Exemplary Practices in
Vocabulary Instruction
Introduction Background Philosophy Research Project Summary of the Findings Results Additional Resources References Site Map
Research Project
Statement of the Problem
Literature
Review Population
Sample
Design
Procedures
Materials Data Analysis
Planned Outcomes
Vocabulary is an integral part of learning with all reading materials (Carr,E. 1985). Vocabulary is an important area of concern for teachers because children who know many words are more likely to be competent readers and writers than those with limited vocabularies (Harmon, J.M., 1998).
As children approach the middle grades and become more proficient in decoding and recognizing known words, vocabulary acquisition focuses more on meaning than recognition. The need for a rich vocabulary base becomes even more important during the ensuring middle and secondary years (Harmon, J.M., 1998). Nagy and Anderson (1984) estimated that the average student in the middle grades and beyond must acquire approximately 3,000 new words yearly in order to stay current with each succeeding grade level.
Studies have shown that direct instruction informs reading comprehension when children can integrate new words other conceptual knowledge , are exposed to multiple encounters with the new word in natural print environments and can process the new word in a meaningful manner (Beck,& McKeown, 1991; Beck, Mckeown, &Omansen, 1987).
It is pertinent to assist children with adding vocabulary and strategies that will encourage independent learning of words to their repertories as well as provide opportunities for which words can be learned (Johnson, D., 2000).
District wide and state testing shows that vocabulary acquisition is an area of concern. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of two instructional strategies on vocabulary acquisition and word awareness in three struggling students.
The attached literature review is a comprehensive explanation of research in the area of vocabulary instruction. This review clearly shows that this study is directly related to research completed. (go to Literature Review).
The research question will be investigated in an elementary school (grades 1-5, 500 students ) located in a rural area of Southeastern Massachusetts. There is a predominant Cape Verde population within the community, as well as students of interracial unions. The median income for the community is 13,428 with 54% of the students receiving free or reduced lunch. There is a transient population of 23% which includes homeless students who are living in hotels, mobile homes and children in foster care.
This study will be conducted in an inclusion fourth grade classroom. Within the heterogeneous classroom of 22 students there are five students on Individual Education Plans (IEPs) for reading and six students that receive Title One services for reading. Three students will be included in this study. The three students selected for this study are boys that are struggling with reading comprehension and are the only students who scored zeros on all their vocabulary quizzes. Two of the boys are currently receiving Title One services. None of the boys are on IEPs. All activities will be presented in a small group within the classroom.
Reversal design A-B-A-B with two treatments as described in chapter 2 of Neuman and Mc Cormick's Single-Subject Experimental Research: Applications for Literacy. This design compares two interventions (word walls and word mapping). A baseline is taken for a specific type of response prior to the intervention. The intervention is then implemented until a stable trend is established. During this time data is collected on the same response that was observed in the baseline. After the data is stable the intervention is withdrawn and a new baseline is taken. Intervention two is introduced and monitored for at least as long as the preceding intervention.
Independent variables will be teacher-selected vocabulary from the novel “Ralph S. Mouse” by Beverly Cleary that is modeled with the use of a word wall and teacher selected vocabulary from the novel “Ralph S. Mouse” by Beverly Cleary that is modeled with word mapping.
The dependent variable is the number of correct definitions or examples given for assigned vocabulary words.
Baseline (three weeks):
Ø
Students pair read chapter from “Ralph S. Mouse”
Ø
Teacher presents seven vocabulary words (students read them out
loud)
Ø
Students re-read to guess meaning of seven
teacher-given vocabulary words and write their guesses down on sticky
notes (the teacher has modeled this process four to five times with previous
chapters).
Ø
Teacher discusses the student guesses with them as a group (there
are eight students within the group)
Ø
Students take turns looking up each word in the dictionary to see
if their guesses were correct
Ø
If there is more than one meaning to the word students choose the
meaning that fits the context
Ø
Students write the correct meaning into their vocabulary section
of their reading notebook
Ø
Students check old vocabulary words to see if any of the new
vocabulary is related to any old vocabulary. If some words are related the students highlight the words
and write the words within the definitions of each word found.
Ø
A teacher made vocabulary quiz
is given at the end of the
week
Intervention One- Word Wall (three weeks) :
Ø
Students pair read chapter from “Ralph S. Mouse”
Ø
Teacher presents seven vocabulary words (students read them out
loud)
Ø
Students re-read chapter to guess the meaning of seven
teacher-given vocabulary (2-3 categories can be made out of the words- the
meanings can be connected) and write their guesses down on sticky notes (this
process has been modeled by the teacher several times)
Ø
Teacher discusses the students' guesses with them as a group
(there are eight students within the group)
Ø
Students take turns looking up words in the dictionary (each
student gets a word to look up. The
student that does not get a word writes each word on a half sheet of paper to be
hung on the wall later)
Ø
If there is more than one meaning to the word the students choose
the one that fits into the context best
Ø
All students write the word and correct definition into their
vocabulary section of their reading notebook
Ø
When all words are entered and written on half pieces of paper to
hang the teacher spreads the words that are on papers out on the table and has
the students figure out how some of the words may be related to each other or
words that are currently hanging on the wall.
The students are required to give a name to any new group of words .
If there are some words that can not be put into an old group or new
group they are hung under miscellaneous until a group
can be formed for them.
