Word Meaning Module - Harlingen Consolidated · PDF fileWhat is Word Meaning? ... Lesson Overview ... exposure, so savvy teachers will plan for weekly follow-up and extension activities

Revision: 10/22/2009 Page 1

Word Meaning


What is Word Meaning?

Word meaning is defined as the meaning of a word or expression; the way in which a word or expression or situation can be interpreted. Word meaning comes into play every time a reader picks up a book or a piece of text. Even skilled readers come across words and phrases that are unfamiliar. The challenge then becomes to learn strategies to use when encountering a word that is integral to the meaning of the text, but might not be familiar. The more that readers read, the more they encounter words over and over again, becoming familiar with the meanings and relationships with other words. If students really know a word, they can:

o Read it in many different contexts, understanding the meaning each time.

o Use it in a decontextualized way, mapping out the different meanings that are possible given the context.

o Realize the connotations (implied meanings) that a word may have when used in a certain way (e.g., as part of irony or sarcasm).

o Use the word metaphorically if appropriate. Fountas and Pinnell, 2001

Good readers have many strategies from which to pull when reading to help make sense and gather information from what is being read. One of those strategies should be what to do when encountering a word whose meaning is unknown. The ability to use a variety of strategies to ascertain the meanings of unfamiliar words requires a set of knowledge and skills that should be embedded throughout every component of balanced literacy.


Word Meaning in the TEKS

The Student Learning Expectations in the state of Texas and the Austin Independent School District for the development of word meaning and vocabulary are as follows: Reading/Vocabulary Development. Students understand new vocabulary and use it when reading and writing.

Students in 3rd grade are expected to:

Students in 4th grade are expected to:

Students in 4th grade are expected to:

4(L1) identify words that name actions (verbs) and words that name persons, places, or things (nouns);

2(L1) identify words that name actions (verbs) and words that name persons, places, or things (nouns)

2(L1) identify words that name actions (verbs) and words that name persons, places, or things (nouns);

4(A) identify the meaning of common prefixes (e.g., in-, dis-) and suffixes (e.g., -full, -less), and know how they change the meaning of roots;

2(A) determine the meaning of grade-level academic English words derived from Latin, Greek, or other linguistic roots and affixes;

2(A) determine the meaning of grade-level academic English words derived from Latin, Greek, or other linguistic roots and affixes;

4(L2) determine the meaning of compound words using knowledge of the meaning of their individual component words (e.g., lunchtime);



4(B) use context to determine the relevant meaning of unfamiliar words or distinguish among multiple meaning words and homographs;

2(B) use the context of the sentence and surrounding text (e.g., in-sentence example or definition to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words or multiple meaning words;

2(B) use context (e.g., in-sentence restatement and surrounding text) to determine or clarify the meaning of unfamiliar or multiple meaning words;

4(C) identify and use antonyms, synonyms, homographs, and homophones;

2(C) complete analogies using knowledge of antonyms and synonyms (e.g., boy:girl as male:___, or girl:women as boy:___);

2(C) produce analogies with known antonyms and synonyms;

4(L3) develop vocabulary by listening to and discussing both familiar and conceptually challenging selections read aloud and independently;

2(L3) develop vocabulary by listening to and discussing conceptually challenging selections read aloud and independently;

2(L3) develop vocabulary by listening to and discussing conceptually challenging selections read aloud and independently;

4(L4) use resources and references such as beginners' dictionaries, glossaries, available technology, and context to build word meanings and to confirm pronunciations of words;

2(L4) use multiple reference aids, including a thesaurus, a synonym finder, a dictionary, and software, to clarify meanings and usage;

2(L4) use multiple reference aids, including a thesaurus, a synonym finder, a dictionary, and software, to clarify meanings and usage;

4(D) identify and apply playful uses of language (e.g. tongue twisters, palindromes, riddles, idioms);

2(D) identify the meaning of common idioms, adages, and other sayings;

2(D) identify and explain the meaning of common idioms, adages, and other sayings;

4(E) alphabetize a series of words to the third letter and use a dictionary or a glossary (printed or electronic) to determine the meanings, syllabication, and pronunciation or unknown words as appropriate and in context.

