Bringing Words to Life: Developing Robust Vocabulary
Developed by Jane Cook and Donna Drasch
EASTCONN Staff Development Specialists
Mill #1, 3rd Floor
322 Main Street
Willimantic, CT 06226
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Developing Robust Vocabulary Handout – Page 7
Robust Vocabulary Development
Based on the work of Isabel Beck, Margaret G. McKeown and Linda Kucan in
Bringing Words to Life: Robust Vocabulary Instruction (2002)
What Does the Research Say?
Isabel Beck, Professor of Education at the School of Education at the University of Pittsburgh states that:
o It is clear that a large and rich vocabulary is the hallmark of an educated individual. (Beck, McKeown & Kucan, 2002)
o Vocabulary knowledge is strongly related to reading proficiency and school achievement. (Beck, McKeown & Kucan, 2002)
o There are profound differences in vocabulary knowledge among learners from different ability or socioeconomic (SES) group from toddlers through high school. (Beck, McKeown & Kucan, 2002)
o First-grade children from higher SES groups knew twice as many words as lower SES children (Graves & Slater, 1987).
o High-knowledge third graders had vocabularies equal to low-performing 12th graders (Smith, 1941).
o High school seniors near the top of their class knew about four times as many words as their lower-performing classmates. (Smith, 1941)
o Most frightening is that once established, such differences appear difficult to ameliorate. (Biemiller, 1999; Hart & Risley, 1995)
o Teachers must make vocabulary instruction robust, vigorous, strong and powerful to be effective. (Beck, McKeown & Kucan, 2002)
Words are learned from context, but…there are four different kinds of contexts:
1. Misdirective – Those contexts that direct the reader to an incorrect meaning of a word (Beck, et al, 2002, page 4)
2. Nondirective – Those contexts that are of no assistance to a reader (Beck, et al, 2002, page 5)
3. General – Those contexts that allow readers to place a word in a general category (Beck, et al, 2002, page 5)
4. Directive – Those contexts that lead readers to a specific, correct meaning of a word
Don’t assume that context clues will always lead the reader to understanding.
A Simple Formative Vocabulary Assessment (Dale, 1965; Beck, et al, 2002)
Words / Know it well, can explain it and use it / Know something about it, can relate it to a situation / Have seen or heard the word / Do not know the wordFive Types of Vocabulary
Every person has five different types of vocabulary:
1. Listening vocabulary (receptive)
2. Thinking vocabulary
3. Speaking vocabulary (expressive)
4. Reading vocabulary
5. Writing vocabulary
Our job as teachers is to develop all types of vocabulary. As the first three types increase, the 4th and 5th type will also increase. When helping students “crack the code”, we need to help them see that words in their reading are already known words in their listening and speaking vocabularies, they have just never seen them in writing before (Quality Quinn presentation at Windham Summer Literacy Institute, 2005).
Choosing Words to Teach
Words in our language have different levels of utility. Isabel Beck and her colleagues have developed the concept of “tiers of words” (Beck, et al, 2002).
Tier One Words
o Consist of basic words (AKA “high frequency words”)
o Rarely require instructional attention
o Examples are: baby, clock, happy, walk, jump, hop, slide, girl, boy, dog
Tier Two Words
o Consist of high frequency words that are found across a variety of subject areas or domains
o Instruction in these words can add dramatically to a student’s use of language
o Examples include: coincidence, absurd, industrious, fortunate
Tier Three Words
o Consist of words whose frequency of use is quite low and often limited to specific subject areas or domains
o Are best learned when a specific need arises such as during a science or geography lesson
o Examples include: isotope, lathe, peninsula, refinery
To benefit students in building a robust vocabulary, teachers should focus on teaching Tier Two words.
Criteria for Identifying Tier Two words:
· Importance and utility: Words that are characteristic of mature language users and appear frequently across a variety of domains.
· Instructional potential: Words that can be worked with in a variety of ways so that students can build rich representations of them and of their connections to other words and concepts.
· Conceptual understanding: Words for which students understand the general concept but provide precision and specificity in describing the concept. (Beck, et al, 2002, page 19)
Vocabulary Activity – It’s Your Turn
Silently read the following passage from Jack London’s The Call of the Wild and then write five Tier Two words in the table below the passage.
Tier Two Words / Students’ Likely Expressions1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
With a partner(s), discuss why you chose those words as important Tier Two words and talk about how you would use the concept of Tier Two Words for your grade level and/or content area.
Vocabulary Activities
Adapted from Karen Carpenter
Source: http://www.nevadarea.org/Karens_vocab_lesson.doc
Based on the work of Isabel Beck, Margaret G. McKeown and Linda Kucan in Bringing Words to Life: Robust Vocabulary Instruction (2002)
Developing Robust Vocabulary
1. Choose three Two Tier words from a children’s book. These should be words that you feel are integral to comprehension or will be useful to students beyond this particular book. Students should have some background knowledge about each word so that they can make connections and develop a conceptual understanding of the new words. The word should be “a useful addition to students’ repertoires”.
2. During a read aloud, introduce the three words.
a. During or after the reading of the story NOT before
b. Use student friendly definitions
c. Use the context of the story
d. Pantomime the word
3. Extension activities (see next page for descriptions):
a. Word Associations
b. Have you ever?
c. Applause
d. Idea completions
Model of Sample Vocabulary Activity
Hooway for Wodney Wat by Helen Lester (2000)
Wodney Wat is about a rodent name Rodney Rat who can’t pronounce his r’s. Below are brief excerpts. Tier Two words are bold and underlined.
