Vocabulary - Stenhouse Publishers

APPENDIX

G

Vocabulary

213

Making the Most of Small Groups: Differentiation for All by Debbie Diller. Copyright ? 2007. Stenhouse Publishers. All rights reserved. No reproduction without written permission from publisher.

214

Making the Most of Small Groups

Possible Focuses for Vocabulary Lessons

Recognizing new words My goal is to teach children to stop and say, "Hey, I don't know what that word means. Let me try to figure that out."

Getting meaning from context (pictures, other words)

Teach students several ways to figure out what a new word means. Young children can be taught to scan a picture for help. Also teach kids to use the context of other words surrounding it. You might teach children to read before and after the new word to find out what it

means. Be aware, though, that not all text gives a supportive meaning directly in the words that precede or follow it.

Learning new definitions of multiplemeaning words

Teach students to be on the lookout for old words with new meanings, or multiplemeaning words, as they're often called.

Using word parts to determine meaning

Teach kids to stop and say, "Hey, that word starts with re and that means `again.' So reopen must mean `to open again.'"

Move beyond having kids just learn that re means "again."

Thinking about book language and idioms

Book language is the way writers sometimes use phrases or groups of words that we wouldn't normally use in speaking, such as, "The moon climbed higher in the sky" instead of, "Look. The moon is way up in the sky."

Teach students the meaning of idioms. Idioms consist of a group of words that have little or nothing to do with the individual words, such as, "Don't let the cat out of the bag."

Using text features like bold and italicized words in informational text

Most of the new words in nonfiction are content-specific and are often Tier III words. Show kids how to use these text features (such as bold and italicized words) to figure

out a word's meaning. If a bold or italicized word is followed by a dash or the word or, the definition will most definitely be the next thing they read. Also teach kids how to use a glossary or word bank in nonfiction.

Using dictionaries and reference aids to learn word meanings and gain deeper knowledge of words

Teach the use of a dictionary to find out word meanings with care, and don't overuse it. I prefer to teach how to use a glossary while reading informational text, since this is a

built-in reference tool.

Trying out the word in new contexts and a variety of ways

Encourage students to use the words introduced before reading or found during reading as much as possible.

Have them use these words during the school day and at home. You might even chart the words and have kids add tally marks to show each time they

use a word correctly in their reading or writing.

Making the Most of Small Groups: Differentiation for All by Debbie Diller. Copyright ? 2007. Stenhouse Publishers. All rights reserved. No reproduction without written permission from publisher.

Appendix G: Vocabulary

215

Group:

Focus: VOCABULARY

new word recognition using word parts book language/idioms

Warm-Up: Familiar Rereading

Today's Book:

BEFORE READING New Words:

Date:

meaning from context NF text features

Listen to:

Title: Level:

multiple meanings using new words

Book Intro:

DURING READING Prompts:

Notes: AFTER READING Discuss:

New Words: REFLECTION

Making the Most of Small Groups: Differentiation for All by Debbie Diller. Copyright ? 2007. Stenhouse Publishers. All rights reserved. No reproduction without written permission from publisher.

216

Making the Most of Small Groups

Prompts for Vocabulary

What Child Is Having Trouble With Possible Teacher Prompts

Recognition of unknown words

You stopped. What can you do to figure out what that word means?

Do you know that word? Asking about that word can help you learn what it means.

______ means ______.

Using context to determine word meaning

Use the picture to help you figure out what that word means. Read on a bit. See if you can find clues to what that word

means. Which words give you a clue to the word's meaning? What do you think it means? Why? What's another word you could use here that makes sense?

Thinking about book language and idioms

What do you think off they went means? The author said legs like sticks. What do you picture there?

Using text features like bold or italicized words, dashes, and or in informational text to figure out what those words mean

When a writer uses bold words, he's showing you that those words are important. Good noticing.

Look at this (point to dash or word or). It tells us the definition will follow!

It's written in italics. How can that help you?

Learning new definitions of multiple-meaning words

What does ______ usually mean? Does it mean that here? What do you think it means?

This word has more than one meaning. What could it mean here?

Using word parts to determine word meanings

You know this part. What's re- mean? Look at our suffix chart. What's -ful mean? What could this

word mean? Find a part you know. What does that part mean?

Trying out new words in oral and written vocabulary

You sound so grown up when you use those "million-dollar words."

I love that new word! Use it at home to impress your family! What a great word choice! I can really picture what you

mean when you use that word.

Making the Most of Small Groups: Differentiation for All by Debbie Diller. Copyright ? 2007. Stenhouse Publishers. All rights reserved. No reproduction without written permission from publisher.

Appendix G: Vocabulary

217

Whole-Group Lesson for VOCABULARY

Focus: awareness of new words and getting meaning from context Method to maximize student engagement: shared reading with all students reading together Materials: poem on a chart or Big Book that contains a few Tier II words; highlighter tape cut into

pieces the length of words it will cover Model: stopping and paying attention to new words, and then trying to figure out what they mean Explicit language: Asking about that word will help you learn what it means. Good noticing! ______ means ______. Yes, that is a new word. What do you think it means?

Lesson: 1. Choose a poem or Big Book that has a few Tier II words, such as befriended, stranded, and wary. 2. If using a poem, copy it in large print onto a chart. Precut several pieces of highlighter tape the

length of individual new words. Put them on an index card so they'll be handy. 3. Gather the class near you and read the Big Book or poem to them. Then read it with them. As you

read it a second time, ask them to tell you if they hear any new words. Place highlighter tape over each new word. Tell children they should stop and think, "That's a new word" when they come across a new word in their reading. That's how they'll start to learn new words. 4. Figure out what the words mean together. Relate the new words to things your students already know about. For example, "If you do not feel safe about something and don't really trust it, you might say you are wary. I am wary of climbing up on that rock, because I'm afraid I might fall and hurt myself. You should be wary of taking a spelling test if you haven't studied. Can you think of something you're wary of?

Small-group connection: Precut highlighter tape the size of individual words in the little book they'll read. Give each child an index card with several pieces of tape on it. Have them use the highlighter tape to mark new words as they read. Share and discuss the words and their meanings.

Making the Most of Small Groups: Differentiation for All by Debbie Diller. Copyright ? 2007. Stenhouse Publishers. All rights reserved. No reproduction without written permission from publisher.

 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download