Part 2: Vocabulary and Comprehension Instruction The Kissing Cousins

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Part 2 Vocabulary and Comprehension Instruction
(The Kissing Cousins)

• Dr. Cathy Collins Block,Texas Christian
• University
• Board of Directors,
• International Reading Association
• May 4, 2004
• Handouts at table Presentation on
• Cathy Collins Block website at www.tcu.edu

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Our Goals for Part 2

• Why does latest research say that we should teach
  vocabulary and comprehension as closely linked
  abilities? How can we do it?
• Why must we teach word learning principles and
  vocabulary building strategies together? How can
  we do it?
• Why do we need to teach students how to infer and
  generate new vocabulary words? How can we do it?

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Blue Pink Orange Red PinkYellow Purple
Yellow Blue Orange
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Blue Pink Orange Red PinkYellow Purple
Yellow Blue Orange
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Blue Pink Orange Red PinkYellow Purple
Yellow Blue Orange
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Blue Pink Orange Red PinkYellow Purple
Yellow Blue Orange
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Point l Vocabulary then Comprehension
Comprehension then Vocabulary

• Past--- Aaron, first grader before our research
  study, arrived home to say
• Past--- Vocabulary had to be taught before
  comprehension could improve
• Present--- Roberto, first grader in our research
  study, went to beach for 1st time
• Present--- Students must depend on their
  comprehension processes before vocabulary can be
  learned
• Context clues, Word parts, Authors sea of
  thought, and Word families/histories

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An Example from Our Research

• The sun was very hot. The farmer had worked
  from dawn to dusk hoeing and carrying buckets of
  water to his crops. He didnt want them to die.
  At dusk, he returned home.
• His wife had cooked him a wonderful, hot meal of
  mashed potatoes, creamy gravy, roast beef, corn,
  and apple pie with ice cream.

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• The farmer ate and ate until he could eat no
  more. It tasted so good and he had worked so
  hard that he was very hungry. When he could eat
  no more, he went to rest in his chair in the
  living room
• Soon, the farmer slowly fell fast asleep because
  he was filled with
• FATIGUE!!!

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How Can We More Closely Link Vocabulary and
Comprehension

• Comprehension fills in clues by hypothesis
  testing, comparing known to unknown meanings,
  using schema (before students can know a word
  forever)
• Teach words in context with think-alouds by
  teachers and students (see The Reading Teacher in
  September or October 2004). Vocabulary is
  crucial for students to visualize while reading.
• Discover definitions, and students explain how
  they identify a words meaning as they read by
  Teacher- Monitored Silent Reading, and recording
  words learned

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Point 2 Teach Word Learning Principles and
Vocabulary Building Strategies Together Every Day

• Past---Colleen, second grader, prior to our
  research study, said
• Present---Seven word learning principles and four
  vocabulary building strategies work
  synergistically together to fill students minds
  in every lesson taught

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An Example From Our Research

• For every word there is a preferred word learning
  principle and vocabulary building strategy that
  should be used first
• Fastest method of attaining a rich vocabulary is
  to add clues that comprehension gives to
  individual word clues
• Mystery Word of the Week---Building
  comprehension and vocabulary abilities is fun

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How Can We Teach Word Learning Principles and
Vocabulary Building Strategies Together

• Chapter 1 For Frequently Occurring Words In Our
  Language
• Word Learning PrincipleResponsibility that a
  word has in a sentence (add part of speech and
  syntactical clues together)
• Vocabulary Building Strategy (use context
  clues)

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How Can We Teach Word Learning Principles and
Vocabulary Building Strategies Together

• Chapter 2 For Frequently Occurring Word Parts In
  Our Language
• Word Learning Principle---Prefixes, suffixes,
  and root words will always have the same meaning,
  regardless of the word in which they appear
• Vocabulary Building Strategy (add word parts
  together to gain meaning of long words)

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How Can We Teach Word Learning Principles and
Vocabulary Building Strategies Together

