Transcript Document

Building Background Knowledge for
Academic Achievement
Sioux Falls School District
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
1
Introduction
• Knowing strong academic background
knowledge impacts students’ academic
achievement in school. We must use the
most effective strategies to create indirect
experiences to build student background
knowledge.
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
2
How does building background
knowledge fit with what we are
already doing?
• The processes involved in Marzano’s Building
Background Knowledge are aligned with Value
Added.
• The Sheltered Instruction model being used by
ELL supports the instructional process in Building
Background Knowledge.
–
–
–
–
Key vocabulary emphasized
Student journals
Word study books
Contextualizing vocabulary
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
3
Food for Thought
• What does the research say?
• How do we build background knowledge
for our students?
– The power of wide reading and language
experience.
– Direct vocabulary instruction.
– Defining an academic vocabulary.
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
4
Overview
• In order to bridge the gap for our students we must
provide them with indirect experiences that build
their academic background knowledge.
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
5
The Importance of Background
Knowledge
• What students already know about the
content is one of the strongest indicators of
how well they well learn new information
relative to the content.
• Academic background knowledge affects
more than just “school learning.”
– Studies have also shown its relation to
occupation and status in life.
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
6
Knowledge is Power
• A students’ academic background
knowledge has impact on the rest of their
lives
• Success in school has strong bearing on
their earning potential.
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
7
How we acquire background
knowledge
• Our ability to process and store information
– Fluid intelligence
• The number and frequency of our
academically oriented experiences
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
8
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
9
The Consequences of Poverty
• Findings in Figure 1.4 characterize the
relationship between poverty an academic success
after controlling for ethnicity, family structure,
and mother’s education.
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
10
The Consequences of Poverty
• Findings in Figure 1.4 characterize the
relationship between poverty an academic success
after controlling for ethnicity, family structure,
and mother’s education.
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
11
Schools can Make a Difference
• Direct approaches to Enhancing academic
Background Knowledge
– Provide enriching experiences
– Establishing mentoring relationships
• Indirect Approaches: A Viable Answer
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
12
Six Principals for Building an
Indirect Approach
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
13
1. Background Knowledge is stored in
bimodal packets in the episodic memory
•Glossary of terms
–Episodic memory—specific learning episodes
–Semantic memory—general understandings
over time
–Bimodal memory packets
•Linguistic-logogen; episodic & semantic
propositional networks (The smallest unit of
knowledge that can stand as a separate assertion.)
•Nonlinguistic-imagens;nonlinguistic
representations that accompany the propositional
networks)
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
14
Propositional networks depicting
a specific event
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
15
Information moves from propositional to
de-contextualized propositional
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
16
2. The Process of Storing Experiences in
Permanent Memory Can Be Enhanced
• First we must understand the three functions
of our memory
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
17
Three Functions of Memory
Permanent
Memory
7/21/2015
Working
Memory
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
Sensory
Memory
18
3. Background Knowledge is
Multidimensional and Its Value Is
contextual
• No general set of background knowledge
helps us learn in every situation.
– Little or no carry over between subjects
– Common core = some carry over
• Enhancement of Academic background
knowledge must be done subject by subject.
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
19
4. Even Surface level Background
Knowledge Is Useful
• When we retrieve a packet of information for use
in working memory, we initially access its surfacelevel characteristics only.
• Knowledge of a given topic is organized in a
hierarchy.
– Top level knowledge - specific facts
– The next level – more general characteristics
– The next level – even more general characteristic
associated with the broadest category the word would
fit
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
20
5. Background Knowledge Manifests
Itself as Vocabulary Knowledge
• Hard facts to support this statement:
– Research indicates that vocabulary knowledge
is highly correlated with family income
– Estimated 4,700 word difference between High
and low socioeconomic students (SES)
– Mid-SES 1st graders know 50% more words
than Low-SES
– High SES 1st graders know twice the words of
Low-SES
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
21
What does this mean for out ELL
students?
• Children from culturally and linguistically diverse
backgrounds may struggle to comprehend a text or
concept presented in class because their schema do
not match those of the culture for which the text is
written or because they do not understand the
academic vocabulary written in English.
• Teachers must also be aware of the level of
vocabulary knowledge students, especially at
secondary levels, nee in order to be successful in
content classes. Both Sheltered Instruction and
Marzano’s Building Background Knowledge
emphasizes the need to practice key terms that will
strengthen students’
vocabulary knowledge.