2(E) use a dictionary or glossary (printed or electronic) to determine the meanings, syllabication, and pronunciation of unknown words as appropriate and in context.

2(E) use a dictionary, a glossary, or a thesaurus (printed or electronic) to determine the meanings, syllabication, pronunciations, alternate word choices, and parts of speech of words as appropriate and in context.


Relevant Academic Vocabulary Students Should Learn During Word Meaning

Instruction There are technical terms that we use when teaching vocabulary. It is a good idea to teach these technical terms explicitly to your students and to be careful to use them appropriately in your class. Students should be encouraged to use these terms appropriately in their speaking and writing.

ENGLISH TERMS:

Base Word Root Word Prefix Suffix Compound Word Context Clues Key Words Define Dictionary Entry Noun Verb Adjective

Past Tense Present Tense Multiple-Meaning Word Synonym Antonym Homonym Homophone Idiom Adage Expression Figure of Speech Figurative Language

TÉRMINOS EN ESPAÑOL:

Palabra base Palabra raíz Prefijo Sufijo Palabra compuesta Claves en contexto Palabras claves Definir Entrada en el diccionario Sustantivo Verbo Adjetivo

Tiempo pasado Tiempo presente Palabra de significado múltiple Sinónimo Antónimo Homónimo Homófono Expresión idiomática Adagio Expresión Forma de expresión Lenguaje figurativo


Teaching Word Meaning Through Read-Aloud or Shared

Reading

WHAT? Learning Intentions Related to TEKS:

Students will build rich vocabularies through independent reading, shared reading, and read-aloud activities.

Students will identify the meaning of common idioms, adages, and other sayings Students will identify words that name actions (verbs) and words that name

persons, places, or things (nouns) HOW? Materials

Trade Book, Short Story, Poem, or Passage from Basal Reader Note Cards or Sentence Strips Cut to 8-Inch Widths Vocabulary Elaboration Forms (See Below) Transparency copy of Vocabulary Elaboration Form

Lesson Overview As part of the AISD Balanced Reading Curriculum, teachers are expected to read aloud to their students (or engage in shared reading activities) virtually every day. Prior to the lesson, the teacher should search through the passage to find up to 5 high-utility vocabulary words to teach explicitly. (High-utility words are words which the teacher believes to be likely to come up again and again in literature.) NOTE: If the teacher selects a passage that is challenging and well-written, there will probably be more than 5 vocabulary words in each day’s lesson that the students need to learn. The teacher should explain all of the vocabulary words to the students during the read-aloud, but after the read-aloud, the teacher should revisit these 5 words and teach them explicitly. During the reading, a student should fill the role of “Word Catcher” which involves writing (clearly with a bold marker) each vocabulary word on a card or a sentence strip. These cards will be posted on the wall, so they need to be large enough to read from across the room. As the teacher reads aloud, when the teacher comes across an interesting vocabulary word, she explains it and asks the Word Catcher to write it down while she continues reading the passage. After the read-aloud or shared-reading lesson, the teacher pulls out the 5 target vocabulary words to teach more explicitly. The students and teacher should fill out the Vocabulary Elaboration Forms for each word (the teacher working on the overhead, the students working on their own paper). After the Elaboration Forms are filled out, the 5 words should also be added to the classroom Language Arts Vocabulary Bank. NOTE: It is quite useful to print the Vocabulary Elaboration Forms on 4x5 cards or they can be bound and put in a Vocabulary Journal.


Vocabulary Elaboration Form (SAMPLE Anchor of Support for Students)

Word:

Habitat

Definition:

The area where an animal lives.

What does this word remind you of?

Habit -- Animals have a habit of living in their habitat.

Synonyms:

home environment territory Antonyms:

foreign area unnatural place

Where did you find this word?

This was in the science reading on page 145. Use the word in a sentence:

The natural habitat for a gerbil is the desert.

Vocabulary Elaboration Form Word:

Definition:

What does this word remind you of?

