Tracy Tarasiuk ttarasiuk@sbcglobal.net

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Building and Retaining New Vocabulary for

Middle Grade Students

Middle Matters InstituteTracy Tarasiuk, IRA 2007, Toronto Canada

ttarasiuk@sbcglobal.net

Building and Retaining New Vocabulary for

Middle Grade Students

Middle Matters InstituteTracy Tarasiuk, IRA 2007, Toronto Canada

ttarasiuk@sbcglobal.net

Tracy Tarasiuk ttarasiuk@sbcglobal.net

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“Look up your vocabulary words and write down the definition.”“Look up your vocabulary words and write down the definition.”

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“Sure they had the correct definitions, but it took forever, and they were bored to tears.”

-Otten, A.S.C. (2003). Defining moment: Teaching vocabulary to unmotivated students. The English Journal, vol. 92, pp. 75-78.

“Sure they had the correct definitions, but it took forever, and they were bored to tears.”

-Otten, A.S.C. (2003). Defining moment: Teaching vocabulary to unmotivated students. The English Journal, vol. 92, pp. 75-78.

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Vocabulary study could be an effective means of improving students comprehension, but…

…reading comprehension is not affected when students are provided word definitions.

…reading comprehension is not affected when methods are used that provided two or less meaningful exposure to words.

Stahl, S.A, & Fairbanks, M.M. (1986). The effects of vocabulary instruction: A model-based meta-analysis. Review of

Educational Research, 56, pp. 72-110.

Vocabulary study could be an effective means of improving students comprehension, but…

…reading comprehension is not affected when students are provided word definitions.

…reading comprehension is not affected when methods are used that provided two or less meaningful exposure to words.

Stahl, S.A, & Fairbanks, M.M. (1986). The effects of vocabulary instruction: A model-based meta-analysis. Review of

Educational Research, 56, pp. 72-110.

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Dictionary definitions often contain unfamiliar vocabulary.

Dictionary definitions often contain unfamiliar vocabulary.

Agriculture: the science or occupation of cultivating the soil, producing crops, and raising livestock.

Agriculture: the science or occupation of cultivating the soil, producing crops, and raising livestock.

-Webster’s intermediate dictionary

-McKeown, M.G. (1985). The Acquisition of word meaning from context by children of high and low ability. Reading Research Quarterly, 20, pp.482-496.

-Scott, J.A., & Nagy, W.E. (1997). Understanding the definitions of unfamiliar verbs. Reading Research Quarterly, 32, pp. 184-200.

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Glossary definitions contain little information

Glossary definitions contain little information

Agriculture: the business of farming

Agriculture: the business of farming

-McKeown, M.G. (1985). The Acquisition of word meaning from context by children of high and low ability. Reading Research Quarterly, 20, pp.482-496.

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If students struggle with the text, context will not be helpful.

If students struggle with the text, context will not be helpful.

Agriculture, or the business of farming, was the major way of life in the English

colonies.

Agriculture, or the business of farming, was the major way of life in the English

colonies.

-McKeown, M.G. (1985). The Acquisition of word meaning from context by children of high and low ability. Reading Research Quarterly, 20, pp.482-496.

Harmon, J. M., Hedrick, W. B., & Fox, E. A. (2000). A content analysis of vocabulary instruction in social studies textbooks for grades 4-8. The Elementary School Journal, 100, pp. 253-271

Tracy Tarasiuk ttarasiuk@sbcglobal.net

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Use the content areas as a means of improving reading ability through

vocabulary instruction.

WHY?

Use the content areas as a means of improving reading ability through

vocabulary instruction.

WHY?

Tracy Tarasiuk ttarasiuk@sbcglobal.net

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Why focus vocabulary instruction in the content

areas?

Why focus vocabulary instruction in the content

areas?

Students become better readers as theirvocabulary grows.Systematic processing of text becomes lessstrenuous, when they can concentrate on the textinstead of individual words.

Students become better readers as theirvocabulary grows.Systematic processing of text becomes lessstrenuous, when they can concentrate on the textinstead of individual words.

Stanovich, K. E.. (1980). Toward an interactive-compensatory model of individual differences in the development of reading fluency. Reading Research Quarterly, 1, 32-71.

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Why focus vocabulary instruction in the content

areas?

Why focus vocabulary instruction in the content

areas?

As students read more their vocabulary grows.

Good readers are more adept at learning newwords incidentally through reading. So, foraverage and struggling readers instruction needs

to be more direct and explicit.

As students read more their vocabulary grows.

Good readers are more adept at learning newwords incidentally through reading. So, foraverage and struggling readers instruction needs

to be more direct and explicit.

Swanborn, M.S.L., & Glopper. (1999). Incidental word learningwhile reading: A meta-analysis. Review of Educational Research, 3, 261-285.

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Why focus vocabulary instruction in the content

areas?

Why focus vocabulary instruction in the content

areas?

Content area textbooks contain vocabulary that, “students need to process at higher cognitive levels in order to internalize meanings”

“…effective teachers of reading stressed higher level thinking skills in addition to lower level skills.”

Content area textbooks contain vocabulary that, “students need to process at higher cognitive levels in order to internalize meanings”

“…effective teachers of reading stressed higher level thinking skills in addition to lower level skills.”

-Harmon, J. M., Hedrick, W. B., & Fox, E. A. (2000). A content analysis of vocabulary instruction in social studies textbooks for grades 4-8. The Elementary School Journal, 100, pp. 253-271

-Taylor, B.M., Pearson, D.P., Peterson, D.S. & Rodriguez (2003). Reading growth in high-poverty classrooms: The influence of teacher practices that encourage cognitive engagement in literacy learning. The Elementary School Journal, 104, pp.3-28

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Why focus vocabulary instruction in the content

areas?

