1. TIERED WORDS I really have to try hard while climbing this big mountain! I really have to be persistent while climbing this enormous mountain!

2. “Mom, I finally learned the words that describe me…pugnacious and cantankerous!” “That pizza looks hideous!” “Mom, I’ve been thinking all day of a perfect word that describes President Bush…..”

3. GOALS of this SESSION Introduce strategies that are being tried out in different schools Review some relevant research related to vocabulary development Identify and interact with Tier 2 vocabulary words. Practice explicit, systematic steps in vocabulary introduction. Encourage risk taking and accept that we will make mistakes while practicing. Explore resources that are already out there for you to use.

4. Before We Get Started Let’s review our packet Three Tiers of Vocabulary Steps of explicit, systematic introduction 7-Up What tier is this word? What’s the number for? Megatimer

5. LeMoyne Elementary Early on we realized that with the extended reading and math blocks we weren’t doing a thorough job in the content and writing areas. To add to this frustration, many students could not read grade level text books … WHAT TO DO?

6. Once the blame game stopped, we began to put our heads together We started to examine the prospect of infusing differentiated content related literature into our reading block. Content teachers began to ask questions about explicit, systematic instruction – Meg Gregory will add to what I have said.

7. Let’s at some of the research related to vocabulary development

8. Reading comprehension = Knowledge of Words + Knowledge of the World

9. What Does Research Tell Us? Research clearly emphasizes that for learning to occur, new information must be integrated with what the learner already knows. Learning, as a language-based activity, is fundamentally and profoundly dependent on vocabulary knowledge. With inadequate vocabulary knowledge, learners are being asked to develop novel combinations of known concepts with insufficient tools.

10. Sadly, socioeconomic status has the most significant factor effect on a child’s vocabulary knowledge.

11. Differences in exposure to words over one year Children in Professional Families -- 11 million Children in Working-Class Families -- 6 million Children in families who receive gov’t assistance -- 3 million Children Caught in the Vocabulary Gap!

12. What is the Matthew Effect? This is referred to as the Matthew Effect where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

13. What can teachers do to solve this problem?  Teachers must make effective vocabulary instruction a high priority in the educational system.  According to research, teachers must make vocabulary instruction vigorous, strong, and powerful to be effective.

14. Components of a Vocabulary Program High-quality Classroom language Reading Aloud to Students Explicit Vocabulary Instruction Word-Learning Strategies Wide Independent Reading

15. “We learn words up to 4 times faster in a familiar context than an unfamiliar one.” Consider “topic immersion” as a good way to induce fast vocabulary gains for young children – staying on a subject long enough for the topic to become familiar Treat read alouds and the challenging conversation they generate as fundamental to building knowledge.

16. What makes successful vocabulary instruction?  A successful approach to vocabulary instruction involves directly explaining the meanings of words along with thought- provoking, playful and interactive follow- up.

17. Bringing Words to Life Isabel Beck M. McKeown L. Kucan Guilford Press

18. “Making Words Stick” How do I introduce and teach words so that they “stick”? Use the research-based analytical steps for teaching vocabulary

19. “Let’s Practice...” “She’s just too much of a distraction and I’ve been getting calls from the other parents. They’re afraid those stripes may be contagious.”

20. Sequenced Vocabulary Instruction First, contextualize the word for its use in the story that you are reading. –“She’s just too much of a distraction and I’ve been getting calls from the other parents. They’re afraid those stripes may be contagious.” Next, ask the children to repeat the word so that they can create a phonological representation of the word. –“Say contagious with me.” (clap it out) Next, explain the student friendly meaning of the word. –“Contagious means an illness that can spread to other people.” Provide examples in contexts other than the one used in the story. –“The surgeon scrubbed his hands to prevent the spread of contagious germs.” Have students interact with the word… “Could you be contagious if you went to work with strep throat?

21. –If I say something about which you would be “contagious”, say “contagious”… Going on vacation Pink eye Riding a bike Head lice MRSA Mowing the lawn Complete this sentence… “I would be contagious if I …” Conclude with having students see the word and say the word… What’s our word that means “an illness that can be spread to other people?’ –contagious

22. Three Tiers of Vocabulary Words

23. Tier 1Tier 2Tier 3 DescriptionBasic 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 Examplesclock, baby, happy sinister, fortunate, adapt isotope, peninsula, bucolic (Beck, McKeown, Kucan, 2002) Selection Criteria for Instructional Vocabulary

24. How do I determine that a word is TIER 2 ? WordIs this a generally useful word? Does the word relate to other words and ideas that students know or have been learning? Is the word useful in helping students understand text? If you answer yes to all three questions, it is a tier 2 word. If not, it is probably a tier 3 word.

25. Let’s practice identifying Tier 2 words – coaches and specialists please support groups TASK: On your table, you will find a variety of social studies and science related literature. With an elbow partner, choose a book that is interesting to you. Identify (4 )Tier 2 words. Use the selection criteria to help guide you through this process. Once you have selected the words, each partner should choose one word each. Then take turns in going through the systematic steps in vocabulary instruction. Refer to the yellow SEQUENCED VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION to write down the steps. Your elbow partner will listen and then you will switch. THIS TAKES PRACTICE and TIME

26. Let’s Try contagious distraction remedies vanished altered perplexed Problem Solution

27. What are the things that you noticed?

28. Let’s EXPLORE!!!! Good NEWS! There are many, many resources available for you to use http://www.fcrr.org http://www.vocabularya-z.com www.edc.org/CCT/PMA

29. In Closing

30.  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.  But there are too many words in the English language to teach!  Not all words call for attention (Beck, 2001)

31. More Research Findings… Third grade students with restricted vocabularies have declining comprehension scores The gap continues to widen during the elementary years. By the end of second grade, students in the highest vocabulary quartile know 4000 more root words than students in the lowest vocabulary quartile.

32. Intensive students can learn new words at the same rate as benchmark students However, it is not enough to enable them to catch up to their peers. By fifth grade, intensive students only achieve the vocabulary knowledge of the average second grader.

33. Reflect… Do I provide activities that include more than repetitive practice? Do I vary the ways I teach new words? Do I assume that, once taught, a word is learned? Who does the talking about new words?

34. Evaluating A Lesson Curriculum Example: Vocabulary (Grades 2-3) Enhancements How could you enhance students’ opportunities to practice in this lesson? ___________________________________ How could you enhance the instruction in this lesson?_________________________ ___________________________________

35. Fix-Up for the Lesson What vocabulary is being taught: ___________ Is it a high priority? Yes No Areas Targeted for Enhancement CriteriaHow to Enhance Explicit steps & strategies Increase specificity. Number of modeled examples Add modeled examples. Include “think aloud” procedures. Opportunities to practiceProvide students with additional opportunities to practice. Give immediate corrective feedback.