Synonyms: Antonyms:

Where did you find this word? Use the word in a sentence:


Follow-Up and Extension Students are unlikely to learn very many of the vocabulary words after only one exposure, so savvy teachers will plan for weekly follow-up and extension activities. These activities can be a “Fun Friday” reward for the class for good behavior during the week. For example, the teacher can play 15 minutes of “vocabulary baseball” at the end of the day on Friday before students clean up to leave. The teacher divides the class into two teams. The teacher selects a word from the Language Arts Vocabulary Bank and decides how many bases it is worth – a difficult word may be worth 2 or 3 bases, but most words will only be worth one base. The teacher “pitches” a word to a student who is up at bat, and if the student defines it properly, he or she gets a “hit” and moves around the bases. If a student provides a definition that is close, but not quite right, the teacher can call it a “foul ball” and give the student a second chance with another word. Similarly, the teacher could set aside 20 minutes once per week to have the students compete for the title of Word Wizard. The students stand at the front of the class, and the teacher randomly calls out words from the Language Arts Vocabulary Bank to different students. If a student can not define the word appropriately, then the student must sit down. The contest continues until there is one Word Wizard. NOTE: As a variation to any activity, the teacher could (and should) call out a definition and some hints about a word, and let the students try to figure out which word the teacher is thinking of. For example, if the teacher is thinking of a word like SHORE, the teacher could say, “This is the area where the water meets the land – it is like a beach – it rhymes with MORE.” MOVING TOWARD INDEPENDENCE Ultimately, the students should be searching for their own words independently. (Hence the need for the question on the Elaboration Form, “Where did you find this word?”) During independent reading, students should be encouraged to search for interesting and unusual words. The teacher can give a reward (a star on a public roster or a sticker is usually quite adequate) for each Vocabulary Elaboration Form that a student fills out independently. Every day, the teacher can choose 3 or 4 vocabulary words that students have found independently, and let each student share their word with the class.


Teaching Word Meaning With a Dictionary


Students will alphabetize a series of words to the third letter and use a dictionary or a glossary (printed or electronic) to determine the meanings, syllabication, and pronunciation or unknown words as appropriate and in context

Students will use resources and references such as beginners' dictionaries, glossaries, available technology, and context to build word meanings and to confirm pronunciations of words

Students will identify and use antonyms, synonyms, homographs, and homophones

Students will complete analogies using knowledge of antonyms and synonyms (e.g., boy:girl as male:___, or girl:women as boy:___)

Students will identify words that name actions (verbs) and words that name persons, places, or things (nouns)

HOW? Materials An age-appropriate dictionary for each student A children’s thesaurus Sample dictionary definition entries on transparency Access to the internet

Questions that Evoke Conversation (Appendix) Lesson Overview Using and interpreting dictionary definitions is a multi-faceted skill that should be taught in a series of mini-lessons. The teacher needs to explicitly teach each part of the entry, helping students to understand features like:

Syllabication symbols Pronunciation guides Part of speech Word origins Multiple meanings (a.k.a. Homographs) Multiple entries Synonyms and antonyms

Lesson 1 – Dictionary Overview The teacher begins by placing a copy of a dictionary page on an overhead transparency. The teacher shows the students the navigational tools and features of the dictionary including the guide words at the top of the page, the multiple entries for certain words, the pronunciation guides, and the multiple definitions within each entry.


Next the teacher asks the students to alphabetize a short list of words. When the words are alphabetized, the student searches through the dictionary for the guide words that bracket the page on which each entry is contained. For example, the teacher might give this list of words:

VEHICLE RUDDER GLOAT WRENCH AILMENT

The students could alphabetize the words and fill out a form that looks like this: WORDS GUIDE WORD BELOW GUIDE WORD ABOVE AILMENT Ah Air Mail GLOAT Glaze Globe RUDDER Rubber Rule VEHICLE Various Veil WRENCH Wound Wrestler Finally, the students can work in pairs to find words with more than one entry in the dictionary. They must describe why there are two entries (usually one is a verb, and the other is an noun, but not always). So students might find words like PUNCH, PUPIL, MAIL or SAW. Lesson 2 – Multiple-Meaning Words (a.k.a. Homographs) For lessons on Multiple-Meaning Words (or as they are technically known, homographs), the teacher should skim through the dictionary and find some good examples of words that have several different meanings. Then the teacher should use each word in a sentence, and ask the students to find the definition that makes most sense given the context of that sentence. For example, a teacher might find the following words: PIT, SEAL, and CHECK And the teacher could generate the following sentences:

I was eating a cherry, and I accidentally bit the pit. The letter had a very impressive seal at the top of it. I used a check to pay for my groceries.

