1. ©Joan Sedita, www.keystoliteracy.com
The Key Vocabulary Routine developed by Joan Sedita
Welcome to this overview of The Key Vocabulary Routine. I’m Joan Sedita, author of the program, and it is a pleasure to provide you with some information about our training options for this program.
©Joan Sedita,

2. What is The Key Vocabulary Routine?
5-step routine for embedding vocabulary instruction in content classroom teaching
Used by all teachers throughout the school day with existing content reading material
Foundational routine that provides consistency as students move from grade to grade and class to class
The Key Vocabulary Routine is a 5-step program for embedding vocabulary instruction in all content areas.
There is no single “best” time or subject to teach vocabulary; research consistently finds that vocabulary is best taught throughout the day in every subject. There are no special instructional materials or student workbooks for The Key Vocabulary Routine; instead, teachers use existing reading material to teach content-specific words.
Because the routine provides a basic set of foundational strategies, students benefit from consistency as they move from grade to grade and class to class when the routine is used by a team of teachers or across a school. An ideal “cohort” of teachers for a Key Vocabulary Routine training is any group of teachers of grades 3-12 from the same school.
©Joan Sedita, 2

3. ©Joan Sedita, www.keystoliteracy.com
The Five Steps
Preview.
Use activities that connect related words.
Select specific words to teach in-depth.
Use word learning strategies (context, word parts).
Promote word consciousness.
This slide lists the routine’s five steps. In the next several slides, I will provide some detail about each step and show classroom examples.
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4. ©Joan Sedita, www.keystoliteracy.com
Step 1 Preview
Activate prior knowledge
Provide temporary, basic familiarity with words so students will not stumble over the words during reading
Helpful to have students identify words for previewing
The first step is to preview vocabulary before students read. The goals are to activate prior knowledge and provide enough basic information about unfamiliar words so students won’t stumble over them when they read.
One instructional suggestion for previewing is to have students take part in the process for identifying unfamiliar words. As you will see in the following examples, a student rating checklist is one way to do so.
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Student Example
Here is an example from a social studies class. As you can see, students rate their knowledge of a word along a scale that ranges from no knowledge to knowing the word well.
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6. ©Joan Sedita, www.keystoliteracy.com
Student Example
This example is from a science unit.
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7. Step 2 Use Activities to Connect Vocabulary
Four activities:
Semantic Mapping
Categorizing
Semantic Feature Analysis
Scaling
Make connections between words & background knowledge
Offer opportunities for rich discussion about words
The second step in the routine is the use of activities to teach new words along with related words. These activities are: Semantic Mapping, Categorizing, Semantic Feature Analysis, and Scaling. The next few slides provide classroom examples.
Using these activities helps students make connections between words and their background knowledge. It also provides opportunities for rich discussion about words.
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8. Semantic Mapping: Social Studies
Semantic Mapping has two steps: brainstorming words associated with a key concept word, then categorizing those words. This shows the first (brainstorming) step from a social studies unit.
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9. Semantic Mapping: Science
This example is from science.
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10. Semantic Feature Analysis
For semantic feature analysis, a list of related words is provided along one axis of a chart, and different features are provided along the other. Students compare differences in word meaning by determining whether or not each feature is associated with the word. This Semantic Feature Analysis is from a unit on geography.
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11. Semantic Feature Analysis
Here is a math example.
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Scaling
For scaling, students are provided with a pair of opposite words and asked to generate as many related words they know along a scale. This is an example of scaling.
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Scaling
Here is another scaling example.
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14. Step 3 Select Specific Words to Teach In-Depth
We need to teach some essential content words in-depth
Models and suggestions for identifying these words
How to teach everything about the word and provide multiple meaningful exposures
The third step in the routine is to select a smaller set of specific content words to teach in-depth. Students must learn thousands of new words a year, and there is not enough time to teach all of them – teachers need a model for selecting a smaller set of essential content words to teach in-depth.
During this part of Key Vocabulary training, teachers learn models for making those decisions. They also learn ways to teach everything about the word, including the word’s sounds, spelling, multiple meanings, synonyms and opposites, and use in context . They also learn how important it is to provide meaningful, multiple exposures to words.
©Joan Sedita,

15. Templates for Teaching Words In-Depth
Graphic Organizers:
Frayer/four square (Frayer et al. 1969)
Concept Definition Map (Schwartz, 1988)
Two-column notes (Sedita, 1989)
For this step, the routine uses three graphic organizers: the Frayer (sometimes called Four Square) Method, the Concept Definition Map, and Two-column notes. Classroom examples of each follow.
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Frayer/Four Square
This is an example of the Frayer or Four Square from an early elementary grade.
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Frayer/Four Square
This is a social studies word.
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18. Concept Definition Map (template)
This is the blank Concept Definition Map template.
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19. Concept Definition Map
This is a Concept Definition Map for the word perilous.
p. 170
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Two-Column Notes
This example shows the use of two-column notes: The vocabulary word goes in the left column, and information about the word goes in the right.
p. 172
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21. ©Joan Sedita, www.keystoliteracy.com
Here’s another example from a math unit.
p. 173
©Joan Sedita,

22. Step 4 Word Learning Strategies
To determine meaning of an unfamiliar word
Use of context
Use of word parts
Roots, suffixes, prefixes
Word families
The fourth step of the routine is to teach strategies for determining the meaning of an unfamiliar word.
One strategy is to use the context to figure out the meaning. The second is to use word parts, including roots, prefixes and suffixes.
©Joan Sedita,