Why focus vocabulary instruction in the content

areas?

The fourth grade ‘slump.’

The size of students vocabulariesalmost doubles between 3rd grade andmiddle school.

The fourth grade ‘slump.’

The size of students vocabulariesalmost doubles between 3rd grade andmiddle school.

-Jenkins, J.R., & Dixon, R. (1983). Learning vocabulary. Contemporary Educational Psychologist, 8, 237-260.

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Why focus vocabulary instruction in the

content areas?

Why focus vocabulary instruction in the

content areas?

Textbook publishers still rely ontraditional activities such as writing definitions,

matching, and fill-in-the blanks activities that the

research does not support.

Textbook publishers still rely ontraditional activities such as writing definitions,

matching, and fill-in-the blanks activities that the

research does not support.

-Harmon, J. M., Hedrick, W. B., & Fox, E. A. (2000). A content analysis of vocabulary instruction in social studies textbooks for grades 4-8. The Elementary School Journal, 100, pp. 253-271

Tracy Tarasiuk ttarasiuk@sbcglobal.net

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How can we focus on vocabularyinstruction in the content areas with…

…limited time?…ineffective textbook exercises?…so much other material to cover?

How can we focus on vocabularyinstruction in the content areas with…

…limited time?…ineffective textbook exercises?…so much other material to cover?

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Use Word Walls in the upper grades

Use Word Walls in the upper grades

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Learning new words is a complexprocess.• Incrementality• Polysemy• Multidimensionality• Interrelatedness• Heterogeneity

Learning new words is a complexprocess.• Incrementality• Polysemy• Multidimensionality• Interrelatedness• Heterogeneity

Nagy, W.E. & Scott, J.A. (2000). Vocabulary Processes. In Kamil, M.L., Mosenthal, P.B., Pearson P.D. & Barr, R. (Eds.),Handbook of Reading Research (pp. 269-284).Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum

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INCREMENTALITY-Words are learned over time, not by defining, quizzing and moving on.

INCREMENTALITY-Words are learned over time, not by defining, quizzing and moving on.

Nagy, W.E. & Scott, J.A. (2000). Vocabulary Processes. In Kamil, M.L., Mosenthal, P.B., Pearson P.D. & Barr, R. (Eds.),Handbook of Reading Research (pp. 269-284).Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Earlbaum Associates.

Words remain on the word wall throughout the year. Their meanings are defined and refined as new words are added.

Learning New Words is a Complex Process

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POLYSEMY-Words have more than one meaning. Sometimes these meanings are related. Sometimes meanings are not connected at all.

Geography Westward Expansion

Ohio River Valley Ohio River Valley

POLYSEMY-Words have more than one meaning. Sometimes these meanings are related. Sometimes meanings are not connected at all.

Geography Westward Expansion

Ohio River Valley Ohio River Valley

Learning New Words is a Complex Process

-Nagy, W.E. & Scott, J.A. (2000). Vocabulary Processes. In Kamil, M.L., Mosenthal, P.B., Pearson P.D. & Barr, R. (Eds.), Handbook of Reading Research (pp. 269-284).Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

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MULTIDIMESIONALITYDoes a word appear with

other words? Relationships between/among words.

Learning new labels for known concepts.

MULTIDIMESIONALITYDoes a word appear with

other words? Relationships between/among words.

Learning new labels for known concepts.

Nagy, W.E. & Scott, J.A. (2000). Vocabulary Processes. In Kamil, M.L., Mosenthal, P.B., Pearson P.D. & Barr, R. (Eds.), Handbook of Reading Research (pp. 269-284).Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Learning New Words is a Complex Process

Tracy Tarasiuk ttarasiuk@sbcglobal.net

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INTERRELATEDNESS-Meaning can be derived through the interconnectedness of meaning. Words should not be taught in isolation.

INTERRELATEDNESS-Meaning can be derived through the interconnectedness of meaning. Words should not be taught in isolation.

Learning New Words is a Complex Process

Nagy, W.E. & Scott, J.A. (2000). Vocabulary Processes. In Kamil, M.L., Mosenthal, P.B., Pearson P.D. & Barr, R. (Eds.), Handbook of Reading Research (pp. 269-284).Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Tracy Tarasiuk ttarasiuk@sbcglobal.net

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HETEROGENEITY-Words require different kinds of learning depending on the kind of word. Social Studies gives a great opportunity to build new vocabulary knowledge using known vocabulary.

HETEROGENEITY-Words require different kinds of learning depending on the kind of word. Social Studies gives a great opportunity to build new vocabulary knowledge using known vocabulary.

Learning New Words is a Complex Process

Nagy, W.E. & Scott, J.A. (2000). Vocabulary Processes. In Kamil, M.L., Mosenthal, P.B., Pearson P.D. & Barr, R. (Eds.), Handbook of Reading Research (pp. 269-284).Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

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Three types of content-area vocabulary:Three types of content-area vocabulary:

1. General-independence, revenge2. Technical-map key, timeline3. Domain Specific-Declaration of Independence

1. General-independence, revenge2. Technical-map key, timeline3. Domain Specific-Declaration of Independence

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Setting this up in a Content Area Classroom

Setting this up in a Content Area Classroom

Choose words based on the students’knowledge. Do not rely on thepublisher’s bolded words only.Inconsistencies were evident when important

words were chosen by teachers andcompared to those chosen by publishers.

Choose words based on the students’knowledge. Do not rely on thepublisher’s bolded words only.Inconsistencies were evident when important

words were chosen by teachers andcompared to those chosen by publishers.

-Harmon, J. M., Hedrick, W. B., & Fox, E. A. (2000). A content analysis of vocabulary instruction in social studies textbooks for grades 4-8. The Elementary School Journal, 100, pp. 253-271