The students’ assignment would be to identify a reasonable definition for each word in context. Lesson 3 – Antonyms and Synonyms To begin, the teacher defines the concepts (synonyms and antonyms), and asks students to work in pairs to generate as many examples as they can using only their background knowledge. So if the teacher asks for a synonym of BIG, the students could say GIANT, HUGE, HUMONGOUS, etc. Or if the teacher asks for an antonym of NICE, the students could say MEAN, BAD, CRUEL, etc.


Next, the teacher introduces the students to the resources that are available for finding synonyms and antonyms (a thesaurus or internet-based resources such as http://www.synonym.com or http://thesaurus.reference.com/) Then, the teacher generates a list of words for which there are good synonyms or antonyms in the resources to be used, and asks students to find two or three synonyms or antonyms for each word. The students should look for words that are at least somewhat familiar to them. For example: WORD SYNONYMS friend ally, buddy, chum, pal tall big, lofty, lanky sad unhappy, gloomy, glum sleepy tired, beat, drowsy WORD ANTONYMS polite rude, uneducated, uncivil sharp blunt, dull, rounded skinny fat, heavy, beefy rich poor, bankrupt, broke Extension: Teach students to solve analogies After the students have generated lists of antonyms or synonyms, the teacher can use the students’ work to generate incomplete analogies for the students to solve. Using the example above, the teacher could ask students to solve the following analogy puzzles: BANKRUPT : RICH as RUDE : ________ ROUNDED : SHARP as BEEFY : ________ LANKY : TALL as GLOOMY : ________ BUDDY : FRIEND as DROWSY : ________ Lesson 4 – Homophones The English writing system is described by linguists as a “deep” orthography. This means that the relationship between spelling and pronunciation is not very straightforward. The result is that many words in English are pronounced identically even though they are spelled differently. For example: ONE – WON TWO – TOO – TOO FORE – FOR – FOUR EIGHT – ATE TEN – TIN SEW – SOW – SO SHOO – SHOE BUY – BYE – BY KNOT – NOT KNOW – NO


SOME – SUM BEET – BEAT CELL – SELL HOUR – OUR CENT – SENT – SCENT ROLE – ROLL ROWS – ROSE HORSE – HOARSE TOE – TOW A comprehensive list of homophones in the English language can be found at http://www.earlham.edu/~peters/writing/homofone.htm After teaching the students what homophones are, and helping them find and use on-line resources for homophones, the teacher can guide the students in creating a deck of homophone cards. Using inexpensive 3x5 index cards, the teacher instructs the students write homophones on pairs of cards, one word per card. When the students have a sizeable deck of cards, they can play the card game “concentration,” which involves laying all of the cards out face down, and taking turns looking for matching cards. To start with, students should begin with a deck of 20 cards (10 pairs of homophones). Pairs of students can get together and play by mixing their cards together. That way, students can be exposed to more homophonic words.


Teaching Word Meaning Through Word Parts


Students will determine the meaning of compound words using knowledge of the meaning of their individual component words (e.g., lunchtime)

Students will identify the meaning of common prefixes (e.g., in-, dis-) and suffixes (e.g., -full, -less), and know how they change the meaning of roots

Students will determine the meaning of grade-level academic English words derived from Latin, Greek, or other linguistic roots and affixes

HOW? Materials

Access to the internet Cards, paper, pencils, markers

Lesson Overview Lesson 1 – Compound Words To begin, the teacher introduces the class to examples of compound words, and explains that in English, sometimes we make one new word by combining two smaller words. The new word is called a compound word, and takes on the meaning of the smaller words. For example: If you have a yard near a barn, you have a barnyard. If you are going straight to your destination you follow the beeline. And if you are a bee who makes honey, you are a honeybee. If you are a man who works with cattle, you are a cowboy. If you have jewelry in your ear, you have an earring. If you want to stop going hungry, you break your fast or you breakfast. Have the students search for compound words on the internet (A fairly comprehensive list of compound words can be found at http://rickwalton.com/curricul/compound.htm) and write down 10 compound words that are interesting. On their own paper, have them write the meaning of each part of the word and the meaning of the compound word. For example: Moon – a satellite orbiting the earth