Research by Robert Marzano on
7/21/2015
What Works in Schools
22
6. Virtual experiences Can Enhance
Background Knowledge
• Virtual Experience:
– Information must move from the sensory
memory to the working memory
(Remember the camping example of how the
information moved from the episodic memory
to the semantic memory. This is a necessary
step in solidify the learning process.)
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
23
The continuous learning process:
Permanent
Memory
7/21/2015
Working
Memory
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
Sensory
Memory
24
Reflect…
• How effective do you feel you are at planning and
using strategies that support what we know about
the brain and how it learns?
• What teaching strategies support our brain’s
process of storing information in both linguistic
and nonlinguistic memory packets?
• What components of your last year’s Value Added
training utilizes this brain research?
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
25
Reading is a Form of Virtual
Experience
• In the working memory the virtual experience is
for all practical purposes the same as the direct
experience.
• Although it is cliché, it is accurate think of reading
as a “magic carpet” to new places and experiences
• Reading provides the promise of every student’s
having a rich array of virtual experiences
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
26
Sustained Silent Reading (SSR)
supports the positive impact reading
can have on background knowledge.
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
27
Language Interactions as a Form
of Virtual Experience
• The more students talk and listen to others,
the more virtual experiences are generated
• Hart and Risley’s research indicates:
– By the time children in welfare homes are 1
year only they have only about 50% of the
language experience of children from workingclass families and only 30% of the language
experience of children from professional
families.
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
28
Educational Television as a Form
of Virtual Experience
• Research indicates:
– Watching general television programs = little
impact on the development of background
knowledge
– Watching educational television significantly
enhanced the development of such knowledge.
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
29
Tapping the Power of Wide Reading and
Language Experience
• Sustained Silent Reading (SSR)
– To be effective the SSR program must have
specific characteristics and must be continuous
over many years
– If done only a year or two the gains might by
evident initially but will fade when the
program ceases
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
30
More information to support wide
reading
• Research has shown that past the 4th grade, the
number of words a person knows depends
primarily on how much time they spend reading
(Hayes & Ahrens, 1988; Nagy & Anderson, 1984;
Nagy & Herman, 1987; Stanovich, 1986)
• Adults that make a habit of reading have a
vocabulary that is about four times the size of
those who rarely or never read.
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
31
Recommended Modified SSR
•
Eight Factors needed:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Access (to wide selection of informational reading)
Appeal ( books with topics of interest to students)
Conducive environment (comfortable surroundings)
Encouragement (explicit praise)
Staff training ( consistent implementation using
effective strategies)
6. Non-accountability (student choice and interest
driven not teacher assigned)
7. Follow-up activities (cooperative
grouping/relationship building)
8. Distributed time to read (non fiction)
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
32
A Five Step Process
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
33
Step One: Students Identify Topic
of Interest to Them
• I-Search helps with the process
• Students gather information about a topic of
interest, synthesize and organize the
information and use it to complete a written
response or project of some sort
• Personal Read and Reflect Time (PRRT)
• Students may change their topic at any time
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
34
Step Two: Students Identify
Reading Material
• Students use the classroom library and the
school library to begin choosing material
from which to read and “I-search” their
topic
• Model—Guided selection and large group
activity to begin the process
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
35
Step Three: Students are Provided
Uninterrupted Time to Read
• Teachers and students should have 20 to 30
minute sessions, twice a week for SSR
/Personal Read and Reflect Time (PRRT)
• Schedules can be building-wide, grade-bygrade, or class-by-class
• Put class rules in place that all must follow
• Consider best placement of SSR/PRRT
during the school day
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
36
Step Four: Students Write about or
Represent Information in Their
Notebooks
• Use of Academic Notebook (two sections-PRRT
and vocabulary)
• Responses to reading must be recorded in the
notebook
• Free responses—open ended responses,
expressive writing (linguistic and non-linguistic
responses)
• Structured responses—guided questions to
promote moving knowledge to permanent
memory
Research by Robert Marzano on
7/21/2015
What Works in Schools
37
Step Five: Students Interact with
the Information
• Student interaction doesn’t just happen—teacher
serves as helper
• Group activities must have explicit structure and
purpose
• Demonstrate interaction activities- taking turns
speaking, listening and questioning
• Organize into groups of three to five
• Students share topic and one thing that they have
learned about their topic
• Not all students must share each time
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
38
Reflect on the
SSR/PRRT process…
• What steps of this process are you already doing
in your school day? What steps do you need to
change in your instruction?
