Vocabulary Instruction for EL’s

Carla Carrizosa 2013

Vocabulary Instruction for EL’s

By Carla Carrizosa M. Ed.National Board Certified Teacher

Anita Archer Explicit Instruction Trainer Tier III Project G.L.A.D. Trainer


Purpose of Session

Participants will be able to:• Understand how the brain learns -by Dr. David

Sousa• Understand how the ELL brain learns specifically

in regards to vocabulary- by Dr. David Sousa• Learn Margarita Calderon Strategies for

Vocabulary Instruction• Learn Anita Archer Strategies for Vocabulary

Instruction

Writing

• Research by Jean-Luc Velay and Anne Mangen at the University of Stavanger’s Reading Centre in Norway– The act of handwriting activates the brain regions

that help boost recall - Emanuel Medical Center-Health Day, 2011 • http://www.uis.no/research-and-phd-studies/research-

areas/school-and-learning/learning-environment/better-learning-through-handwriting-article29782-8869.html

Jean-Luc Velay & Anne Mangen, Health Day

David A. Sousa, How the Brain Learns, Chapter 3, 2006

How the Brain Learns by Dr. David A. Sousa

• Learning is emotional = Long term memory (examples)• An individual will remember

curriculum content in which they have made an emotional investment.


Brain Research

Emotions

The Learning Environment (Classroom)

Positive climate lends to endorphins in blood, which give a feeling of euphoria

and stimulate frontal lobes (planning, high level thinking

and focus occur)

Negative climate leads to Cortisol in blood, which raises anxiety level and refocuses frontal lobe to

flight or fight

Learning Content

Instructional activities which get students emotionally

connected to the content of the learning

David A. Sousa, How the Brain Learn, Chapter 3, 2006

Brain Research

• Optimal Learning occurs between 7 a.m. to around 12 p.m. for pre/postadolescents and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. for adolescents

• Time when teaching and learning require more effort 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. for pre/postadolescents and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. for adolescents


Brain Research

0 min 5 min 10 min 15 min 20 min 25 min 30 min 35 min 40 min

Time in Minutes

Degr

ee o

f Ret

entio

n

PracticeDown time

New Information Closure

Prime Time 1

Prime Time 2

Teach New Material First

David A. Sousa, How the Brain Learn, 2006

Brain Research

80 min.

40 min

20 min

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

Prime TimeRehearsalPrime Time 2Le

sson

Len

gth


Brain Research

80 min.

40 min.

20 min.

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

Prime Time 1RehearsalPrime Time 2

Divide into 20 minute segments

Divide into 20 minute segments

Less

on L

engt

h


Brain Research

• Learning and retention are different we can learn something for just a few minutes and then lose it forever• Practice/Rehearsal is critical for

long term storage


Brain Research

• Past Learning Helps in Present Learning– Link something from the learner’s past that helps add

sense and meaning to the new learning– Select an experience which is clear, unambiguous, and

closely relevant not just related to the learning (Romeo & Juliet/West Side Story-US Civil War/Vietnam War)

– Sousa suggests journal writing as a closure strategy because this process helps Ss make connections to previous knowledge and organize concepts for long term storage


Brain Research

• Readers must possess a word in their mental dictionary to recognize the print

• Children learn vocabulary words when they are explicitly taught individual words and word-learning strategies

• Direct instruction is effective for teaching difficult words representing complex concepts which are not part of the child’s everyday experience


Brain Research• Thinking Skills and Learning– Model Thinking Skills in the Classroom– Positive Learning Climate

• Exhibit genuine interest• Analyze own thinking process• Change position if evidence warrants• Admit mistakes• Allow students to set rules, make decisions related to learning and

assessment.• Encourage students to follow their own thinking not repeat teacher’s

view• Prepare lessons that require higher order thinking to achieve learning

objectives


Brain Research

• Putting it All Together– Learning engages the entire person (cognitive,

affective, and psychological)– Human brains seek patterns– Emotions affect all learning, retention, and recall– Past experience affect new learning– Lecture = lowest degree of retention


Brain Research

• What did you learn about the brain?


ELL Brain Research

• Left Hemisphere- – Broca’s area reponsible for processing vocabulary,

syntax, rules of grammar– Wernicke’s areas processes the sense and

meaning of language• Right Hemisphere– Emotional meaning of languageCerebellum = control and movement, now known to

be responsible for language

David A. Sousa, How the ELL Brain Learns, Chapter 1, 2011

How the ELL Brain Learns- by Dr. David A Sousa

English Vocabulary Size at Three Years of Age in Various Economic Groups

Social Economic Group Average Number of Words in Vocabulary

Upper 1,116

Middle-Lower 749

Welfare 525


The ELL Brain

• Lexicon – The lexicon of a person is all the words they commonly use


The ELL Brain

• Size of mental lexicon = the richness of the exposure to vocabulary word in their native language– Reliable predictor of how well student will learn to

read• The ELL brain will attempt to match a new

English word with its counterpart stored in the child’s native language lexicon.