23. Step 5 Promote Word Consciousness
Encourage students to become WORD COLLECTORS!
Word play – in the classroom, in the school
Word walls
Availability of a wide variety of reading materials to promote wide reading and exposure to words
The fifth and final step of the routine is about promoting word consciousness. Rather than viewing vocabulary as drudgery or an unpleasant chore (which often occurs when students are simply asked to copy definitions from a dictionary), there are ways that teachers can motivate students to want to learn about new words.
Various activities for using word play and word walls in the classroom are covered in the training for this step.
©Joan Sedita,

24. ©Joan Sedita, www.keystoliteracy.com
Training Components
On-site
coaches
Admin.
workshop
Teacher Training
Now that we have reviewed the program, let’s review the training components – beginning with training for teachers.
Initial training is typically two days. As the trainer presents each step in the routine, participants have an opportunity to develop practice lessons using their own content reading material. They leave prepared to start teaching the routine.
Long-term follow up is an essential component of effective professional development. In addition to initial training, Keys to Literacy trainers facilitate follow-up meetings, both guided practice and small-group sharing sessions, over several months’ time. They are also available to observe and co-teach in classrooms.
In order to build on-site capacity, we also deliver a two-day advanced training to educators who will become building-based coaches or facilitators. During this training, they have the opportunity “dig deeper” into the program and enhance their own proficiency as well as learn peer coaching skills.
The final component of Keys to Literacy professional development is training for administrators. Typically during a half-day session, participants learn how they can support building coaches and teachers implement the program.
Initial Training
Follow Up
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Training Types
Teacher Training
2 days of initial training
2-5 days of follow-up professional development
Coach Training for building-based facilitators
2 days of advanced training
Administrator Training
½ day of training
This slide highlights the three types of training and the typical amount of training time allotted for each. In the next few slides, we will review what is covered in each type of training.
©Joan Sedita,

26. In Initial Teacher Training, you will:
Become familiar with the research about effective vocabulary instruction
Learn a routine for teaching vocabulary that is embedded in content classroom instruction
Learn how to teach:
Previewing
4 word-related activities
Specific words to teach in-depth
Use of context and word parts
Develop lesson plans
What will you learn in the 2-day initial teacher training?
You will become familiar with the research about effective vocabulary instruction.
You will learn the 5 steps in the routine I have already described here and have an opportunity to practice the activities using your own content reading material – including some time to develop lesson plans for your classroom.
©Joan Sedita,

27. In Follow-Up Teacher Training you will:
Have time to develop and share lessons using the routine (You will also develop lessons on your own to use in the classroom between follow-up sessions.)
Receive guided practice and feedback as you develop lessons
Participate in small-group sharing sessions with other teachers as you present your class lessons and student work
During follow-up sessions, you will have time to develop lessons using the routine with a Keys to Literacy trainer who will provide guided practice and feedback. It is expected that you will also develop lessons on your own to use in the classroom between follow-up sessions.
You will also have an opportunity to share your lessons from the routine (which you’ve been using in your classroom) and samples of student work with your colleagues.
©Joan Sedita,

28. In Coach Training, you will:
Receive advanced training for teaching the steps in the routine
Learn how to support other teachers from different content areas as they use the routine
Learn techniques for peer coaching
Develop an action plan for supporting the program in your school
A building coach/facilitator can be a teacher, specialist, administrator, or any other educator who has participated in initial teacher training. A successful building coach is a good communicator, is organized and respected by his/her peers, and strongly supports The Key Vocabulary Routine.
In the 2-day coach training, you will gain a deeper understanding of the routine and how it can be applied to different subject areas. You will also learn techniques for peer coaching.
©Joan Sedita,

29. In Administrator Training, you will:
Be introduced to the routine
See examples of how the routine is used in the classroom
Learn how the routine can be part of a school-wide plan for addressing literacy instruction
Learn how to support building coaches and teachers who have been trained in the program
Participants in administrator training will receive an overview of the routine, including examples of its use in different content classrooms. Content vocabulary instruction is an essential part of a school-wide literacy plan, and participants will learn how the routine supports literacy achievement. Finally, participants will learn how to support teachers and building coaches.
©Joan Sedita,

30. More Training Information
For educators of grades 3-12
Delivery style: interactive presentation with practice activities
Training books are provided
Keys to Literacy offers Professional Development Points (PDPs) as follows:
6 PDPs for each day of initial training, and 6 PDPs for each of two follow-up days (maximum total: 24 PDPs)
additional 12 PDPs for the two-day Coach training
Graduate credit available for initial teacher training through Endicott College ($100/credit)
Here’s some last general information about all of The Key Vocabulary Routine training:
The delivery style is interactive – practice activities are embedded throughout.
Keys to Literacy provides PDPs for training as follows: 6 for each day of initial training, and 6 for each of 2 follow-up days, for a maximum total of 24 PDPs. An additional 12 PDPs are offered for the two-day coach training.
Graduate credit is available through Endicott College for the multi-day initial teacher training; the cost is $100 per credit.
©Joan Sedita,

31. ©Joan Sedita, www.keystoliteracy.com
About Keys to Literacy
Leading provider of professional development focused on adolescent literacy
Expert trainers
Research-based, proven methodology for teaching comprehension and vocabulary
New England based; currently working with over 120 schools
Finally, I thought you might like to know a bit about Keys to Literacy and the trainers who teach The Key Vocabulary Routine.
KTL is a provider of literacy professional development, specializing in grades All of our trainers are literacy experts, and they have extensive classroom experience. All KTL programs are research-based, with a specific focus on comprehension and vocabulary skills. KTL is based in New England and works with over a hundred schools each year.
©Joan Sedita,

32. ©Joan Sedita, www.keystoliteracy.com
For More Information…
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If you would like more information about Key Vocabulary training or any other Keys to Literacy programs, please visit our website or contact us via or phone.
Thank you, and I hope to see you at one of our training sessions!
©Joan Sedita,