Vocabulary Development

What Do I Already Know About Vocabulary Development?

What is vocabulary ?

Why is vocabulary development important?

How do you expand your own vocabulary?

How do you help your students expand their vocabularies?

Key Learning Outcomes

The participants will: define vocabulary and its role in reading instruction gain understanding of how scientifically based reading research has informed vocabulary instruction
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What is Vocabulary?
Vocabulary refers to the words we must know to communicate effectively.

Receptive

Expressive

(Armbruster, Lehr, & Osborn, 2001) 4

Receptive/Expressive Vocabulary
Receptive/listening vocabulary - body of word meanings recognized in context, either heard or read
Expressive vocabulary body of word meanings known well enough that they can be used appropriately when spoken or written Receptive vocabulary - greater than our expressive vocabulary. We understand far more words than we use.

What Are the Four Types of Vocabulary?

Listening Speaking Reading Writing

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4 Types of Vocabulary
Listening vocabulary words we need to know to understand what we hear Speaking vocabulary words we use when we speak Reading vocabulary words we need to know to understand what we read Writing vocabulary words we use in writing

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Is Vocabulary Instruction Important?

Before you answer this, read the selection on the next slide and answer the questions.

by Mark Twain (an excerpt)

Once upon a time, an ____ who had ___ a small and very ___ ___ placed it so that he could see it in the ___. He said, This doubles the ___ and ___ of it, and it is twice as ___ as it was before. The animals out in the woods heard of this ___, the ___, who was greatly admired by them because he was so ___, and so ___ and ___, and could ___ them so much which they didnt know ___, and were not ___ about afterward. They were much ___ about this new piece of ___, and they asked ___, so as to get at a full ___ of it. They asked what a ___ was, and the cat ___.
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A Fable

1. Who is the subject of the first paragraph? 2. What is the main idea of the second paragraph? 3. Was it difficult to comprehend this passage? Explain.
(Twenty percent of the words were omitted from the excerpt to simulate slow, effortful reading with 80% accuracy.)*
*Coyne, Kameenui, & Chart, 2003

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How Did You Do?

Do you think you would have understood the text better if you had been able to read all of the words correctly?
Of course you would have and so would our students! Vocabulary development is an essential component of comprehension.
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Vocabulary development is important to ensure long-term impact on:

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Research Evidence
Vocabulary is learned implicitly
The results of the National Reading Panel Report tells us that children learn the meanings of words implicitly through everyday experiences with oral and written language. Children learn word meanings implicitly in three ways: * Interacting with others in daily oral language * Listening to adults or older children read to them * Reading extensively on their own
(National Reading Panel, 2000)

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Oral Language Engagement

How do you engage children in conversation? Evaluate 3 conversations in the next slide. Which one do you think was the most beneficial for the child?

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Research Evidence
Vocabulary should be taught explicitly:

Teach specific key words before reading Promote active engagement Use multiple methods & exposures Create word awareness Use rich, varied context Consider restructuring tasks Employ technology
(NRP, 2000)

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Teaching key words before reading should reflect Beck, McKeown, and Kucans 3-Tiered Model

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TIER 1
Most basic words

Known words
(happy, baby, clock)

TIER 2
Taught directly Critical to concept or text Likely to be encountered many times Difficult words, figurative language, idioms, multi-meaning words (required, maintain)

TIER 3
Low frequency of use
Limited to specific domains (peninsula, refinery)

(Beck & McKeown, 1985)

3-Tiered Explanation
Tier 1: Basic words that need no instructional attention because their definitions are understood. Tier 2: High frequency words encountered in many domains. These are the words a teacher would target to teach. Students understand the general concept of the words, but instruction builds specificity and precision in describing the concept. Tier 3: Low frequency words needed for content areas. Teacher pronounces the words and gives definitions before reading.
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The underlined words are consistent with the notion of Tier 2 words in that they are likely to appear frequently in a wide variety of texts. Would students be able to explain these words in their own words or have an inkling due to the context? If yes, these words again meet the criterion of Tier 2 words.
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Vocabulary development needs to include implicit and explicit teaching and learning Engaging conversations that

include unfamiliar words Reading to children daily from a variety of genre

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 Active engagement in literacy-rich environments Restructuring tasks (e.g., procedures, processes

and materials)