Light – energy that illuminates objects

Moonlight – light that comes from the moon

Lesson 2 – Affixes To begin, the teacher introduces prefixes and suffixes, and explains that the prefix or suffix has a meaning (usually derived from Latin or Greek) and that adding a prefix or suffix changes the meaning of the root word.


For example, the prefix MIS means “wrong.” So you can either give somebody good information by informing them, or you can give somebody wrong information by misinforming them. Look at these other examples: USE – MISUSE UNDERSTAND – MISUNDERSTAND INTERPRET – MISINTERPRET PRINT – MISPRINT TAKE – MISTAKE FIRE – MISFIRE Give the students a prefix, tell them what the prefix means, and ask them to find as many examples of words as they can (dictionary and internet are good resources for this activity) with that prefix. Have them list the root word and the word with the prefix. For example, if the teacher assigns the prefix “de-” and tells the students that it means “not,” students could generate words such as, DEFUSE, DEFLATE, DERAIL, DEPORT, etc. If students generate words like DEEP, DEMOCRAT, or DENTIST, the teacher should explain that not every word that starts with the letters DE is a word with that prefix. Other common prefixes that we use in English include:

Prefix Meaning and Examples bi- un- il- re- dis-

Two – bicycle, bicentennial, biannual Not – unhappy, unfair, untangle Not – illegal, illegible, illiterate Again – replay, replace, rebound Not – disappear, disobey, disapprove

For suffixes, the same procedure can be followed (although a dictionary is not necessarily a very useful resource, unless the dictionary has an entry for the suffix itself). So for example, the teacher might assign students to generate as many words as they can with the suffix –ING or –ED. Then the teacher can introduce other common English suffixes, such as

suffix Meaning and Examples -er or -or -able -ness -ful -ly -ment

A person – teacher, actor, player Can be done – portable, climbable, playable A condition – illness, madness, baldness Containing a lot – playful, mindful, skillful Description of a condition – badly, icily, lonely Description of a condition – payment, argument, amusement

NOTE: Again, students might generate words like RING or CLING as words containing the suffix –ING. This is another good opportunity to explain the difference between an affix and a word that happens to begin or end with those letters.


Teaching Word Meaning Context Clues


use the context of the sentence and surrounding text (e.g., in-sentence example or definition to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words or multiple meaning words

develop vocabulary by listening to and discussing conceptually challenging selections read aloud and independently

HOW? Materials

Overhead Transparency of the Sample Letter (Appendix) and possibly a copy for each

student Chart paper and markers Questions that Evoke Conversation (Appendix)

The Sample Letter:

The Sample Letter (English and Spanish) is in the Appendix. It reads: Hello Friend! How are you? Your last letter was very sweet. I was happy to hear that you and your family are doing well. I am finally getting used to living in a different state. I think that I am going to love it as soon as I really settle in! Florida is stunning this time of year. The water is a beautiful indigo; it looks just like the sky. In fact, sometimes I can’t tell where the water ends and the sky begins. I take walks along the beach every day and the birds always make me laugh as they squawk and squawk to the tourists for bits of food. I am enjoying living in the city, but sometimes it can be a bit strenuous. There are always cars honking, alarms going off, and people are everywhere. It seems like sometimes it’s hard to get from place to place, and I feel tired when I think about leaving my house. However, knowing that I can be at the beach in five minutes helps to relieve any of my stress. I always feel much better when I have my toes in the sand and can hear the sound of the waves. I hope that you can come see me soon! I miss you! Can you believe that we used to live next door to each other? It seems like so long ago. I’ll call you soon so we can set-up a visit. I am really looking forward to seeing you. Give my love to your family.

