Four-Square Vocabulary Map

Directions:

 Fold a sheet of paper in four equal parts.

 Write the target vocabulary word in the upper, left-hand corner.

 In the lower, left-hand corner, write what the word is (this helps determine the general category of the word).

 Next, in the lower, right-hand corner, write what it is like (describe the target word and its uses).

 Then, in the upper, right-hand corner, list some examples of the target word.

 Finally, students can draw an icon, logo, or sketch a picture to reinforce the word in the upper, left-hand corner.

Word What are some examples?

(picture can be added)

What is it? What is it like?

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Selecting Vocabulary Words

 Before instruction, preview the text, even when using text that has pre-selected vocabulary words.

 Read the passage and identify vocabulary you think students will find unfamiliar. Ask yourself: “How difficult is this passage to understand?”

 Select words that are important to understanding the text.

 List words you predict will be challenging for your students. You may not be able to teach all of these words. Research supports teaching only a few words before reading.

 Determine which words are adequately defined in the text. Some may be defined by direct definition and others through context. Expand on these words after reading, rather than directly teaching them before reading.

 Identify words students may know based on their prefixes, suffixes, and base/root words. If structural elements help students determine words’ meanings, don’t teach them directly.

 Consider students’ prior knowledge. Words can be discussed as you activate and build prior knowledge. Words can also be extended.

 Determine the importance of the word. Ask yourself: “Does the word appear again and again? Is the word important to comprehending the passage? Will knowledge of the word help in other content areas?”

 Remember, words taught before students read include:  Words that will be frequently encountered in other texts and content areas;  Words important to understanding the main ideas;  Words that are not part of your students’ prior knowledge; and  Words unlikely to be learned independently through the use of context and/or structural analysis.

Adapted from Cooper, J.D. (1997). Literacy: Helping children construct meaning (3rd ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

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Stop and Think About It

Title of Story: ______

Book: ______Unit: ______Pages: ______

List the pre-selected vocabulary words.

Select words to teach before the story is read.

List instructional procedures/activities for teaching the words before the story is read.

List instructional procedures/activities for expanding vocabulary after the story is read.

List independent word-learning strategies. Write a short explanation of how they are taught using this text.

Word Knowledge Rating Checklist

To help monitor students’ vocabulary knowledge, it is important to understand that students know words to varying degrees.

It is not a simple “I know this word” or “I don’t know this word.”

For example, students may have heard or seen a word before, but have only a vague idea of what it means.

Or they may be able to tell you the meaning of a word but not be able to use it correctly in their own speaking and writing.

Thee levels of word knowledge have been identified: • Unknown words and their meanings are completely unfamiliar to a student and they have never heard or seen these words before; • Acquainted words are familiar to students and they have some idea of their basic meanings; and • Established words are very familiar to students, they recognize them immediately, know their meanings, and can use the words correctly in their speaking and writing.

Students can determine how much they know about words using the Word Knowledge Rating Checklist.

Word Knowledge Rating Checklist

Topic: ______

How much do I know about these words? Vocabulary I Have Words I Can Define Seen/Heard I Don’t Know

Promoting WIde Reading

• Begins with helping students learn to read – Reading difficulties that continue year after year are known as the “Matthew Effect” – In second grade, good readers read approximately ten times as many words each day as poor readers • Includes helping students start the journey to becoming life-long readers – Students move beyond “I can read” to “I want to read”

Ways to Promote Wide Reading • Provide models of reading • Involve students in a variety of reading opportunities • Provide access to a broad range of reading materials • Incorporate time to read • Extend reading beyond the classroom to home and community

Explicit Vocabulary Instruction Includes: • Expanding word knowledge through definitions and contexts • Actively involving students • Teaching independent word-learning strategies

Teaching Independent Word Learning Strategies: Model and help students learn: • How to determine the meanings of words based on their context • How to look up unknown words • How to read and understand a dictionary entry

Modeling how to use a dictionary: Model and think aloud the complex process of looking up a word – How to find the word – How to select an appropriate definition – How to use context to confirm and extend meaning – How to apply the new word in different contexts

Model and help students how to recognize and use information about word parts to determine meaning – Prefixes – Suffixes

– Common Greek and Latin Roots

Consider Diversity: English Language Learners • Teach new vocabulary words • Explicitly teach cognates • Teach strategies for independent word learning • Match texts that students read to their language proficiency • Use hands-on experiences • Hold high expectations

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