Repeated/multiple exposures
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Vocabulary instruction should also include ongoing and purposeful instruction:

Related to and integrated with curriculum

content

Integrated as part of writing instruction Incorporated in engaging games and activities

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Teaching Word Learning Strategies

How to use information about word parts

(affixes, root words, compounds, etc.) How to use context clues How to make students word conscious How to use references (dictionary, thesaurus, etc.)
(Nagy,2000)

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Use Effective Vocabulary Activities Exploring the meaning of a word in context Exploring multiple meanings Word Sorts Semantic Feature Analysis (SFA) Exploring antonyms, synonyms Kid-friendly definitions Associations
(Moats, 2004)

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Summing Up Vocabulary
Encourage wide reading Employ instructional read alouds Engage students in daily interactions that promote using new vocabulary Teach, model, and encourage the application of word-learning strategies Teach students how to use dictionaries, thesauruses, and other reference materials

(Put Reading First, 2001)

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Summing Up Vocabulary
Provide direct instruction in the meanings of words Use multiple methods and exposures Create an interest in language and words

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Do You Want to Know More?

Armbruster, B., Lehr, F. & Osborn, J. (2001). Put Reading first: the for Literacy. Bear, D.R., Invernizzi, M., Templeton, S., Johnston, F. (2000). Words

Research Building Blocks for Teaching children to Read: Kindergarten through Grade 3. Washington, DC: National Institute

Their Way: Word Study for Phonics, Vocabulary & Spelling Instruction (2nd ed.). New Jersey Merrill. Beck, I.L., & McKeown, M.G. (1983). Learning Words Well-A Program to Enhance Vocabulary and Comprehension. The Reading Teacher,
36, 622-625. Beck, I.L. & McKeown, M.G. (2002). Bringing Words to Life: Robust Vocabulary Instruction. New York; Guildord Press. Durkin, D. (1993). Teaching Them to Read. (6th edition) Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

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Farstrup, A., & Samuels, S. (2002). Evidence-based Reading

Good, R.H., Gruba, J., Kaminski, R.A. (2001.) Best Practices in Using Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) in an Outcomes-Driven Model. In A. Thomas 7 J. Grimes (Eds.), Best Practices in School Psychology IV (pp.679-700). Washington, DC: National Association of School Psychologists. Harris, T.L., & Hodges, R.E. (Eds.). (1995). The Literacy Dictionary: The Vocabulary of Reading and Writing. Newark, DE: International Reading Association. LINKS Project (2000). Vocabulary Development: Participants & Facilitators Manual. Olympia, WA: Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. McKeown, M.G., Beck, I.L., Omanson, R.C., & Perfetti, C.A. (1983). The Effects of Long-Term Vocabulary Instruction on Reading Comprehension: A Replication. Journal of Reading Behavior, 15(1),

Instruction: Putting the National Reading Panel Report into Practice. Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

3-18.

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Moats, L. (2004). LETRS: Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling, Modules 1-9. Longmont, CIO: Sopris West. Nagy, W., & Scott, J. (2000). Vocabulary process. In M. Kamil, P. Mosenthal, P.D. Pearson, & R. Barr (Eds.) Handbook of Reading Research (Vol. III, pp. 269-284). Nahway, NJ: Lawrence Erbaum Associates, Inc. National Reading Panel (2000). Teaching Children to Read: An

Child Health and Human development. Risley, Todd & Hart, Betty. (2002). Meaningful Differences in the Everyday Experiences of Young American Children. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Company. Shore, R. (19997). Rethinking the Brain: New Insights into Early Development. New York: Families and Work Institute. Snow, C.E., Burns, S., & Griffin, P. (Eds.). (1998). Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

Evidenced-based Assessment of the Scientific Research Literature on reading and its Implications for reading Instruction: Reports of the Subgroups. Washington, DC: National Institute of

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