Love, Tammy


Lesson Overview:

1. Students are shown a letter or email that the teacher ‘received’ from a family member or friend. The teacher is excited about receiving the letter, but proceeds to explain that there is a word that h/she is confused about, and would like the students’ help in figuring it out. Boys and girls, I am so excited! I just received a letter from my friend who lives in Florida! We write back and forth and share details about our lives. I usually love getting letters from ________, but this time h/she included a word that I have not been able to figure out. I really want to know what the word means because it will help me to make sense of the rest of the letter.

2. Distribute a copy of the letter to all students or have a copy on chart paper

for all students to read. 3. Read the letter together (as a shared reading) in its entirety, stopping to build

meaning during the reading. Possible questions to ask/stems to use during reading:

o What do we know about the person who is writing the letter so far? o This reminds me of… o What do we know about the relationship between the person who received

the letter (the teacher) and the person who wrote the letter?

4. Explain that sometimes readers come across words that they don’t know, but there are strategies that good readers use to figure out the meaning of the words.

When we read, we come into contact with many words that we know and are familiar to us. Sometimes we come across words whose meaning we are unsure of. Good readers have strategies in their toolboxes to use to help them figure out what these words might mean. Today we will begin creating a chart which will hold all of our strategies for figuring out words and their meanings.

5. Revisit the letter with the students, pointing out the word indigo and

modeling for students the strategies that were used to find the word’s meaning. I am going to model how I figured out what the first unfamiliar word meant, but then I would like all of you to join in and help me identify which strategy I used for the next two unfamiliar words. When I first read this letter, I came across the word indigo. Indigo is not a word that I usually use during my day-to-day conversations, but I think that I figured out what it means. I looked at the sentence that it is in. I read the sentence again. The sentence is “The water is a beautiful indigo; it looks just like the sky.” I know that indigo has to have something to do with water because if says that the water is a “beautiful indigo”. I also know that it is something that is like the sky because it says that it looks just like the sky. I think about what I know about the sky. Most of the time the sky is blue --- sometimes it can be gray, but most of the time it is blue. I also think about what I know about water – when I have been to


the beach or pictures that I have seen of the beach. Almost all of the times that I have been to the beach, or the pictures that I have seen of the beach show blue water. BUT, I have to be careful and make sure that ‘blue’ would fit the meaning of indigo, so I want to read the other sentences around the word. I want to take time and revisit the text to make sure that it makes sense. I read the sentence that comes before the sentence that the word is in – “Florida is stunning this time of year.” I know that stunning means pretty, but some people might not think that blue is a pretty color. That sentence doesn’t really help me out. I move on and read the sentence that comes after the sentence that the word is in – “In fact, sometimes I can’t tell where the water ends and the sky begins.” So, if I think that ‘ indigo’ might mean ‘blue’, it would make sense in this sentence. If blue is the color of the sky and the water then it would be hard to tell where they were divided.

6. Introduce the strategies chart to the students.

Boys and girls, I just showed you how I determined the meaning of the word ‘indigo’. Today we will begin creating a chart together which will help us know what to do when we come to a word and we are unsure of its meaning. Here’s a chart which we will create together and continue to use for the remainder of the year. **Teachers – this chart is just an example and should be created with your class as each strategy is introduced. The completed chart is shown, but strategies should be added one at a time.

7. Move on to the next word, strenuous, and this time allow the students to help in the ‘discovery’ of the meaning.

Wow! I’m so happy to have figured out what the word ‘indigo’ means. I think that I’m getting the hang of how to figure out the meanings of words. There’s

What do readers do when they don’t know the meaning of a word?

Re-read the sentence that the word is in. Read above and below the word to get a mental image of what is

happening. Connect to anything that you know about what is happening in

the text. Think about what you know about the words (text) that are

around the unfamiliar word. Collect ‘clues’ from the text.

Connect the word to one of ‘my words’- a word that you think might have the same meaning.

Look at the word. Do I recognize and know the meaning of the chunks? (Ex: observation – observe)


another word, though, that has been puzzling me since I read it. The word is ‘strenuous’. I’m going to do the same thing that I did when I looked at the word ‘indigo’ to see if I can figure out what ‘strenuous’ means. This time I would like you all to help me as much as you can.