ELL Brain Research

• Acquiring vocabulary is not enough – EL’s must also know what the words means– English is a contextual language - a word can have

a different meaning depending on context (Ex. run has a 120 definitions context is critical to the definition)

– Knowing the word in context in which it is used is critical to full understanding


The ELL Brain

• Tool and Guidance- which vocabulary items to learn as well as help developing effective learning techniques • Lists-Use frequency lists


The ELL Brain

• Cognates Using the L1 to facilitate the English

form-to meaning linkage allows more of the brain’s cognitive resources to be focused on the English form itself free-up the brain to focus on learning the more contextualized types of word knowledge


The ELL Brain

• Research done by Carlo et al. 2004• Vocabulary Instruction – 10-12 vocabulary words a week– In the context of a thematic unit– Teachers used– Word association tasks– Analysis of word roots– Cloze


The ELL Brain

• Research (Jimenez, 1997;Jimenez & Gamez, 1996)• Vocabulary Instruction – When students are taught how to deal with unknown

vocabulary to recognize Spanish cognates in English and to use their background knowledge and to ask questions

– Why? Students developed more awareness of their own cognitive behavior (metacognitive) as well as a positive attitude (emotional) towards reading both of which are characteristics of skilled readers

David A. Sousa, How the ELL Brain Learn, Chapter 5, Teaching Tip 5.2, 2011

The ELL Brain• Himmele and Himmele (2009)• Vocabulary Instruction

– Mind-Set. Make an intentional effort to speak using academic language

– Synonymous Tags. Use academic language and make the meaning of words clear by using non-content-specific words

– Meaningful Contexts. Obvious to the ELLs due to the context.– Visual Cues-select important words in the passage write them down

on board or wall and rehearse them. Seeing the words repeatedly adds visual information in addition to saying them aloud.

– Emotions. Create language rich lessons in which ELLs can hear the language in contexts that are comprehensible and engage their emotions through activities that are relevant and authentic. Ss can celebrate their emotional attachment to the learning.


The ELL Brain

• Wang, Spencer, & Xing, 2009• Metacognition– Critical for learning another language • Skill used by highly proficient readers of any language• Skills include

– Prereading– Prewriting– Word Analysis– Methods for monitoring their reading comprehension

David A. Sousa, How the Brain Learns, 2006

ELL Brain Research

• Choral reading. In grades 1-6• Key words and pictures to help make connections• Examples and non-examples. Enhances understanding• Easily Pronounced Words. Initially select words which are easy for EL’s to

pronounce correctly• Cognates. Use cognates to help students see the connections between their

language and English through the roots, prefixes, and suffixes • Affective Filter -Safe environment to practice without criticism• Tools. Teach comprehension monitoring so students can recognize when they do

not understand and are able to ask for help • Model

– Think-out-Louds- Teacher or Student– Metacognition Strategies

• Pair-share- Reciprocal peer teaching


The ELL Brain

• Discuss 3 facts about how the ELL brain learns that are new to you?

Margarita Calderon

• Student needs to understand 80-90 percent of the words in a sentence, paragraph, or test question in order to comprehend text

• Levels of word knowledge1. No knowledge 2. General sense of the word3. Narrow, context-bound knowledge 4. Forgetting the word- knows the word but cannot recall,

cannot apply in a meaningful way 5. Depth of word knowledge- knows it means two different

things in other languages, use of idiomsMargarita Calderon, Teaching Reading & Comprehension to English Learners, K-5,

Chapter 6, 2011

Margarita Calderon• Preteaching Vocabulary through Explicit Instruction

– Seven steps:1. Teacher says, Ss repeat 3xs –Helps with pronunciation and introduces the print

version2. Teacher reads and models word in a sentence (context) from text. Ss is able to

remember the word in context 3. Teacher gives dictionary/glossary meaning-SS is exposed to formal English 4. Teacher explains meaning with student friendly definition gives examples that

students can relate to. Teacher uses pictures, props, movement, or gestures to help students comprehend multiple meanings

5. Teacher highlights aspect which may cause difficulty, spelling, polysemous, synonyms, antonyms, homophones, grammatical variations. Ss do more in depth word study

6. Pair-share- all student involved orally- EL’s need to produce the word 10-12 times 7. Teacher assigns peer reading with oral and written summarization using new

vocabulary

Margarita Calderon, Teaching Reading & Comprehension to English Learners, K-5,

Chapter 6, 2011

Margarita Calderon• Teaching Tier I, II, and III words

– Tier I • Basic words needed to communicate, read, and write

– Tier II• Information processing words • Complex words• Longer phrases• Polysemous words –words with multiple meanings, use meaning in the text –

(trunk)• Transition words• Connectors• Sophisticated words used for specificity in descriptions and rich discussions

– Tier III• Subject specific, and content based


Chapter 5 & 6, 2011

Margarita Calderon

• Tier II Words–Teaching Long Phrases• Idioms – break a leg –get your head

out of the clouds- he is in heaven- let’s get crack’n• (Noun) phrases – odd looking- act out• Prepositional phrases


Chapter 6, 2011

Margarita Calderon

• Solution• Table • Round • Divide• Prime• Round

• Trunk• State • Power • Cell • Right • Radical • Leg

Tier II WordsPolysemous words (homonyms or homographs) across academic content areas


