Giving the Gift of Words Regional Meetings December 2 & 3, 2008 A Vision of Classrooms Where Students Receive the Gift of Words Scott, J.A., Skobel, B.J., & Wells, J. (2008). The word-conscious classroom. NY: Scholastic 1.Opportunities for scaffoldedsilent reading 2.Rich language by teachers through read-alouds 3.Direct instruction of thematic groups of words from informational text 4.Direct instruction of semantic clusters of words from literary/narrative texts 1.ScaffoldedSilent ReadingSSR (Hiebert, 2008; Reutzel, Jones, Fawson, & Smith, 2008; Gambrell, 2008) •What it is… -time for students to practicereading skills and strategies -opportunity for students to develop an extensive reading habit as they gain vocabularyand conceptual knowledge -structuredopportunity for students to engage with peerson literacy-related discussion and activities -time for teachers to conference with students and provide guidance Elements (Gambrell, 2008) •Access to books •Teacher read-aloud/book sharing •Choice/bounded choice •Transfer of strategies •Social interaction •Teacher-student conferences •Teacher record keeping Not Just A Bookstore Planning Considerations (Hiebert, 2008; Gambrell, 2008; Guthrie, McRae, & Klauda, 2007) •Task Structure –Text –Purpose –Accountability •Student Motivation –Relevance –Choice –Collaboration –Challenge/Success 2. Rich Language Through Read-Alouds •In preparation for the Read-Aloud, the teacher should read the book from beginning to end •Pre-teach the vocabulary .Take advantage of the relationships among words! Rich Language Through Read-Alouds •Decide how to build necessary background knowledge –Down Comes the Rain by Franklyn M. Branley LET’S-READ-AND-FIND-OUT-SCIENCE ..Nell Duke’s Experience-Text- Relationship Rich Language Through Read-Alouds How to Teach English: Kindergarten ...Turn and Talk What kinds of discussion and writing activities would support this experience-text-relationship? 3. Direct Instruction of Thematic Groups of Words From Informational Text What to teach… 1.Content Specific Words 2.General academic words such as system, process, and form ElfriedaH. Hiebert, 2008 Informational Vocabulary 1.Text should be content-specific –Consider possible morphological forms such as combine/combination, solution/dissolve, vapor/evaporate –Many compound words and phrases are present in informational texts. ElfriedaH. Hiebert, 2008 Rich in Morphological Word Families Parallelogram: DesigningMixtures Rich in Morphological Word Families Parallelogram: DesigningMixtures Turn and Talk As a table, brainstorm words associated with water and the water cycle. The Water Cycle Learning Standards 10 and 11 Water Cycle Informational Vocabulary •General academic words---such as system, process, and form should be taught •Academic Word List (AWL) (Coxhead, 2000): Drawn from university level textbooks. Elfrieda H. Hiebert, 2008 4. Direct Instruction of Semantic Clusters of Words From Literary/Narrative Texts Goal: Strengthen language skills, develop concept knowledge, expand vocabulary, and build background knowledge using the core program An Example •Identify Unit Theme •Identify Story Theme •Select important words –Look at core program vocabulary selection –Identify additional words/ideas to teach •Theme •Morphemes •Extensions of the word (synonyms, antonyms) •Idioms and figurative language connected to the unit and story theme Expected outcomes include: •Teachers will revisit theme vocabulary throughout the unit •Students will recognize the connections among stories •Students will develop vocabulary pertaining to familiar and unfamiliar concepts •Students will use the vocabulary during oral language activities and writing •Students will maintain the use of the language You try it! The Power Of Perseverance ... References Gambrell, L. B. (2008, August). Reading motivation: Proficiency, persistence, and passion. Presented at the Massachusetts Reading First Conference, Sturbridge, MA. Guthrie, J. T., McRae, A., & Klauda, S. L. (2007). Contributions of concept- oriented reading instruction to knowledge about interventions for motivations in reading. Educational Psychologist, 42(4), 237-250. Hiebert, E. (2008, October). Strategic vocabulary selection: Choosing words from narrative and informational texts. Presented at the Massachusetts Reading First Advanced Seminar, Marlborough, MA. Reutzel, D. R., Jones, C. D., Fawson, P. C., Smith, J. A. (2008). Scaffoldedsilent reading: A complement to guided repeated oral reading that works! Reading Teacher, 62(3), 194-207.