AN INVESTIGATION OF AN ACADEMIC VOCABULARY …

AN INVESTIGATION OF AN ACADEMIC VOCABULARY INTERVENTION FOR UPPER ELEMENTARY STUDENTS WHO STRUGGLE WITH READING

by Alicia K. Smail B.S., University of Pittsburgh, 2007 M.Ed., University of Pittsburgh, 2009

Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of School of Education in partial fulfillment

of the requirements for the degree of Doctorate of Education

University of Pittsburgh 2017

UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

This dissertation was presented by

Alicia K. Smail It was defended on

April 10, 2017 and approved by Dr. Jennifer Russell, Associate Professor, Learning Sciences and Policy Dr. Michelle Sobolak, Assistant Professor, Instruction and Learning Dissertation Advisor: Dr. Linda Kucan, Associate Professor, Instruction and Learning

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Copyright ? by Alicia K. Smail 2017

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AN INVESTIGATION OF AN ACADEMIC VOCABULARY INTERVENTION FOR UPPER ELEMENTARY STUDENTS WHO STRUGGLE WITH READING Alicia K. Smail, Ed.D. University of Pittsburgh, 2017

The current study is a mixed-methods, action research study in which Word Generation (WG) resources were used with students in a learning support classroom. Word Generation is a crosscurricular vocabulary intervention centered on academic language. The goal of the study was to investigate the vocabulary learning of students and to evaluate the WG resources. Students demonstrated statistically significant positive differences on the pretest/posttest and maintained that learning on a delayed posttest. Important findings related to students' developing word consciousness indicated that the WG resources positively impacted students' word awareness and that the WG target vocabulary is representative of high-utility academic language. The findings show promise for incorporating multifaceted vocabulary instruction such as Word Generation into middle school classrooms with students who struggle with reading.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

PREFACE..................................................................................................................................... X

1.0

INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................ 1

2.0

REVIEW OF LITERATURE ..................................................................................... 3

2.1

THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES .................................................................. 3

2.2

INSIGHTS FROM VOCABULARY RESEARCH .......................................... 7

2.3

STUDENT-FRIENDLY EXPLANATIONS ..................................................... 7

2.4

MULTIPLE ENCOUNTERS ........................................................................... 10

2.5

MULTIPLE CONTEXTS ................................................................................. 10

2.6

DEEP PROCESSING........................................................................................ 12

2.7

WORD SELECTION ........................................................................................ 13

2.8

VOCABULARY SELECTION FROM TEXTS THAT STUDENTS ARE

READING ........................................................................................................................... 15

2.9

THE IMPORTANCE OF VOCABULARY USE IN WRITTEN AND ORAL

DISCOURSE....................................................................................................................... 16

2.10 A POTENTIAL MODEL FOR THE DESIGN OF A PRINCIPLED

VOCABULARY INTERVENTION FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS .............. 20

2.11 CONCLUSION .................................................................................................. 22

3.0

METHODS ................................................................................................................. 24

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3.1

PARTICIPANTS ............................................................................................... 25

3.2

TEACHING PLAN AND RESOURCES......................................................... 26

3.3

QUANTITATIVE DATA SOURCES AND ANALYSIS............................... 33

3.3.1 Pretest, posttest, delayed posttest. ................................................................ 33

3.3.2 Word wizard tally chart................................................................................ 35

3.4

QUALITATIVE DATA SOURCES AND ANALYSIS.................................. 37

3.4.1 Student artifacts............................................................................................. 37

3.4.2 Reflective notes. ............................................................................................. 43

3.4.3 Classroom interactions.................................................................................. 43

4.0

RESULTS ................................................................................................................... 45

4.1

QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS......................................................................... 45

4.1.1 Pretest, posttest, delayed posttest. ................................................................ 45

4.1.2 Word wizard tally chart................................................................................ 49

4.2

QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS............................................................................ 54

4.2.1 Word study charts. ........................................................................................ 54

4.2.2 Sentences......................................................................................................... 58

4.2.3 Argumentative essays. ................................................................................... 59

4.2.4 Reflective notes. ............................................................................................. 68

4.2.5 Transcript episodes of classroom interactions. ........................................... 72

5.0

DISCUSSION ............................................................................................................. 76

5.1

ENACTING WORD GENERATION.............................................................. 76

5.2

VOCABULARY LEARNING .......................................................................... 79

5.3

WORD CONSCIOUSNESS.............................................................................. 80

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5.4

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE................................................................ 82

5.5

DISSEMINATION PLAN................................................................................. 83

BIBLIOGRAPHY............................................................................................................................ 85

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LIST OF TABLES

Table 1 Daily Lesson Components, Procedures, Resources, and Examples ................................ 27 Table 2 Example Questions for Multiple Choice Assessments ..................................................... 34 Table 3 WG Argumentative Writing Rubric (SERP, 2009)........................................................... 42 Table 4 Mean Performance Scores on Vocabulary Assessments ................................................. 46 Table 5 Students' Knowledge of Target Words ............................................................................. 47 Table 6 Frequency of Word Recognition Outside of the Classroom ............................................ 49 Table 7 Recognition of Target Words Outside of the Classroom ................................................. 51 Table 8 Target Word Sources ....................................................................................................... 53 Table 9 Essay Ratings from Units Two and Three ....................................................................... 64

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