Background Knowledge
[Competency 10]
The foundation upon which greater knowledge can be built.
Fluency Benefits of Understanding Vocabulary
[Competency 10]
- makes it easier to recognize words
- word recognition increases ability to read fluently
Comprehension Benefits of Understanding Vocabulary
[Competency 10]
- A child’s level of vocabulary acts as an indicator of how much they are understanding when they read.
- Able to define several key words in a text after it is read (using vocabulary as a “key indicator” for text comprehension)
Role of Early Vocabulary Development in Students’ Later Achievements
[Competency 10]
- “The Matthew Effect”
- over a period of time the gap between high-achieving and low-achieving readers widens.
- Students need to gain an understanding of the meanings of thousands of words in the primary grades in order to achieve success as they grow older.
- Timely interventions of effective vocabulary instruction for students who struggled is essential.
Reciprocal Relationship of Vocabulary Knowledge and Concept Learning
[Competency 10]
- The more words you know, the more concepts you learn; and, the more concepts you learn, the more words you know
- Child’s level of vocabulary increases, increases the child’s level of background knowledge.
Incremental Process of Vocabulary Learning
[Competency 10]
- Unknown Words
- Acquainted Words (familiar words)
- Established Words (know well)
Factors for Developing Students’ Vocabulary, Academic Language, and Background Knowledge
[Competency 10]
- Frequency (how often the word appears)
- Utility (how often students want to write the word)
- Level of Knowledge (how well they understand the word)
Tiers of General Academic Vocabulary
[Competency 10]
- First Tier: simple words that students know without instruction (such as flower, water, rain)
- Second Tier: difficult words that appear in several contexts in science and social studies (such as climate, territory)
- Third Tier: most difficult words that are used only in one specific “domain” or area of study
Examples of Necessary Nontechnical Academic Language that Students Encounter
[Competency 10]
- define
- identify
- illustrate
- speculate
- summarize
- classify
Academic Language
[Competency 10]
The language used in textbooks and tests (language of the classroom).
- Technical language of a specific discipline (example of history technical text: sovereignty)
- Nontechnical language runs across disciplines (example: theory, hypothesis, analysis, and synthesis)
Principles of Vocabulary Instruction
[Competency 11]
- Instruction must fit the age and ability of students
- Lessons must provide examples of how target words are used
- Children must have repeated exposure to the word
- Involves: direct instruction of specific words, teaching students independent word-learning strategies, developing word consciousness, & encouraging wide reading
Four Strategies for Direct Teaching of Specific Words
[Competency 11]
- Contextual redefinition
- Semantic maps
- Semantic feature analysis
- Word sorts
Contextual Redefinition
[Competency 11]
“Round One”: Teacher displays the word, students write the definition if they know.
“Round Two”: Working in small groups students come up with definitions (improve definitions or borrow definition from a partner)
“Round Three”: Teacher displays the sentence that contains the word they defined. The sentence can be read aloud by a student or teacher.
“Round Four”: Teacher asks for volunteers to read their definitions
Semantic Maps
[Competency 11]
“Word Maps”
- useful for before reading to help students activate their prior knowledge
- Target word is in the center of a circle. Add “satellite bubbles” around the target word with lines that link the “satellite bubbles” to the target word.
Semantic Feature Analysis
[Competency 11]
Teaching activity for a set of words that share at least one characteristic.
- Create a grid that identifies traits of the target word
- Display the target words along the vertical axis
- List the traits on the horizontal axis.
- Place a (+) under each trait that the word shares.
Word Sorts
[Competency 11]
Students sort a collection of words by comparing and contrasting them.
- Words ought to be sorted into two, three, or four groups.
- Discuss each word and create categories
Three Independent Word-Learning Strategies
[Competency 11]
- Morphemic Analysis
- Contextual Analysis
- Using the dictionary
Morphemic Analysis Word-Learning Strategy
[Competency 11]
- Students look at parts of words to determine their meaning
- “Structural Anaylsis”
Morphemes
[Competency 11]
- The most elemental unit of meaning in a language
- Only two types of morphemes: some words and all affixes
- Words with one morpheme: shoe, chair, wall
- Word with two morphemes: walked
- Word with three morphemes: unkindly
- Not all syllables are morphemes
Affixes
[Competency 11]
Affixes are either:
- Prefixes (morphemes that appear before a root word) or
- Suffixes (morphemes that appear at the end of a root word)
Prefix examples: non-, un-, pre-
Suffix examples: -ment, -er, -ly
Bound Morphemes
[Competency 11]
Prefixes and suffixes that cannot occur alone, they must be attached to a root word (un-, -est)
Free Morphemes
[Competency 11]
Can be uttered alone with meaning, for example test.
Contextual Analysis Word-Learning Strategy
[Competency 11]
Thinking about the words surrounding the target word for context.
Teach students to identify four types of context clues:
1. Define contextual clues: provide a definition for the target word in the text.
2. Synonym contextual clues: use another word in the paragraph that is a synonym for the target word.
3. Antonym contextual clues: use another word in the paragraph that is an antonym for the target word.
4. Example contextual clues: author of the text has provided a definition of the target word by listing examples of the word in the text.
Limitations of the Contextual Analysis Strategy
[Competency 11]
- difficult strategy to teach
- many texts may have few clearly stated contextual clues
- Some texts may only contain subtle clues that are difficult to find and use
