Apprenticing Adolescents Into The Language Of Our

DisciplineAcademic Language and the Common Core

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Purpose of this Session

“I realized I needed to stop telling students the meaning of important words and ideas in my English class. And, academic language, for us, hasn’t been about looking up unknown vocabulary or me telling students how to understand the text. To me, it became a way of guiding students towards a critical understanding of how language is used in texts and then helping them mimic what authors do—use intentional language to convey powerful ideas.”

Sarah10th Grade English Teacher

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Purpose of this Session

Participants will be able to:• Identify the academic language demands of the

NY 9-12 ELA curriculum modules.• Determine which academic language to scaffold

for students.• Identify and design teaching practices that

support adolescent ownership of academic language.

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Agenda for this Session

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Topic Time

Academic language and Module 11.1 10 Minutes

Identifying the words to teach 35 minutes

Analyzing a lesson/deepening vocabulary instruction

35 minutes

Reflection and Closing 5 minutes

Academic Language• Knowledge of the language of a discipline is

necessary for student success in a subject.• Words work differently in different disciplines

(e.g., “function,”)• Each discipline has their own set of words to

represent their valued concepts and literacy processes.

EngageNY.orgAntonacci & O’ Callaghan (2011)

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Module 11.1: O What a Noble Mind is Here O’erthrown!”

Unit 1 “My Last Duchess”

by Robert Browning

(6 Lessons)

Unit 2Hamlet by

William Shakespeare

(24 Lessons)

Unit 3“A Room of One’s

Own” by Virginia Woolf

(9 Lessons)

• Key skills: reading closely, learning vocabulary through context, annotating, using evidence in writing and discussion.

• Introduces students to literary and nonfictions texts

• Provides students opportunities to practice independent writing assessments

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Focus on Knowledge of Language

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• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.11-12.3 Apply knowledge of language to understand how

language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.

Focus on Vocabulary Acquisition and Use

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• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.11-12.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and

multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 11–12 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.11-12.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word

relationships, and nuances in word meanings.• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.11-12.6

Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level.

How to Build Academic Language

• Make It Intentional Select high-leverage, meaningful vocabulary for explicit,

student-centered, instruction.• Make It Transparent

Make vocabulary instruction explicit through effective questioning, modeling, and instruction that builds understanding of the word AND the text.

• Make It Useable Provide regular opportunities for students to practice with

high-leverage vocabulary in writing tasks and in discussion about text.

• Make It Personal Provide a volume, and variety of independent reading that

includes both fiction and non-fiction texts.

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(adapted from Fisher, 2008)

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MAKING IT INTENTIONAL: IDENTIFYING THE WORDS TO TEACH

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Two Aspects of VocabularyContext

Words students can figure out from content Words for which the definition needs to be

provided

Amount of Instructional Time Words that need more time: abstract, have

multiple meanings, and/or are a part of a word family

Words that need less time: concrete or describe events/processes/ideas/concepts/experiences that are familiar to students

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“My Last Duchess” (Sample)

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These words merit less time and attention

These words merit more time and attention

Meaning Can be Determined from Context

dowryterrace

designlessoned object

Meaning Needs to Be Provided

forsoothmunificence

warrant

Misconception Alert!

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• License to ignore some words doesn’t mean ignore ALL words.

• Select words critical to understanding the text.• Select words critical to the disciplinary

thinking we do with text.

• Spending time on words doesn’t mean copying dictionary definitions• Commit to text-based word work

Try This: Text Analysis• Vocabulary Analysis of A Room of One’s Own

Read the excerpt. Annotate for vocabulary words potentially

challenging to your students. Share your list with a partner. In pairs, prioritize your words by placing your

annotated words on the blank Academic Vocabulary Quadrant Chart.