** Teachers – lead your students through the steps you would take to determine the meaning of the word ‘strenuous’, following the same format and steps taken when determining the meaning of ‘indigo’.

8. Wrap up

We have had such a busy day. You all have really helped me by working with me through all of the words that really stumped me when I first read the letter. In the next few days, we will really be taking a close look at the meanings of words that we might not know. I will be asking you to help me figure out words in books that I’ll read aloud to you, and texts that we are going to read together. I will also be asking you to keep track of any words that you might not know when you are reading on your own, and the tools that you use to figure out what those words mean.

MOVING TOWARD INDEPENDENCE Teachers may extend this lesson by reinforcing word meaning throughout each text visited as a class. Scaffolding with partners: Day 2 of this lesson may be spent by having students read a piece of text with a partner. The teacher may have pre-determined words which he/she then allows the students to work in partners to determine the meaning of the words. Independent practice: Teachers may also find that having students keep track of words they have determined the meaning of by using the strategies demonstrated through the lesson and then sharing during independent reading conferences is beneficial and can be used as an informal assessment. TAKS practice: During shared reading, teachers should introduce students to the “Key Words/My Words” TAKS strategy for word meaning. Multiple-Meaning Words: The same format of thinking aloud, and then following the gradual release of responsibility for students should be followed when studying and discussing words with multiple meanings.


Super Sleuth

Be a Word Detective

1. Read the passage. Find what the underlined or unknown word means. There are clues in the sentence or within the passage. The clue can be a:

Synonym - Word that has the same meaning Antonym - Word that has the opposite meaning Definition - Tells what the word means (usually has a comma before) Description - Explains what the word means Example – Provides a model (or for instance)

2. The word is ____________________________.

3. The clue from the text is:

4. Hold the clue in your mind.

5. Using the clue, determine the meaning of the word. The word

___________________ in this passage means _________________.

6. Circle one. The clue is a:

Synonym Antonym Definition Description Example


Súper Detective

Detective de palabras

1. Lee el pasaje. Averigua qué significa la palabra subrayada o desconocida. En el pasaje hay claves en la oración o en el pasaje. La clave puede ser un(a):

Sinónimo – palabra que tiene el mismo significado Antónimo – palabra que tiene el significado opuesto Definición – nos dice lo que significa la palabra (usualmente tiene una coma antes) Descripción – explica lo que significa la palabra Ejemplo – nos da un modelo

2. La palabra es ____________________________.

3. La clave del texto es:

4. Recuerda la clave en tu mente.

5. Usa la clave para determinar el significado de la palabra. La palabra

_________________ en este pasaje significa __________________.

6. Encierra en un círculo una de las siguientes respuestas. La clave es:

Sinónimo Antónimo Definición Descripción Ejemplo


Preparing for the TAKS In the following pages are examples of explicit strategy instruction that teachers can use to prepare students for the types of questions they will encounter on the TAKS. There are also sample questions from released versions of the TAKS to illustrate how Word Meaning is tested on the TAKS.

Word Meaning

Stems

What does the word ___ mean in paragraph ___? Which word in paragraph ___ means the opposite/same of/as

___? In paragraph ___, the word(s) ___ is/are used to let the reader

know that most of the ___ are –

Read this dictionary entry for the word _______

Which definition represents the meaning of the word ___ in paragraph ___?

Strategy

Key Words My Words

What you think the word means



Significado de Palabras

TAKS

______ significa casi lo miso que ________.

Lee los siguientes significados de la palabra ______.

En el párrafo 9, la palabra ________ significa que– ¿Qué palabra en el párrafo 5 le ayuda al lector a entender

qué significa _________?

Estrategias

Palabras Clave Mis Palabras

Lo que tú piensas que significa la palabra.



