We Think With Words
Vocabulary is the best single indicator of intellectual ability and an accurate predictor of success at school. -- W.B. Elley
Because each new word has to be studied and learned on its own, the larger your vocabulary becomes, the easier it will be to connect a new word with words you already know, and thus remember its meaning. So your learning speed, or pace, should increase as your vocabulary grows. -- Johnson O'Connor
We think with words, therefore to improve thinking, teach vocabulary. -- A. Draper and G. Moeller
Those quotes may be all you need to revisit your lesson plans/schedule and see if an intentional focus on vocabulary is present. You got this - but just have to get it back on the radar or celebrate that it is!
Some of you have let me know that you aren't really sure just how to deliver this instruction. So...did some research and low and behold, good ole Robert Marzano has something pretty specific for you to follow. If you've never heard of Robert Marzano he's an educational researcher and teacher. He stresses that in all content areas, direct vocabulary instruction is essential and suggests six steps.
So here they are:
Step one: The teacher explains a new word, going beyond reciting its definition (tap into prior knowledge of students, use imagery).
Step two: Students restate or explain the new word in their own words (verbally and/or in writing).
Step three: Ask students to create a non-linguistic representation of the word (a picture, or symbolic representation).
Step four: Students engage in activities to deepen their knowledge of the new word (compare words, classify terms, write their own analogies and metaphors).
Step five: Students discuss the new word (pair-share, elbow partners).
Step six: Students periodically play games to review new vocabulary (Pyramid, Jeopardy, Telephone).
Marzano's six steps do something revolutionary to vocabulary learning: They make it fun. Students think about, talk about, apply, and play with new words.
If you want to dig deeper into how you would do that and would like some support in how to further your implementation - I'd love to help.
I think after you look the six steps your initial response might be, "Where am I going to find that kind of time?" Not sure... except to encourage you to integrate it into what you are already doing - but intentionally. I can see some of the steps included in Morning Meeting, a transition, and as part of the direct instruction you are already doing. We should be sharing with one another how we are solving that challenge.
When considering which words need the most instructional attention, let's turn to Isabel Beck's practical way of categorizing vocabulary words into three tiers:
Tier One: Basic words that rarely require instructional focus (door, house, book).
Tier Two: Words that appear with high frequency, across a variety of domains, and are crucial when using mature, academic language (coincidence, reluctant, analysis).
Tier Three: Frequency of these words is quite low and often limited to specific fields of study (isotope, Reconstruction, Buddhism).
Beck suggests that students will benefit the most academically by focusing instruction on the tier two words (since these appear with much higher frequency than tier three words, and are used across domains). So, this is when you take a look at the pre-reading vocabulary charts your kids created and choose "kind of" and "don't know at all" words that you deem to be tier two words. Go ahead and select some content-specific words (tier three) but only those directly related to the chapter, article, short story, or whatever you are about to read.
You now have a vocabulary list. It's time to teach.
Calendar
January 16 -20:
Monday:
No School
Tuesday:
MTSS meeting 7:30 a.m.
Wednesday:
PD: 1:30 Differentiation Strategy
BLT team meeting 3:00
Thursday:
Deborah out of the building admin. mtg.
January 23 - 27:
Tuesday:
MTSS meeting 7:30 a.m.
Wednesday:
The Beat
2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th grade Discovery Winter Voyage
Enjoy the three day weekend!
Deborah
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