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MAKING IT TRANSPARENT AND USEFUL: ANALYZING A LESSON

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How to Build Academic Language

Make it Intentional • Select high-leverage, meaningful vocabulary for explicit,

yet student-centered, instruction Make it Transparent

• Make vocabulary instruction explicit through effective questioning, modeling, and instruction that builds understanding of the word AND the text.

Make it Useable • Provide regular opportunities for students to practice with

high-leverage vocabulary in writing tasks and in discussion about text.

Make It Personal• Provide a volume, and variety of independent reading that

includes both fiction and non-fiction texts.

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(adapted from Fisher, 2008)

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Transparent Approaches• Effective questioning of the language in

the text:• Open-ended• Text-dependent • Analyzes word relationships

• Explicit modeling of textual analysis.

MISCONCEPTION ALERTS: Questioning and modeling aren’t “transmitting.” Students must

do the work of learning.

(Marzano & Pickering 2005; Nagy, 1989; Nagy & Scott, 2000; Paribakht & Wesche, 1997)

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Useable Approaches• Using high-leverage vocabulary in writing

tasks Quick write prompts, collaborative writing tasks,

assessments• Use high-leverage vocabulary in

discussion tasks• Discuss language use

MISCONCEPTION ALERTS: Writing and talking about vocabulary does not mean writing and reciting definitions. Use vocabulary to think,

write, and talk about the text. EngageNY.org 18

Try This: Looking at Instruction

• Look at the sample lesson 11.1.3 Lesson 1 in your packet.

• Read the lesson, looking for examples of transparent and useful practices.

• Talk with a partner: What did you notice about the intentional selection

of high-leverage vocabulary? How was instruction transparent using questioning

and modeling to support students? How was writing and discussion used to provide

students with opportunities to use high-leverage vocabulary?

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Try This: Adapting CurriculumWork with a partner to design additional vocabulary learning for this excerpt.• Make it Intentional: What other high-leverage,

meaningful vocabulary could be selected for explicit, student-centered instruction?

• Make it Transparent: How else could you use effective questioning and modeling to build understanding of the word AND the text?

• Make it Useable: How else could you provide opportunities for students to practice with new vocabulary in writing tasks and in discussion about text?

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MAKING IT PERSONAL: SUPPORTING A VOLUME OF INDEPENDENT READING

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Personal Approaches: Accountable Independent

Reading• Build a volume of reading

Fiction and non-fiction, variety of self-selected texts

• Create a culture of independent reading Low impact, accountable, routine

MISCONCEPTION ALERT: Independent doesn’t mean unaccountable. Have students discuss texts with the CCSS.

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Reflection and Closing

• How will you use these materials to support student academic language development?

• What actions should you take or not take to support your students’ academic language in high school ELA classrooms?

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References• Anderson, R. C. & Nagy, W. E. (1991).Word meanings. In R. Barr, M. L. Kamil, P. B. Mosenthal, & P. D. Pearson (Eds.), Handbook of reading research (Vol. 2, pp. 690–724). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.• Antonacci, P. A. & O’ Callaghan, C. M. (2011). Developing Content Area Literacy: 40 Strategies for Middle and Secondary Classrooms. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.• Armbruster, B. B. (1992). Vocabulary in content area lessons. The Reading Teacher, 45(7), 550–551.• Beck, I.L., McKeown, M.G. & Kucan, L. (2002). Bringing Words to Life: Robust Vocabulary Instruction. New York: The Guilford Press.• Marzano, R.J., & Pickering. D.J. (2005). Building Academic Vocabulary: Teacher’s Manual. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.• Nagy, W. E. (1988). Teaching vocabulary to improve comprehension. Newark, DE: International Reading Association.• Nagy,W. E., & Scott, J. A. (2000). Vocabulary processes. In M. Kamil, P. B. Mosenthal, P. D. Pearson, & R. Barr (Eds.), Handbook of reading research (Vol. 3, pp. 269–284). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.• Stahl, S.A. (1998). Vocabulary Development. Cambridge, MA: Brookline.

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