Chapter 5 & 6, 2011

Margarita Calderon

• Tier II Words– Sophisticated words and Specificity• Long term EL’s use the same simple

words consistently• Providing them with increased

vocabularies interventions will move EL’s from one level to another


Chapter 6, 2011

Margarita Calderon

• Tier II Words– Cognates

• Literature=literatura• Context = contexto• Irony = ironia• Osmosis = osmosis

– False Cognates• Library not Libreria/bookstore• Story not historia/history• Exit not exito/success

Using Suffix patterns and Affixes (ex. alphabeto/ alfabetico alphabetizar/alphabet/alphabetic/alphabetize)

Margarita Calderon, Teaching Reading & Comprehension to English Learners, K-5

2011

Margarita Calderon

• Tier II Words– Homophones

Sum SomeCell SellWeather WhetherBlew BlueWhole Hole

(Imagine a whole cake)

Margarita Calderon, Teaching Reading & Comprehension to English Learners, K-5

2011


Margarita Calderon

• Which Margarita Calderon strategies will you use?

Anita L. Archer & Charles Hughes, Chapter 3, 2011

Anita Archer

• Characteristics of Effective Vocabulary Instruction1. Instruction is clear and unambiguous2. Instruction involves presentation of word meaning

and contextual examples 3. Multiple exposures to the word are provided4. Sufficient instructional time is devoted to vocabulary

instruction5. Students are actively engaged in vocabulary

instruction


Anita Archer

1. Select words for explicit instruction2. Develop or adopt student-friendly

explanations3. Develop examples and non-examples for

introducing word or for checking understanding

Anita Archer

• Select a limited number of words for robust, explicit vocabulary instruction

• Three to ten words per story, portion of story, or section of a chapter

• Briefly tell students the meaning of other words needed for comprehension



Anita Archer

• Select words that are: – Unknown– Are critical to passage understanding– Students will encounter in future

• Focus on Tier Two words• Academic Vocabulary

• Select words that are more difficult to obtain, words with:– abstract versus concrete references– unknown concept– not adequately explained within the text


Anita Archer

• Tier I –Basic words• Tier II – Words in general use, but not

common- General Academic Vocabulary• Tier III – Rare words limited to

specific domain Background Vocabulary


Anita Archer

• Student Friendly Definition– Use known words– Easy to understand– Tell students the explanation or– Have them read the explanation with you– Don’t know the pronunciation go to

www.howjsay.com– Dictionary for English Language Learner • (Collins COBUILD School Dictionary of American English)

http://www.howjsay.com/

Anita L. Archer & Charles Hughes 2011

Anita Archer

• Illustrate the word with examples– Visual Examples– Concrete examples• Object• Act outhttp://explicitinstruction.org/?page_id=96

• Examples and Non-Examples- http://explicitinstruction.org/?page_id=104

• Check student understand using examples

http://explicitinstruction.org/?page_id=96

http://explicitinstruction.org/?page_id=104


Anita Archer

1. Introduce the part of speech2. Introduce synonyms (same) antonyms

(opposite). Homographs (same spelling-different meaning)

3. Tell students when and where the words is often used

4. Introduce the etymology (history and/or orgin) of the word


Anita Archer

• ArcherismI do it

1. Introduce word2. Present a student-friendly explanation3. Illustrate the word with examples

We do it (rehearsal)4. Guide students in analyzing examples and non-

examples using critical attributes

You do it5. Check students’ understanding


Review

Participants you can:• Understand how the brain learns according to Dr. David

Sousa– Emotional – Optimal Engagement Times– Background Knowledge– Direct and explicit instruction

• Choral Reading• Examples and Non-Examples• Cognates • Affective Filter• Tools for Comprehending Text


Review• Understand how the ELL brain learns according to Dr.

David Sousa– Lexicon dependent on Ss rich vocabulary in L1 – Cognates– Tool and Guidance– Frequency Lists– 10-12 Vocabulary List a Week– Meaningful Contexts-Obvious– Visual Cues– Authentic and Relevant Activities –Emotional – Cloze


Review

• Understand Margarita Calderon’s strategies for Vocabulary Instruction– State the word in context from the text– Say the word and asks students to repeat the word 3xs– Provide student friendly definition– Highlight grammar, spelling, polysemy– Engage Ss in activities to develop word/concept

knowledge– Remind students how/when to use the word


Review

• Understand Anita Archer’s strategies for Vocabulary Instruction– Explicit instruction is critical for vocabulary

instruction. – I do it, we do it, you do it.– Cognates– Tier I, II and III words

Ludwig Wittgenstein

Quote

“The limits of my language mean the limits of my world”

Ludwig Wittgenstein

Quote

“Learning, as a language based activity, is fundamentally and profoundly dependent on vocabulary knowledge. Learners must have access to the meanings of words that teachers, or their surrogates use (to learn something new).”

Baker, Simmons, & Kame’enui

Baker, Simmons, & Kame’enui

Quote

• “Words are labels for our knowledge packets; the more words we have, the more packets of knowledge, the more background knowledge.”

Marzano 2004

Marzano, 2004

Documents

Vocabulary Instruction for EL’s