Ø
Throughout the week the teacher begins reading group with a short
ten to fifteen minute word wall activity (focusing on the new words- but also
reviewing some of the old words). Activities include: word bingo, guess the word, pictionary
(draw a clue for the word)
Ø
A teacher made vocabulary quiz
is given at the end of the
week
Baseline repeated (three week)
Ø Students pair read a chapter from “Ralph S. Mouse”
Ø Teacher presents seven vocabulary words (students read the vocabulary words out loud) and take a pretest
Ø Students re-read chapter to guess the meaning of seven teacher-given vocabulary and write their guesses down on sticky notes ( this process has been modeled by the teacher several times)
Ø
Students take turns looking up words in the dictionary (each
student gets a word to look up)
Ø
If there is more than one meaning to the word the students choose
the one that fits into the context best
Ø Teacher facilitates map activity (1. write new word, 2. write the sentence from the book that the new word is in 3. write the definition, 4. write synonym, 5. write any old vocabulary word that may be connected in some way, 6. draw a picture of something that will remind you of the word, 7. think of someone, an expression or something that you can associate with the word and write it down, 8. write your own sentence using the new vocabulary word (students are directed to be descriptive in their sentence so that the meaning of the word may be derived from their sentence)
Ø Students enter the finished map into their vocabulary section of their reading notebook
Ø A teacher made vocabulary quiz is give at the end of the week
Ø The novel “Ralph S. Mouse” by Beverly Cleary was chosen by the students from a list of six books that were recommended by the district for fourth grade reading
Ø Webster dictionaries
Ø Word Walls as described by Pat Cunningham in Classrooms that work: They all read and write developed and created by the teacher and students
Ø Word Map as described by Catherine Rosenbaum's (2001) A word map for middle school: A tool for effective vocabulary instruction was adapted for use in a fourth grade classroom. (antonym was changed to visual and another was changed to related old vocabulary word) (see sample)
Ø Teacher- made test (Students were required to write the definition or give an example of seven given vocabulary words. Each vocabulary word was read a loud to the students.) (See sample)
Ø Teacher- made vocabulary survey Students were asked to complete a survey with seven questions about learning new vocabulary words and the use of word maps and word walls (See sample)
Data Analysis (Triangulation):
Prior to this study eight students were given teacher-made tests that include multiple choice answers for each of the given vocabulary words. Directions were to circle the letter of the correct definition of the word. All eight students received scores between 5 out of seven and 7 out of 7 on these tests. A multiple choice test demonstrates to this researcher/teacher that the student is acquainted with the words as described by Graves (1994). However, this researcher/teacher wanted to see if the students had truly established the meanings of the words. To further investigate, this researcher/teacher decided to retest the students with a teacher-made test that only supplied the vocabulary words and directed the student to either write the definition or give an example of the word (i.e., sulk- my little brother is always in a sulk- especially after my mother refuses to buy him anything at the store). The reason that giving an example was offered was because students may understand and be able to use the word , but have difficulty giving the actual definition. It was discovered that when given the retest the students had far more difficulty answering. Students received scores between 0 out of 7 and 4 out of 7. A student that had previously received a 7 out of 7 on the multiple choice test scored a zero on the retest. Five students commented on how much more difficult the retest was. Because this researcher/teacher goal is to have students develop their vocabulary repertoire the teacher-made tests for the baseline and interventions consists only of the given vocabulary words for the students to define or give examples of. Throughout the interventions teacher-made tests will be given on Monday (as a pre-test to ensure that the students do not already know the given words) and Friday after the seven vocabulary words have been taught.
Student Self-Reflections:
Students will be asked to write a paragraph prior to the interventions on how they had previously learned new words and how they felt about that type of instruction. They will also be asked to explain why they think learning new words is important.
A survey will be given to all eight students after the interventions are completed. The survey has eight questions for the students to answer. The purpose of the student survey is to evaluate how the students feel about word learning, what they thought about the interventions and what words they could remember. These questions will also be given with the intention of using the information to improve instruction.
The first question that will be asked is why they think learning new words is important. The purpose of this question is to compare their answers to their pre-intervention self-reflection to see if there is any change in their word awareness after the interventions. The following six questions are developed to discover what the students like the best about the word wall and map, as well as what they dislike about them (2) What is your favorite part of the word map and why?, 3) What is your least favorite part of the word map and why?, 4) what is your favorite part of the word wall and why?, 5) what is your least favorite part about the word wall and why?, 6) which do you like better the word wall, word map or just writing the word in your notebook?, 7) Do you think the word wall or word map has helped you to learn new words (can you remember some of the words?)?)The eighth question will ask for suggestions on how to make vocabulary learning easier and better for them. The last question asks where one might may be able to learn new words.
Student writing samples from district testing, which is given quarterly, will be examined for the use of vocabulary words taught during baseline, word wall intervention and word map intervention.
Through the teacher-made testing it is anticipated to find progress in students transferring vocabulary from familiar (where the student is able to identify the word meaning on a multiple choice test) to productive (where they are able to generate the meaning of words through examples or written definitions) after the interventions are implemented.
The student-self reflections given prior to the interventions is to see what the students know about word learning from past experiences and how much or little they value vocabulary acquisition.
It is expected to find through the student surveys that after the interventions students will be more aware of the importance of word learning , which will indirectly lead to wide reading and steadfast listening of oral language. Within the surveys the researcher/teacher foresees the students becoming word conscious following the implementation of the interventions. It is expected that the students will show more interest in learning new words and explain what has been most helpful to them to learn new words The student will also contribute ideas that may enrich the vocabulary activities. The information provided in the surveys will assist the researcher/teacher with improving instruction.