Vocabulary: A Powerful Connection to Comprehension Tamara Konrade tamarak@essdack.org

4 Types of Vocabulary Listening: words we understand when others talk to us Speaking: words we use when we talk to others Reading: words we know when we see them in print Writing: words we use when we write

Why Vocabulary is Important…

The Vocabulary Gap Grade Average Student (2.4 root words per day) Bottom 25% (1.6 root words per day) End of Pre-K 3,440 2,440 End of K 4,300 3,016 End of Grade 1 5,160 3,592 End of Grade 2 6,020 4,168 *Anglin 1993; Biemiller and Slonim 2001; Biemiller 2005

Research shows that average students learn approximately 7 words per day (Miller, 1978). At-risk students are learning less than 1-2 words per day or none at all.

How Vocabulary is Learned Indirectly: Children learn the meanings of most words through everyday experiences: having conversations with adults and peers hearing stories reading extensively Directly: Children learn vocabulary when they are explicitly taught both individual words and word-learning strategies: morphemic analysis contextual analysis

Variation in Amount of Independent Reading Anderson, R. C. (1992)

Common and Uncommon Words FREQUENT WORDS RARE WORDS Adults talking to children 95.6 9.9 Adults talking to adults 93.9 17.3 Prime-time TV: adult 94.0 22.7 Children’s Books 92.3 30.9 Comic Books 88.6 53.5 Books-Adult 88.4 52.7 Popular Magazines 85.0 65.7 Newspapers 84.3 68.3 Abstracts of Scientific Papers 70.3 128.2 Frequent words = percentage of text from most frequent 1,000 words Rare words = number of rare words (not in most common 10,000) per 1,000 tokens Source: Hayes and Ahrens 1988

Selecting Words Target vocabulary should include: Words that are important for understanding the text or content (and that are not explained within the text). Words that students will encounter often, functionally important words. Kindergarten (Read Aloud) Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 2-8 (Independent Text) 3-4 words per book at 1-2 books per week. 4-5 words per book at 1-2 books per week. 5-6 words per book at 1-2 books per week. 3-10 words per selection at one selection per week. ~Based on Beck et al. 2002

Selecting Words to Teach Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3 Description Basic words that most children know before entering school Words that appear frequently in texts and for which students already have conceptual understanding Uncommon words that are typically associated with a specific domain Examples clock, baby, happy sinister, fortunate, adapt isotope, peninsula, bucolic Isabel Beckand her colleagues have developed a systematic three-tier method for selecting vocabulary to teach. It is a system for selecting the words in a text best suited for direct explanation and focused instruction. Not an exact science…but a helpful guide in selecting words to teach. (Beck, McKeown, Kucan, 2002)

Demands of Text Narrative Expository Unnecessary to know all the word--gist of the story. Learning new words often involves learning a new term for a known concept. Words are usually unrelated to each other. Expository Word meanings are closely tied to major topic. New vocabulary is rarely associated with familiar concepts. Words are often related to each other (e.g., metamorphosis, pupa, and larvae).

B3: Vocabulary Tested Indicators ▲Context Clues (3-HS) definitions, restatements, examples, descriptions, comparison-contrast, clue words, cause-effect ▲Structural Analysis (3-HS) roots, prefixes, suffixes ▲Figurative Language (6-HS) similes, metaphors, analogies, hyperbole, onomatopoeia, personification, idioms, imagery, and symbolism

B3: Vocabulary Tested Indicators ▲Context Clues (3-HS) definitions, restatements, examples, descriptions, comparison-contrast, clue words, cause-effect ▲Structural Analysis (3-HS) roots, prefixes, suffixes ▲Figurative Language (6-HS) similes, metaphors, analogies, hyperbole, onomatopoeia, personification, idioms, imagery, and symbolism

Contextual Analysis “Clue instruction appears to be more effective than other instruction types or just practice.” Analysis by Fukkink and de Glopper (1998)

Context Clues

Contextual Analysis Strategy Look for Context Clues in the words, phrases, and sentences surrounding the unfamiliar word. Determine: Signal Words or Punctuation Type of Context Clue Highlight different context clues you find in the article.

B3: Vocabulary Tested Indicators ▲Context Clues (3-HS) definitions, restatements, examples, descriptions, comparison-contrast, clue words, cause-effect ▲Structural Analysis (3-HS) roots, prefixes, suffixes ▲Figurative Language (6-HS) similes, metaphors, analogies, hyperbole, onomatopoeia, personification, idioms, imagery, and symbolism

Facts about Prefixes Twenty prefixes account for 97 percent of the prefixed words in school reading materials. Four prefixes (un-, re-, in-, and dis-) account for 58 percent of all prefixed words.

Structural Analysis Highlight your grade level prefixes and suffixes.

Structural Analysis Strategy Look for the Root Word. What does it mean? Look for a Prefix. What does it mean? Look for a Suffix. What does it mean? Put the Meanings of the Word Parts Together. What is the meaning of the whole word?

B3: Vocabulary Tested Indicators ▲Context Clues (3-HS) definitions, restatements, examples, descriptions, comparison-contrast, clue words, cause-effect ▲Structural Analysis (3-HS) roots, prefixes, suffixes ▲Figurative Language (6-HS) similes, metaphors, analogies, hyperbole, onomatopoeia, personification, idioms, imagery, and symbolism

Vocabulary Activities Kansas Parent Information Resource Center: http://www.kpirc.org

Attributes: Roll the Dice Start with the stack of reading standards vocabulary cards. Choose a vocabulary card and roll the dice. Give attributes or something you’ve learned for each vocabulary word you draw (roll a 3 = 3 attributes).

Alphaboxes At your table, write one word that relates to the state reading assessment.

Sort the words relating to reading standards into categories. Word Sorts Sort the words relating to reading standards into categories.

Graphic Organizers

Pictures / Objects / Videos

A Checklist for Instruction Reflect on the checklist on page ?? Write one goal that you have in regard to vocabulary instruction.