“A twain twavels on twain twacks,” Wodney replied miserably.
Miserably – to feel very bad because someone has hurt your feelings or to feel badly because you are sick
“All of this teasing day in and day out made Wodney the shyest rodent in his elementary school.”
Teasing – to use words or actions to make fun of someone in order to get other people to laugh
“And while the other rodents scurried and scooted about at recess, Wodney hid inside his jacket.”
Scurried – to run quickly
Some Possible Extension Activities
Word Associations
· Which word goes with ‘making fun of someone’?
· Which word goes with ‘running quickly’?
· Which word goes with ‘feeling horrible’?
Have you ever?
· Describe a time when you have felt miserable.
· Show me what scurry looks like
· Tell me about a time when you have been teased
Applause, applause:
Clap not at all, a little bit, or a lot if
· Teasing is something you wish people would do to you and why.
· You like to feel miserable?
· You scurry out to recess and why?
Idea Completion:
· The child coughed throughout the night and did not sleep well, he felt miserable so …
· After watching Jane tease and tease the boy about falling on the ice, Carina…
· The rabbit scurried across the field because…….
VOCABULARY RESOURCES
The Top 500 High Frequency Words Found in Print
The First 100
the / of / and / A / to / in / is / you / that / ithe / for / was / on / are / as / with / his / they / at
be / this / from / I / have / or / one / had / not / but
what / by / all / were / when / we / there / can / an / your
which / their / said / if / do / will / each / about / how / up
out / them / then / she / many / some / so / these / would / other
into / has / more / her / two / like / him / see / time / could
no / make / than / first / been / its / who / now / people / my
made / over / did / down / only / way / find / use / may / water
long / little / very / after / words / called / just / where / most / know
The Second 100
get / through / back / much / go / good / new / write / out / meman / too / any / day / same / right / look / think / also / around
another / came / come / work / three / must / because / does / part / even
place / well / such / here / take / why / help / put / different / away
again / off / went / old / number / great / tell / men / say / small
every / found / still / between / name / should / home / big / give / air
line / set / own / under / read / last / never / us / left / end
along / while / might / next / sound / below / saw / something / thought / both
few / those / always / show / large / often / together / asked / house / don't
world / going / want / school / important / until / form / food / keep / children
The Third 100
feet / land / side / without / boy / once / animals / life / enough / tookfour / head / above / kind / began / almost / live / page / got / earth
need / far / hand / high / year / mother / light / country / father / let
night / picture / being / study / second / soon / story / since / white / ever
paper / hard / near / sentence / better / best / across / during / today / however
sure / knew / it's / try / told / young / sun / thing / whole / hear
example / heard / several / change / answer / room / sea / against / top / turned
learn / point / city / play / toward / five / himself / usually / money / seen
didn't / car / morning / I'm / body / upon / family / later / turn / move
face / door / cut / done / group / true / half / red / fish / plants
The Fourth 100
living / black / eat / short / United States / run / book / gave / order / openground / cold / really / table / remember / tree / course / front / American / space
inside / ago / sad / early / I'll / learned / brought / close / nothing / though
idea / before / lived / became / add / become / grow / draw / yet / less
wind / behind / cannot / letter / among / able / dog / shown / mean / English
rest / perhaps / certain / six / feel / fire / ready / green / yes / built
special / ran / full / town / complete / oh / person / hot / anything / hold
state / list / stood / hundred / ten / fast / felt / kept / notice / can't
strong / voice / probably / area / horse / matter / stand / box / start / that's
class / piece / surface / river / common / stop / am / talk / whether / fine
The Fifth 100
round / dark / past / ball / girl / road / Blue / instead / either / heldalready / warm / gone / finally / summer / understand / Moon / animal / mind / outside
power / problem / longer / winter / deep / heavy / carefully / follow / beautiful / everyone
leave / everything / game / system / bring / watch / Shall / dry / within / floor
ice / ship / themselves / begin / fact / third / Quite / carry / distance / although
sat / possible / heart / real / simple / snow / Rain / suddenly / leaves / easy
lay / size / wild / weather / miss / pattern / Sky / walked / main / someone
center / field / stay / itself / boat / question / Wide / least / tiny / hour
happened / foot / care / low / else / gold / Build / glass / rock / tall
alone / bottom / walk / check / fall / poor / Map / friend / language / job
Developing Robust Vocabulary Handout – Page 18
Latin Cognates
Source: http://www.qualityquinn.com/Documents/latin_cognates.html
Root / Meaning / Examplesact / do / act / action / React / actor / activate
agri / field / agriculture / agronomist / Agrarian / agronomy
alt / high / altitude / altimeter / Alto / altocumulus
alter / other / alternative / altercation
ambul / walk, go / ambulance / amble / circumambulate / preamble / somnambulant
amo/ami / love / amiable / amity / Amatory / amateur
ang / bend / angle / triangle / Quadrangle / angular
anim / life, spirit / animate / animosity / Animal / inanimate
annu/enni / year / annual / annually / Biennial / centennial
apt, ept / suitable / aptitude / ineptitude / Adept / inept / apt
aqua / water / aqueduct / aquatic / Aqueos / aquamarine
aqua / water / aquarium / aquatic / Aqueous / aquamarine
art / skill / artisan / artist / Artificial / artifact
aud / hear / audible / auditory / Audience / audition