Do Now – Vocabulary Gap

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Do Now – Vocabulary Gap

In 1995, Hart & Risley studied the vocabulary development of high SES and low SES children over time. They did intense observations of children of Professors and children on welfare (Turner House children). This graph shows the general trend they found. What are the implications of it for you? What responses does it raise for you?

Secondary Literacy: Teaching Vocabulary

Today’s Objectives

• Explain the three principles of effective vocabulary instruction

• Choose appropriate words to teach

• Start outlining a mini-lesson plan using these three principles

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Why are we learning this?

Given the word gap and the high vocabulary demands of secondary texts, effective vocabulary instruction is critical in all content areas.

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Today’s Session

Sociocultural

Context

TEXT ACTIVITY

READER

RAND Model (RAND Reading Study Group, 2002)

Reading Comprehension is an Interactive Process

Today’s Session

• Do Now

• Session Introduction

• Introduction to New Material– What words do I teach?– How do I teach them?

• CM Practice

• Closing

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Agenda

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How to Choose Words to Teach

Brick words

Mortar words-

Capstone words

-Window dressing words

How to Choose Words to Teach

• Brick Words– Key content words– Essential to understanding of content– Teach many of these

Observations, data, hypothesis, nomad, assimilate, mean, median, evidence, protagonist, setting

How to Choose Words to Teach

• Mortar Words– Connecting words – Multi-use academic verbs– Teach many of these

However, analyze, compare, indicate

Mortar Words – Think Bloom’s Taxonomy Verbs

For “Analyze”:

Interpret, classify, analyze, arrange, differentiate, group, compare, organize, contrast, examine, scrutinize, survey, categorize, dissect, probe, create an inventory, investigate, question, discover, inquire, distinguish, detect, diagram, chart, inspect

How to Choose Words to Teach

• Capstone Words– Big academic concepts that build upon brick and

mortar words– Teach a small number of these

Scientific method, culture, probability, ecology

How to Choose Words to Teach

• Window-dressing words– Rare and exotic words with low utility– Don’t teach these

Potpourri, supercilious

The Bottom Line

• Students will encounter unfamiliar words

• Focus: pre-teach key words that build meaning– Brick, mortar and then capstone words– Avoid window-dressing words

Supporting ELL Students

• Check for understanding constantly

• Informally teach extra words

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Choosing Words to Teach: Practice

To access handouts:

CMIM Week 4 Lit Handouts Teaching Vocabulary Handout 1

• Our Job: PRIORITIZE–Which words will help students master the content?–Which words can students NOT do without?

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Choosing Words (Handout 1)

The 1920s: A Time of TransformationThe speakeasy. The flapper. Al Capone. Through these multihued popular images, the colorful

decade of the 1920s is still alive in the imaginations of many who never experienced it. Yet while many people know the popular image of this decade, few understand its greater cultural and historical significance. The decade of 1920s was a major time of transformation, marked by a

deep clash of cultures.

During the previous half century, the United States had undergone probably the most dramatic changes in its short history. It had transformed itself from a rural economy based on farming into

one of the most powerful industrial and urban economies of the world. Economic opportunity drew millions of immigrants into its factories and cities. The farmer, who was an important figure in American culture since the time of Thomas Jefferson, rapidly gave way to the industrialist, the capitalist, and the entrepreneur. The town, the cultural center of pre-industrial America, rapidly gave way to the city. The strict religious values that had dominated mainstream American life in

the nineteenth century gave way to the more relaxed morals of the twentieth century. In an increasingly consumer-based society, leisure and pleasure were now valued over hard work and

self-denial.

The economic, political, and social changes of the past half-century manifested themselves in a widespread clash of cultures. As young people in the twentieth century increasingly challenged

older traditions, this provoked a defense of older values. The most important years for this major transformation in American culture were the 1910s and 1920s. Although there were not clear-cut sides, historians have noted a general division between those who embraced the new changes

and looked with hope to the future and those who idealized the past and resisted cultural change.

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Choosing Words (Handout 1)

The 1920s: A Time of TransformationThe speakeasy. The flapper. Al Capone. Through these multihued popular images, the colorful decade of the 1920s is still alive in the imaginations of many who never experienced it. Yet while

many people know the popular image of this decade, few understand its greater cultural and historical significance. The decade of 1920s was a major time of transformation, marked by a

deep clash of cultures.

During the previous half century, the United States had undergone probably the most dramatic changes in its short history. It had transformed itself from a rural economy based on farming into one of the most powerful industrial and urban economies of the world. Economic opportunity

drew millions of immigrants into its factories and cities. The farmer, who was an important figure in American culture since the time of Thomas Jefferson, rapidly gave way to the industrialist, the capitalist, and the entrepreneur. The town, the cultural center of pre-industrial America, rapidly gave way to the city. The strict religious values that had dominated mainstream American life in

the nineteenth century gave way to the more relaxed morals of the twentieth century. In an increasingly consumer-based society, leisure and pleasure were now valued over hard work and

self-denial.