• How do the steps of this process capitalize on
what we know about how the brain learns best?
• Which steps are in the process are value added
components?
• What would you have to do to fully implement
this process?
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
39
Building Academic Background Through
Direct Vocabulary Instruction
•
The Case for Direct Vocabulary
Instruction
–
Three Generalizations:
1. Estimates of vocabulary size vary considerably
2. Wide reading may not enhance vocabulary as
much as once thought
3. Direct vocabulary instruction
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
40
Characteristics of Effective
Direct Vocabulary Instruction
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
41
Characteristic 1: Effective vocabulary
instruction does not rely on definitions
When people first learn words, they understand
them more as descriptions of words as opposed
to definitions.
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
42
Characteristic 2: Students must represent
their knowledge of words in both linguistic
and nonlinguistic ways.
– For information to be anchored in permanent
memory, it must have linguistic (language
based) and nonlinguistic (imagery based)
representations
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
43
Characteristic 3: Effective vocabulary
instruction involves the gradual shaping
of word meanings through multiple
exposures
– To understand words at a deeper level, students
require repeated and varied exposure to words,
during which they revise their initial
understandings.
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
44
Characteristic 4: Teaching Word
Parts Enhances students’
Understanding of Terms
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
45
Characteristic 5: Different types of
Words Require Different Types of
Instruction
• Nouns
– General
– Specific
7/21/2015
• Verbs
– General
– Specific
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
46
Characteristic 6: Students should discuss
the terms they are learning
• Discussion helps students encode
information in their own words, helps them
view things from different perspectives, and
allows for self-expression
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
47
Characteristic 7: Students Should
Play with Words
– Games:
• Present manageable challenges for students
• Arouse curiosity
• Involve some degree of fantasy arousal
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
48
Characteristic 8: Instruction Should focus
on Terms that have a High Probability of
enhancing academic success.
– Beck and Mckeown (1985) suggest that
vocabulary be thought of in three tiers:
• Tier 1-most basic words
• Tier 2-appear infrequently enough in reading that
there is little chance of learning them in context
• Tier 3- words specific to subject areas
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
49
Six Steps to Effective Vocabulary
Instruction
• Applying the Eight Characteristics of
effective vocabulary instruction in a
program to enhance background knowledge.
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
50
Step 1:
The Teacher Provides a
Description, Explanation, or
Example of the New Term
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
51
Step 2:
Students Restate the Explanation
of the New Term in Their Own
Words
• Students construct their own explanations
based on what the teacher has presented and
write them in their academic notebooks,
which are divided into subject areas.
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
52
Step 3:
Students Create Nonlinguistic
Representation
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
53
Examples of nonlinguistic
representations:
•
•
•
•
Graphic organizers (Kidspiration)
Drawings
Photographs
Pictographs
Students can also be encouraged to create
mental pictures and act out meanings of new
words.
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
54
Step 4:
Students Periodically Do Activities
That help Them Add to Their
Knowledge of Vocabulary Terms
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
55
Possible Activities
•
•
•
•
•
Comparing terms
Classifying terms
Generating Metaphors using terms
Generating Analogies using terms
Revising initial descriptions or nonlinguistic
representations of terms
• Using understandings of roots and affixes to
deepen knowledge of terms
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
56
Step 5:
Periodically the Students are asked to
Discuss the Terms with One Another
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
57
Ideas for student discussion:
• Organize students into small groups asking them
to discuss terms in the vocabulary section of the
academic notebook.
• Prompts for discussion could include:
terms interesting to students
questions about specific terms
identify terms with multiple meanings
favorite terms
terms that were difficult to learn and why
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
58
Step 6:
Periodically Students Are Involved
in Games That Allow Them to Play
with the Terms
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
59
Fun with Words
•
•
•
•
•
•
Charades
Pictionary
Gestures
Taboo
Hangman
Great web site for classroom games
http://www.teachersdesk.org/spell_plans.ht
ml
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
60
Reflect on the Vocabulary
development process…
• How is it different from traditional
vocabulary instruction?
• Which steps are in the process are value
added components?
• What parts of this are you already doing in
your school day?
• What would you have to do to fully
implement this process?
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
61
As we look to utilizing this
research, it is imperative that we
follow the guidelines and maintain
both the integrity of the program
and focus on building academic
background knowledge.
7/21/2015
Research by Robert Marzano on
What Works in Schools
62