pos = “put, place”

Word-Generation

Data Collection and Analysis Quantitative  Adapted vocabulary knowledge rating pretest and posttest  Student attitude surveys Qualitative  Ongoing interviews with the regular classroom teacher  Researcher journal  Student work and photographs of instructional practice Quantitative  Adapted vocabulary knowledge rating pretest and posttest  Student attitude surveys Qualitative  Ongoing interviews with the regular classroom teacher  Researcher journal  Student work and photographs of instructional practice

Timeline  July-August: Determine area of focus, conduct literature review, develop action plan, begin researcher journal.  August-October: Meet students and learn more about their individual literacy needs using WIDA and Access testing results, develop data collection instruments, choose texts for lessons determining the general academic vocabulary of focus, develop vocabulary lessons.  October-December – Administer pretests, teach lessons, complete researcher journal, conduct ongoing teacher interviews, formatively assess progress and make adjustments, conduct posttests.  January-February – analyze and interpret data, develop professional development  March –April: Write up findings in article, create suggested action plan, present study, findings, and instructional approaches at the NC Reading Association conference.  April-June: Disseminate findings, create Homebase PD module.  July-August: Determine area of focus, conduct literature review, develop action plan, begin researcher journal.  August-October: Meet students and learn more about their individual literacy needs using WIDA and Access testing results, develop data collection instruments, choose texts for lessons determining the general academic vocabulary of focus, develop vocabulary lessons.  October-December – Administer pretests, teach lessons, complete researcher journal, conduct ongoing teacher interviews, formatively assess progress and make adjustments, conduct posttests.  January-February – analyze and interpret data, develop professional development  March –April: Write up findings in article, create suggested action plan, present study, findings, and instructional approaches at the NC Reading Association conference.  April-June: Disseminate findings, create Homebase PD module.

References  Baumann, J. F., & Graves, M. F. (2010). What is academic vocabulary? Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 54(1), doi:1598/JAAL  Coxhead, A. (2000). A new academic word list. TESOL Quarterly, 34(2), doi: /  Flanigan, K., Templeton, S., & Hayes, L. (2012). What’s in a word? Using content vocabulary to generate growth in general academic vocabulary knowledge. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 56(2), doi: /JAAL  Hiebert, E. H., & Lubliner, S. (2008). The nature, learning, and instruction of general academic vocabulary. In A. E. Farstrup & S. J. Samuels (Eds.). What research has to say about vocabulary instruction (p ). Newark, DE: International Reading Association.  Kelley, J. G., Lesaux, N. K., Kieffer, M. J., & Faller, S. E. (2010). Effective academic vocabulary instruction in the urban middle school. The Reading Teacher, 64(1), doi: /RT  Baumann, J. F., & Graves, M. F. (2010). What is academic vocabulary? Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 54(1), doi:1598/JAAL  Coxhead, A. (2000). A new academic word list. TESOL Quarterly, 34(2), doi: /  Flanigan, K., Templeton, S., & Hayes, L. (2012). What’s in a word? Using content vocabulary to generate growth in general academic vocabulary knowledge. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 56(2), doi: /JAAL  Hiebert, E. H., & Lubliner, S. (2008). The nature, learning, and instruction of general academic vocabulary. In A. E. Farstrup & S. J. Samuels (Eds.). What research has to say about vocabulary instruction (p ). Newark, DE: International Reading Association.  Kelley, J. G., Lesaux, N. K., Kieffer, M. J., & Faller, S. E. (2010). Effective academic vocabulary instruction in the urban middle school. The Reading Teacher, 64(1), doi: /RT

References  Kieffer, M. J., & Lesaux, N. K. (2010). Morphing into adolescents: Active word learning for English language learners and their classmates in middle school. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 54(1), doi:1598/JAAL  Nagy, W. E., Garcia, G. E., Durgunoglu, A. Y., & Hancin-Bhatt, B. (1993). Spanish-English bilingual students’ use of cognates in English reading. Journal of Reading Behavior, 25(3),  Zuerblis, N. (2014, September 19). Four ways to foster independent readers and writers [Web log post]. Retrieved from ways-to-foster-independent-readers-and-writers-2/ ways-to-foster-independent-readers-and-writers-2/  Zwiers, J. (2008). Building academic language: Essential practices for content teachers, grades San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.  Kieffer, M. J., & Lesaux, N. K. (2010). Morphing into adolescents: Active word learning for English language learners and their classmates in middle school. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 54(1), doi:1598/JAAL  Nagy, W. E., Garcia, G. E., Durgunoglu, A. Y., & Hancin-Bhatt, B. (1993). Spanish-English bilingual students’ use of cognates in English reading. Journal of Reading Behavior, 25(3),  Zuerblis, N. (2014, September 19). Four ways to foster independent readers and writers [Web log post]. Retrieved from ways-to-foster-independent-readers-and-writers-2/ ways-to-foster-independent-readers-and-writers-2/  Zwiers, J. (2008). Building academic language: Essential practices for content teachers, grades San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.