Vocabulary-Word Learning Strategy Instruction

Enhancement Newsletter

December 2007 Volume 1, Number 5

In This Issue  December Activities Checklist “Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.”  Vocabulary-Word Learning Instruction Frederick Douglass  Providing Specific Word Instruction

 Tips for Grade 2 and 3 Teachers when December Activities Teaching Multisyllabic Word Reading Kindergarten  Plan Next Theme: Providing Specific Word Instruction. Use the Train the  Kindergarten Houghton Mifflin Mastery Trainer Vocabulary Module from the October Regional Coaches’ session Assessments by Theme to plan for deep vocabulary instruction using the upcoming theme. Administer the HM mastery assessments Themes 1-4 (attached) when teachers complete Theme 4 (Houghton Mifflin schools only) . Support Pages (sent in  Video and Template Practice: a separate email):  Card #6  Kindergarten Houghton Mifflin Mastery  Observations to be completed by Coach: Assessments by Theme  Card #1 Contact Us  Card #2 [email protected]  Card #9 [email protected]  Card #15

At any time, please let Grade 1 Trish or Carol know of any concerns, problems, or  Plan Next Theme: Providing Specific Word Instruction. Use the Train the suggestions so that we can Trainer Vocabulary Module from the October Regional Coaches’ session incorporate those ideas to plan for deep vocabulary instruction with the upcoming theme. into future newsletters!  Have teachers create word study binders for each student to collect vocabulary work.  Template Practice:  Card #17 (No video available)

 Observations to be completed by Coach:  Card #10 Card #15

Grades 2 and 3 next page 1 December Activities (continued) Grade 2

 Plan Next Theme: Providing Specific Word Instruction. Use the Train the Trainer Vocabulary Module from the October Regional Coaches’ session to plan for deep vocabulary instruction with the upcoming theme.  Have teachers create word study binders for each student to collect vocabulary work.  Template Practice:  Card #17 (No video available)

 Observations to be completed by Coach:  Card #10 (multisyllabic words)  Card #15  Card #16

Grade 3

 Observations to be completed by Coach:  Card #10 (multisyllabic words)  Card #15  Card #16

Vocabulary-Word Learning Strategy Instruction Students will acquire half of the vocabulary they learn in a year while they are reading on their own. For this reason, it is important that students learn to use strategies (typically this strategy begins in grade 2) to figure out the meaning of words as they read. Word learning strategy instruction, therefore, is an important part of classroom instruction. Word learning strategy instruction is different from specific direct teaching of vocabulary (focus of the October Regional Coaches’ session). The teacher models word learning strategies on specific words from the weekly selection. This instruction serves two purposes: 1. It helps students understand words from their weekly selection. 2. Teaches students how to figure out words on their own. Keep in mind however, that not every word lends itself well to word learning strategies.

2 Please refer to your Enhancement training binder for more information on word learning strategy instruction.

Have teachers hang a poster: Word Learning Strategy Word Structure Context Clues Syntactic Clues

Providing Specific Word Instruction Now is a good time to focus on the Vocabulary Specific Word Instruction (if you have not done so already) that you learned at the October Regional Coaches’ session. Please set time aside at your next grade-level team meeting and have teachers plan the vocabulary instruction for the upcoming theme.

Tip for Grade 2 & 3 Teachers When Teaching Multisyllabic Word Reading Have 2nd and 3rd grade teachers pull the multisyllabic word reading pages from their training binder, Participant pages, Module 4, pages 4-11 and put them with their Card 10 template. When they are planning their chart instruction they will have these as an easy reference if they aren't sure how to instruct on a particular type of multisyllabic word.

Kindergarten Quick Theme Skills Assessments Maria Randal, with help from Jerry Silbert, created quick theme skills assessments that are linked to the phonics skills taught in the Houghton Mifflin kindergarten level. Please have kindergarten teachers administer the Themes 1-4 assessments (attached), once they have completed Theme 4, to determine which students have mastered the skills taught so far and which students will need additional instruction in specific phonics skill areas that were taught.

ELL Corner Recognizing Cognates (words that are similar in two languages). Although sometimes Spanish-speaking English language learners (ELLs) may benefit from the teacher translating a vocabulary word in English into Spanish (e.g. the teacher says: nervous means “nervioso” in Spanish), this does not mean that ELLs will understand the meaning of the word at a deeper level. ELLs will still benefit from the teacher providing student-friendly definitions, examples and non-examples for the word, and plenty of opportunities for students to practice using the word in meaningful contexts.

When ELLs are reading connected text in English, three factors influence their ability to recognize cognates to understand the meaning of the word: A. Students know the word in Spanish and can effectively identify the word as an English cognate. B. Words have similar spelling and morphological patterns (e.g. cafeteria and cafetería; respond and responder). C. ELLs have a high level of reading proficiency in Spanish and/or in English

3 References

Jiménez, R., García, G., & Pearson, P. (1996). The reading strategies of bilingual Latina/o students who are successful English readers: Opportunities and obstacles. Reading Research Quarterly, 31, 90-112.

Nagy, W., Garcia, G., Durgunoglu, A. & Hancin-Bhatt, B. (1993) Spanish-English bilingual students’ use of cognates in English reading. Journal of Reading Behavior, 25, 241-259.