Enhancing Students Vocabulary Knowledge Isabel L. Beck University - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Enhancing Students’ Vocabulary Knowledge Isabel L. Beck University of Pittsburgh captivate enthusiastic mesmerize soar awe Berkeley, June 2005 1

What research says about vocabulary? Which word meanings need to be taught? How should word meanings be introduced? What are some ways to engage students with word meanings? Berkeley, June 2005 2

What I knew about vocabulary research and instruction before I started studying it • Vocabulary knowledge is highly related to reading achievement. • People have different amounts of vocabulary knowledge. Berkeley, June 2005 3

What I didn’t know The magnitude of “different amounts” of vocabulary knowledge. • High-knowledge third graders had vocabularies about equal to lowest-performing twelfth graders (Smith, 1941). • Linguistically “poor” first graders knew 5,000 words; linguistically “rich” knew 20,000 words (Moats, 2001). • Once established, such differences are difficult to ameliorate (Biemiller, 1999; Hart & Risley, 1995). Berkeley, June 2005 4

What else I didn’t know • There is very little vocabulary instruction in the schools (Biemiller, 2001; Scott, Jamieson, & Asselin, 1998; Watts, 1995.) High vocabulary people not only know more words, they know more about the words they know Berkeley, June 2005 5

An Instructional matter that made a big impression • Which words were selected for instruction. capable emanated familiar garlic hurry odor peaceful polite wonder Berkeley, June 2005 6

Choosing Words to Teach: Three Tiers Starting point: words in the language have different levels of utility. Tier One: • the most basic words • clock, baby, happy • rarely require instruction in school Berkeley, June 2005 7

Choosing Words to Teach: Three Tiers cont… Tier Three: • words whose frequency of use is quite low, often limited to specific domains • isotope, lathe, peninsula • probably best learned when needed in a content area Berkeley, June 2005 8

Choosing Words to Teach: Three Tiers cont… Tier Two: • high-frequency words for mature language users • coincidence, forlorn, industrious • instruction in these words can add productively to an individual’s language ability Berkeley, June 2005 9

Two of the Most Essential Criteria for Choosing Tier Two Words Importance and Utility Words that are characteristic of mature language users and appear across a variety of domains. Conceptual Understanding Words for which students understand the general concept but provide precision and specificity in describing the concepts. Berkeley, June 2005 10

Word Tier-anny: Where do these fall? forlorn hungry ceiling hostile triumphant corner oboe colonial absurd brea k Berkeley, June 2005 11

Other instructional matters that made a big impression • All words selected for instruction treated the same • Typical instruction was limited Often: only a definition and sentence or example The content of the example was often dull, ordinary. Quarrel: an argument, disagreement The teacher told the boys to stop quarreling. Berkeley, June 2005 12

So big impressions led to research • Better instruction • Intermediate grade studies • Primary grade studies • What’s better instruction? Berkeley, June 2005 13

What’s better instruction • Interesting words with mileage. • Explanations in everyday connected language, rather than dictionary definitions. • Providing several contexts in which a word can be used. • Things for kids to do that require them to process the meanings of words. • At least some of the examples, situations, and questions are interesting and less pedantic. • High frequency of encounters. Berkeley, June 2005 14

Introducing Vocabulary How effective are definitions? Studies that provided dictionary definitions and asked students to create sentences or answer brief questions about the words showed: 63 percent of the students’ sentences were judged to be “odd” (Miller & Gildea, 1985) 60 percent of students’ responses were unacceptable (McKeown, 1991; 1993) Berkeley, June 2005 15

Student-friendly explanations tell what a word means in everyday connected language Berkeley, June 2005 16

Dictionary Friendly Contagious: able to be An illness is contagious if you spread by contact can catch it easily from another person who is sick with it. Attention: thoughtful care If someone is getting or kindnes s attention they are being well-taken care of. Unexpected: not expected; If something is unexpected surprising you are surprised about it. Eavesdropping: listening If you are eavesdropping, secretly to a conversation you are listening to what other people are saying without them knowing. Berkeley, June 2005 17

