Word Detectives and Vocabulary

1. Word Detectives and Vocabulary Dr. Elaine Roberts, Ph.D. University of West Georgia

2. Language, Listening, Vocabulary • 4 Types of Vocabulary • Listening *Largest store of words • Speaking • Reading • Writing Comprehension & Vocabulary are related to reading success

3. Vocabulary Teaching Challenges • Known words – Don’t need to spend time teaching • Familiar words—Have concepts, know synonyms or antonyms, use time to make connections, construct definitions, examples, concepts • New word exuberant …….Happy • Unknown word– unknown concept—difficult to teach, requires teaching the concept along with the word (cells) and vocabulary strategies.

4. Vocabulary Learning Challenges • Cultural considerations:Cognates–coffee/ Café.’ Also,teach words that are not cognates, pronouns are often omitted in languages-The word “he” is sometimes used to represent male and female by Spanish speaking ELL students. • Slang“These shoes are bad!” • Homograph:Multiple meaning words (Look the same/sound different (wind/wind) • The wind blew my hair. • Wind the string around the stick. • Homophone:sound the same look different (blue/blew, to/too/two).

5. 3 Principles for Classroom Language Learning • Wide Exposure to Rich Language Most language develops through incidental exposure • Actively Involve Students Teach students to find new vocabulary and share meanings creatively • Incidental Exposure and Direct Teaching • Teach them how to learn vocabulary

6. Strategies for Learning Vocabulary • Pre-teach 5 – 6 essential words: Teaching the word and definition only is ineffective.“In order for the brain to store something new in permanent memory, it has to connect it to something else that is already known. If you just look up a word and write the definition down, it doesn’t make any sense.” (Collier, 2007) • Knowledge Rating of Words (Chart- Word: I don’t know it, I think I know it, know it well-use in sentence) • Questioning/Connecting/Discussion: ask & answer questions using the word • Possible Sentences/Compare • Skim and Scan to Confirm; context clues • Vocabulary Chart/Word Wall to assess learning -Dictionary to erase doubt AFTER discussion

7. RIVET: A Pre Reading Strategy Reading Activity showing how building background knowledge with vocabulary builds comprehension. The teacher or student supplies some of the letters of the new vocabulary words . The students fill in the blanks of the words then discuss the meanings. They use the vocab. to discuss what they think the text will be about. Who? Isabel, 12 yrs. old Where? The neighborhood • _ _expected • men_c_e • gold_ _ _ _ triever • t_ _rifying • _ _ _ _ _cane • e _ e_ge_cy • a _ b_l_nce_ (Cunningham, 2000)

8. Overheard Conversations • “There’s nothing like it in the world!” • “It’s fantastic! Better than I could have imagined” • “That was a weird one” • “What a drag” Monotonous, unique, peculiar, extraordinary

9. Word Detective Bookmark • Word Detective Name __________ • Text Title ____________________ • Author ______________________ • Word, phrase, and Page • ______/_________________ ______ • ______/_________________ ______ • ______/_________________ ______ • ______/_________________

10. Multi-sensory Teaching: Practice, Reinforcement, Retention • Word/Picture Displays : generate pictures, examples & non-examples of word meanings • , Personal clue cards: chunk the vocabulary word into syllables, circle prefixes and suffixes, and examine the root word. Then use the word in a sentence, and create a related picture or comic • Multiple meaning word sentences: Ex. 2 sentences for the different meanings of the word “wind” • Yes/No game: Read sentences and/or create clip art pictures with accurate and inaccurate meanings of a word. • Use million dollar words: www.spellingcity.com • Word Collections: Categorize words based on a subject (Math: squares, rectangles) or similar affixes (presume, prepare) • Word card Activity: Students in small groups pull a vocabulary word from a stack of cards and then draw an action card with the following directions: act it out, illustrate, or use the meaning of the word in a sentence. The other group members watch and guess the word. After playing the game they add the words to a word wall. They use the word wall as a resource during reading and writing!

11. Word Theatre Group Activity- Create a script for a play using new vocabulary words from forthcoming content area topics plus related ‘fun’ words. • global, puppet master, love-hate, retribution, jealousy, irresistible • social media, jailbird, anarchist, fugitive, liberate, nightmare • water, deluge, red planet, Green Lantern, equator, lava http://smithsonianscience.org/2013/03/water-channels-on-mars/

12. Structural Analysis and Vocabulary • Attention to Affixes and Roots • Define Root • Define Prefix • Define Suffix • Teach dictionary skills directly • Dictionary visuals • Multiple word sentences • Dictionary races

13. Essential: Students Understand the Meaning of Common Prefixes for Vocabulary and Comprehension • Anti-against • Bi-two • Hyper-overly • Mal-bad • Non-not • Sub-under • Un-not

14. Common Suffixes • -able (ability to)--dependable • -hood (state of)—parenthood • -ist (one who)—pacifist • -less (without)-clueless • -ment (resulting state)-contentment • -ous (full of) joyous ‘Spy’ is such a short word. I prefer 'espionage.' Those extra three syllables really say something! Author unknown. http://vocablog-plc.blogspot.com/ Great resource!

15. Manzano’s (2004) Six Steps to Effective Vocabulary Instruction • Step 1: The teacher provides a description, explanation, and example of the new term. Use visuals and technology. • Step 2: Students restate the explanation of the new term in their own words. • Step 3: Students create a non-linguistic representation of the term (multi-sensory). • Step 4:Students periodically do activities that help them add to their knowledge of vocabulary terms. • Step 5: Periodically review vocabulary strategies and ask students to use the strategies as they discuss the terms with one another across the content areas-connect to reading and writing. • Step 6: Periodically students are involved in games that allow them to play with the terms-connect to reading and writing.