• Chapter 3 For Learning Content Area Words
• Word Learning Principle---If a word has not
  been seen frequently, it could be a word that
  relates to the content area Content area words
  are usually the longest words in content area
  books
• Vocabulary Building Strategy (think about the
  topic being read and the relationship of an
  unknown word to that topic and authors sea of
  thought)

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How Can We Teach Word Learning Principles and
Vocabulary Building Strategies Together

• Chapter 4 Unusual Words In Our Language
• Word Learning Principle---Some words have
  sounds, histories, spellings, or inferential
  meanings that are different than high frequency
  English words
• Vocabulary Building Strategy (use spelling or
  sound clues, word histories, or create a mnemonic
  to determine an unusual words meaning)

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Point 3 Teach Students to Infer and Generate
Vocabulary Words

• Past---Marcus said
• I see a word on Monday.
• I repeat the word on Tuesday.
• I recite the word on Wednesday.
• I regurgitate the word on Thursday.
• I test the word on Friday.
• I forget the word on Saturday.

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Point 3 Teach Students to Infer and Generate
Vocabulary Words

• Present---All English words are not of equal
  importance. Lack of vocabulary is a key
  component that underlies school failure for many
  students, especially children who are
  economically challenged
• Students must learn important words that
  represent the major categories of word learning
  principles in the English vernacular. These are
  examples of core word families. Teaching one
  word gives students the key to learn several
  dozen words

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Point 3 Teach Students to Infer and Generate
Vocabulary Words

• Present---The fast mapping synergy of thinking
  about word learning principles and strategies
  together builds inferencing/ generative thought
  for both vocabulary and comprehension
• Present---Fast Mapping increases students
  metacognition, word consciousness, and desire to
  learn new words by applying learned principles to
  an unknown word as soon as it is encountered
• Present---Fast Mapping enables students to
  identify future words that have the same
  distinctive quality as the core words taught
  during vocabulary lessons

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How Can We Teach Students to Infer and Generate
New Vocabulary Words

• Require students to inference the meaning of
  words on their tests e.g.
• I am a place that is dry, how, and dusty. It
  doesnt rain a lot here. What word am I?
• Require students to generate other words to
  surround the words on their tests e.g.,
• Hoarse is to be avoided because . . . . . .
  (when teaching the homophones of hoarse and horse)

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How Can We Teach Students to Infer and Generate
New Vocabulary Words

• Concrete words are learned more rapidly than
  non-picturable words so pair abstract with
  concrete
• Students who are taught to generalize WLP and
  VBS, and hypothesize about morphology and the
  history of words learn more words
• Altering the presentation of vocabulary
  definitions increases students inferencing and
  transfer abilities for both comprehension and
  vocabulary abilities

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How Can We Teach Students to Infer and Generate
New Vocabulary Words

• Timed vocabulary quizzes is best method to
  demonstrate transfer and automaticity
• Learn words deeply through literature and
  repeated reading of stories aids vocabulary
  identification

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Our Goals for Part 2

• Why does latest research say that we should teach
  vocabulary and comprehension as closely linked
  abilities? How can we do it?
• Why must we teach word learning principles and
  vocabulary building strategies together? How can
  we do it?
• Why do we need to teach students how to infer and
  generate new vocabulary words? How can we do it?

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An Example From Our Research

• When your vocabulary program is a success you
  will hear something like this in your room.
• One of our research teachers said
• What is COAT if we dont use c for the initial
  letter?
• JACKET!!! Everyone shouted with joy!

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Become A Part of Our Research

• Four-five schools will be involved in Phase II of
  our effectiveness study
• If you have the authority to volunteer your
  school,
• See Dr. John Mangieri, Director of Institute for
  Literacy Enhancement or myself right after this
  session, or
• Jmangieri_at_Adelphia.net

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Of course, if you really get kids hooked on
vocabulary

• ..watch out

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