Transcript Specific Word Instruction Chapter 11 Summary

Specific Word Instruction
Chapter 11 Summary
Idaho Comprehensive Literacy 2009
Teaching Reading Sourcebook
WHAT?
Specific word instruction is just that – direct
teaching of specific vocabulary words relevant to
a given text.
GOAL : For students to use instructed words in
understanding text and be comfortable enough
with them to use them correctly in speech and
writing (Beck, McKeown and Kucan 2002)
WHAT should specific word
instruction do?
Focus on words important to the text and useful in
many situations
Provide deeper knowledge of word meanings
Provide clear explanations and examples in
various contexts with opportunities to discuss,
analyze, use and compare
Provide multiple exposures to the words in
different contexts
Engage students in active processing by getting
them to use words in new contexts and create
associations among words. (Multiple reading researchers)
WHAT words to teach?
Though there is no definite formula for determining what words to teach there are
three strategies researchers have developed to make the process easier.
Three tier system (Beck and McKowen 1985) words are
classified according to thier level of utility.
Tier One consists of basic words ie the, and, daddy etc.
These words rarely require direct instruction.
Tier Two words occur frequently in language and are central to
comprehension.
These are the best candidates for explicit instruction.
Tier Three are words usually limited to specific fields of study.
See chart on page 422-23 for guideline questions used in classification.
WHAT words to teach?
Sequence of word acquisition (Biemiller 2005a)
Students learn vocabulary in a sequence defined by vocabulary size
rather than grade level. So focus on words that are likely to be learned.
Selecting words for English Language
Learners (Calderon 2005)
A modified version of the tier system that addresses concreteness,
cognate status, depth of meaning, and utility.
WHAT kind of instruction?
Rich and Robust – in other words make it come alive for
the students not just dictionary definitions and rote
memorization.
Incorporate it into reading instruction; use the context
of the reading to explain meaning.
Introducing specific words through an explanation
rather than a definition, and use teacher created
contexts, and get students actively engaged in the
discussion of word meaning immediately.
WHAT kind of instruction?
Develop in depth word knowledge by getting students
actively engaged in using and thinking about new
words and word meanings and creating relationships
among words. ( Beck and McKeown 2004)
Extend word use beyond the classroom don’t let
words drop out after students leave the classroom.
WHY use specific word instruction?
SIMPLE! A + B = C
A- increase in vocabulary learning and
comprehension
B- deeper knowledge of word meanings
C- students better understand what they are
reading, hearing and ultimately
LEARNING
WHEN to teach specific words?
Guided by the situation, specific words can
be introduced before reading, during
reading or after reading.
Vocabulary instruction should
(and can) happen anytime and
all the time.
Beck and McKeown 2004
WHEN?
Assess and Intervene
As with any intervention, the earlier it is used
the better your long term results will be. And it is
necessary to develop a baseline from a reliable
assessment in order to monitor growth. Although
there are some assessments available, it is often
the inability to readily assess vocabulary growth
that has been a major reason for lack of attention
to vocabulary in the primary grades. (Biemiller 2004)
HOW to teach using specific
word instruction?
Text Talk: Read Aloud Method
Meaning Vocabulary: Direct Explanation Method
Method for Independently Read Text
Introducing Function Words
Concept Picture Sort
Semantic Map
Semantic Feature Analysis
Possible Sentences
Word Map
Keyword Method
HOW?
Text Talk Read Aloud
text specific vocabulary is
extensively introduced after the story has been read aloud
to students.
Direct Explanation
story is read aloud to students
four times over three days introducing up to 25 new
vocabulary words.
Independently Read Text
introduce word
meanings one at a time before reading.
HOW?
Introducing Function Words
explicit instruction
of words with a syntactic function. Useful for
prepositions, conjunctions, articles and pronouns
especially with ELLs.
Concept Picture Sort
an opportunity for students to
classify and categorize while adding new information to
their existing word knowledge.
Semantic Map
one concept or word is tied
graphically to related words.
HOW?
Semantic Feature Analysis
uses a grid format to
systematically explore and reinforce vocabulary concepts
through categorization.
Possible Sentences
pre-reading strategy requiring
students to use two words in their own original sentences.
Word Map
a graphic organizer to show how words
relate to one another.
Keyword Method
uses a keyword to assist in
remembering the target word definition.
Conclusion
According to the National Reading Panel (2000)
explicit instruction of vocabulary is highly
effective especially when taught in rich
contexts rather than isolated drills. The
goal for students is not to simply know the
words but to understand and actively use the
words we teach them.
All information was taken from Teaching Reading Sourcebook 2nd edition chapter 11.