Effective Vocabulary Instruction for NGSSS Dr. Sherwin Jose RED 3013

The Facts There are about 1.8 million words in the English language. The average person knows between 40 and 60 thousand words. Only 5-10% of words are in our working vocabulary. 23 prefixes account for 85% of the words in the English language. Language is dynamic. 500 new words are added daily to our language.

Research Findings Looking up words in a dictionary and memorizing definitions is not effective. (Nagy & Scott, 2001) The meaning of a word must be expanded beyond a simple definition. Greater vocabulary knowledge happens when students select words and/or the strategies for learning words. (Blachowicz and Fisher, 2000) In classrooms where students have opportunities to become immersed in reading and writing, vocabulary development improves.

THE WORD SET HAS 194 DEFINITIONS. For example, set \’set\ vb 1. To cause to sit 2. To put a fowl (on eggs) to hatch them 3. To place (oneself) in position to start running a race 4. To fix (a hook) firmly into the jaw of a fish 5. To set with care or deliberate purpose (a stone on the grave) 6. To put aside (dough containing yeast) for fermenting 7. To adjust a measuring device (alarm clock) to a desired position 8. To fix a certain amount (bail at $500) 9. To defeat (an opponent or his contract) in bridge 10. To incite to attack or antagonism (brother against brother) 11. To become solid or thickened by chemical or physical alteration (concrete) 12. To become whole by knitting (set a bone)

Consider this… Vocabulary size in kindergarten predicts reading comprehension and school achievement. (Beck, McKeown and Kucan, 2002)

Affixes Prefixes a word part attached to the beginning of a word. Most prefixes come from Greek, Latin, or Old English. dis- pre- un- re- Suffixes a word part that appears at the end of a root or base word to form a new word. Some suffixes change word meaning, others change parts of speech. -est -ion -able

Consider this… Effective vocabulary instruction requires multiple exposures in varying contexts along with activities for deep processing. (Stahl and Fairbanks, 2006)

Consider this… There is a direct relationship between the amount one reads and vocabulary development. (Gambrel and Headley, 2006)

CONTEXT CLUES A word’s context can provide important clues about its meaning. The context of a word is made up of the punctuation marks, words, sentences, and paragraphs that surround the word. Other Ways to Say... Vocabulary (LA , 1.6.7, 1.6.8, 1.6.9) (LA , 1.6.7, 1.6.8, 1.6.9) same meaning most opposite phrase describes convey add to the idea restates used in same way Where will you find it? Literary text Fiction and Nonfiction Informational text