Things for kids to do that require them to process meaning of words Sentence Endings a) . . . that people on the street stopped If you wanted to eavesdrop on someone in the next room. . . to listen. b) . . . you can hear better if you put your The doorbell wasn't audible from the kitchen. . . ear up to the keyhole. Jack answered the phone, but the din c) . . . my dog runs under the bed to hide. of music and voices. . . The farmer heard a commotion d) . . . so we didn’t know that the guests outside and then ran out to find. . . had arrived. The serenade that the man played for e) . . . that two puppies had gotten into his sweetheart was so beautiful. . . the chicken coop. When the shrill sound of the fire f) . . . made it hard for him to hear who whistle is heard. . . was on the other end. Berkeley, June 2005 18

Things for kids to do that require them to process meaning of words Sentence stems: The newspaper called Mr. Bowman a philanthropist because. . . . I told my teacher I wanted to be a spectator at the play because. . . . I scrutinized my mom’s face because. . . . Berkeley, June 2005 19

At least some of the examples, situations and activities are fun Word Lines How surprised would you be if . . . 1. you saw your friend vault over the moon? 2. your teacher commended you for doing good work? 3. a dog started bantering with you? 4. the mayor urged everyone to leave town? 5. a coach berated his football team for not making a touchdown? 6. a rabbit trudged through a garden? Least ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Most Surprised Surprised Berkeley, June 2005 20

At least some of the examples, situations and activities are fun Word Lines How much energy does it take to . . . 1. meander down the hall? 2. vault over a car? 3. banter with your best friend for an hour? 4. berate someone at the top of your voice? 5. stalk a turtle? 6. be a spectator at a concert? Least ---------------------------------------------------------------------Most Energy Energy Berkeley, June 2005 21

What can be gotten from better kinds of instruction Encounters Accuracy RT Compr Traditional 4 + - - Traditional 12 + + - Rich 4 + - - Rich 12 + + + McKeown, Beck, Omanson, & Pople Berkeley, June 2005 22

Most recent big impressions How early the huge individual differences appear No evidence of early grades’ school curricula making a difference What’s considered vocabulary development in the early grades Berkeley, June 2005 23

Tradebooks are excellent sources of sophisticated words appropriate charming concentrate forlorn exhausted absurd dignified exquisite rambunctious leisurely Berkeley, June 2005 24

Rich Instruction Sheepish Tale sensible: In the story, Fred said “very sensible” when Monty thought the sign said “Help prevent forest fires.” If something is sensible, it is the right thing to do; it makes sense. Let’s say the word together: sensible Something sensible is safe to do or good to do. Like it would be sensible to make a list of what you need before going shopping. Berkeley, June 2005 25

Sheepish Tale cont… • Let’s say it’s raining out--what would be sensible to do? • If I said we were going on a long, long walk and you should wear sensible shoes, what kind of shoes would those be? • What kind of shoes would not be sensible for a long walk? Berkeley, June 2005 26

Study 1  To what extent can instruction increase young children’s knowledge of the meanings of sophisticated words? Participants: Poverty District One school 4 kindergartens 2 experimental 2 control 4 first grades 2 experimental 2 control Berkeley, June 2005 27

Berkeley, June 2005 28

Compared to a control group there was learning, both statistically and educationally. There was room for a lot more learning. Why wasn’t there more learning? More instruction over time. So---Study 2 Are there differential results for varying amounts of instruction? Berkeley, June 2005 29

Study 2 Participants: Same poverty district as Study 1, different schoo 3 kindergartens 3 first grades Complete data for 40 first grade children. Within subject design Children were introduced to 42 words from seven trade books. 21 words in the “Rich Instruction” condition 21 words in the “More Rich Instruction” condition Berkeley, June 2005 30