The economic, political, and social changes of the past half-century manifested themselves in a widespread clash of cultures. As young people in the twentieth century increasingly challenged older traditions, this provoked a defense of older values. The most important years for this major transformation in American culture were the 1910s and 1920s. Although there were not clear-cut

sides, historians have noted a general division between those who embraced the new changes and looked with hope to the future and those who idealized the past and resisted cultural

change.

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Choosing Words – 1920s

Brick Words

• urban

• rural

• industrial

• consumer

• immigrant

• significance

Mortar Words

• gave way (As an idiomatic expression, this could ould be particularly difficult for ELLs)

• manifested

• provoked

• resisted

• undergone

Capstone

• transformation

• clash of cultures

• economy/economies/economic

Window Dressing

• speakeasy

• flapper

• (These two are particularly window dressing for this passage, since they are far from the main point of it). History teachers might insist that these are important to know-- you can respond that they can be explained quickly or shown in illustrations but should not take up a lot of instructional time.

• multihued

• (This is exactly the kind of word that gets bolded in textbooks even though it is not essential for understanding the sentence or passage and it is not likely to come up in other Social Studies texts.)

How do I teach them?

• Use the Frayer Model to learn about vocabulary effective instruction

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Frayer Model (Handout 2)

Definition:Well-planned and purposeful instruction that provides students with deep understanding of key words.

Key Characteristics:

Effective

Vocabulary Instruction

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Frayer Model

Definition:Well-planned and purposeful instruction that provides students with deep understanding of key words.

Key Characteristics:1. Teaching a small number of words, providing student-friendly definitions.

2. Creating meaningful interactions with words that lead to deep processing.

3. Providing multiple exposures in a variety of contexts.

Effective

Vocabulary Instruction

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Be NIMble.

Number—Teach a small number.

Interactions—Create meaningful interactions.

Multiple—Provide multiple exposures.

Frayer Model

Example: On Monday, teacher gives definitions for five bricks & mortar words from a chapter, models, gives example sentences, then involves students in Think-Pair-Shares using the words in meaningful sentences. On Tuesday, students read the text, clarifying meanings as they go. On Wednesday, students use these words in a writing activity to respond to the text.

Effective Vocabular

y Instruction

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Frayer Model

Example: On Monday, teacher gives definitions for five bricks & mortar words from a chapter, models, gives example sentences, then involves students in Think-Pair-Shares using the words in meaningful sentences. On Tuesday, students read the text, clarifying meanings as they go. On Wednesday, students use these words in a writing activity to respond to the text.

Non-Example:On Tuesday, teacher interrupts reading to have students copy 15 words and their definitions from the glossary. After that, they complete a worksheet filling in the blank for 15 unrelated sentences. On Friday, they take a spelling test on the words.

Effective Vocabular

y Instruction

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Reader’s Theater

• NIMble instruction sounds easy, right? What could possibly go wrong?

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Mrs. Van de Kamp

Strengths

• Pre-teaches key word before reading

• Teaching word by using word parts

Weaknesses

• Should’ve spent more time addressing Jose’s misconception

• “Pedate” too obscure to be helpful

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Ms. Solis

Strengths

• Hieroglyphics probably an important word to teach

Weaknesses

• Definition is not student-friendly

• Poor CFU

• Inefficient – only actively involves one student

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Ms. Scavo

Strengths

• Read aloud method for exposing students to new vocabulary

• Uses good methods for getting kids to interact with the word

Weaknesses

• Word “trimming” is not essential to understanding the text

• Spends too much time distracts from what is really going on in the text

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CM Practice: Analyze Model Lessons

• Analyze the sample vocabulary lesson plans for your content area.– Handout 4

• Consider (and be prepared to discuss):– How does teaching the selected words help further the content

objectives?– How does the lesson engage students in a meaningful way with

the words? Any suggestions for improvement?– What would be needed to reinforce the learning of these words:

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Debrief: Model Lessons

• Used three principles of effective instruction– Small number of essential words– Opportunities for students to actively work with words– Several contexts provided

• What structures did your vocab lesson plans use?– ELA: before reading activity– Biology: mini-lesson to pre-teach words before reading– Statistics: full lesson devoted to three key concepts– Social Studies: full lesson for terms that will be used again later

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Independent Practice

• Handout 8 – Vocabulary Lesson Outlines– Choose 5 academic words – Complete outline– Begin to sketch outline

• Use model lesson plans as a resouce• Handout 9 – Playing with Vocabulary Activities

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Closing

• Why is teaching vocabulary important to your content?

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