Sample Word-Meaning Questions on the TAKS

1. Which words in paragraph 4 help the reader know what slit means? A deep, low sound B* long, narrow cut C special ax D bamboo stem

2. In paragraph 2, what does the word instructor mean?

A Worker B Friend C* Teacher D Partner

3. Read this dictionary entry for the word period.

Which definition represents the meaning of period in paragraph 5? F Definition 1 G* Definition 2 H Definition 3 J Definition 4

4. Which word in paragraph 3 helps the reader know what severe means?

A strong B hot C bright D old

5. In paragraph 6, the phrase “our days there were numbered” means that Jesse is – F busy with school and baseball G going to have to leave soon H counting all his belongings J eager to see his father again

period \ pir-e¯-@d\ noun 1. a punctuation mark at the end of a sentence 2. a division of time 3. a class or a portion of the school day 4. a unit of time


Ejemplos de preguntas significado de palabres en el TAKS

1 ¿Qué palabra del párrafo 1 ayuda al lector a saber lo que significa

esplendorosa? A tanto B encantaba C preciosa D cansado

2. En el párrafo 5, la palabra correspondencia significa —

F reuniones de negocios G intercambio de mensajes H información útil J un estudio de idiomas

3. Lee los siguientes significados de la palabra marca.

¿Qué significado corresponde a la forma como se usa la palabra marcas en el párrafo 6? A Significado 1 B Significado 2 C Significado 3 D Significado 4

marca sustantivo 1. seña o impresión 2. instrumento para medir la estatura 3. el punto de inicio para una carrera 4. una calificación o puntuación


Further Reading and Professional Resources to Support Word Meaning

Instruction Bringing Words to Life: Robust Vocabulary Instruction by Isabel Beck, Margaret McKeown, and Linda Kucan This book is arguably the most influential book about vocabulary instruction in press today. Beck and her colleagues help us to understand Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 words, engaging instructional strategies, and assessment of vocabulary development. Phonics They Use: Words for Reading and Writing by Patricia Cunningham This book contains a good deal of information about teaching students about word parts such as prefixes and suffixes and about deriving the meanings of words based on the component parts of the words. Vocabulary Development by Steven A. Stahl This is a very brief and easy-to-read book that provides some very useful and practical activities that teachers can use with their students. Vocabulary Instruction: Research to Practice edited by James Baumann and Ed Kame'enui This is a collection of professional articles written by different experts in the field. This book provides more foundational research information than ideas for classroom activities. But for the teacher who wants a deep understanding of the issues and research related to vocabulary development, this is a very reader-friendly collection of papers. http://www.tea.state.tx.us/reading/practices/redbk5.pdf This is a guide book produced by the Texas Education Agency to help teachers who need to understand more about vocabulary instruction. http://www.learningpt.org/pdfs/literacy/vocabulary.pdf This document provides an overview of vocabulary instruction research along with dozens of instructional ideas, resources, and anchors of support that teachers can use in their classroom. http://www.freerice.com/ This is a fun vocabulary-building game that also helps to combat world hunger. Students (probably 5th grade and above) match vocabulary words, and every time they make a correct match, this website donates 10 grains of rice to the United Nations Food Program.


Appendix

Resources to support Word Meaning Instruction


Sample Letter to be used when teaching Word Meaning

Hello Friend! How are you? Your last letter was very sweet. I was happy to hear that you and your family are doing well. I am finally getting used to living in a different state. I think that I am going to love it as soon as I really settle in! Florida is stunning this time of year. The water is a beautiful indigo; it looks just like the sky. In fact, sometimes I can’t tell where the water ends and the sky begins. I take walks along the beach every day and the birds always make me laugh as they squawk and squawk to the tourists for bits of food. I am enjoying living in the city, but sometimes it can be a bit strenuous. There are always cars honking, alarms going off, and people are everywhere. It seems like sometimes it’s hard to get from place to place, and I feel tired when I think about leaving my house. However, knowing that I can be at the beach in five minutes helps to relieve any of my stress. I always feel much better when I have my toes in the sand and can hear the sound of the waves. I hope that you can come see me soon! I miss you! Can you believe that we used to live next door to each other? It seems like so long ago. I’ll call you soon so we can set-up a visit. I am really looking forward to seeing you. Give my love to your family.

Love, Tammy


Sample Letter to be used when teaching Word Meaning

¡Hola amigo! ¿Cómo estás? Tu última carta fue muy tierna. Me dio mucho gusto saber que tú y tu familia están bien. Por fin me estoy acostumbrando a vivir en un estadio diferente. Creo que me va a gustar tan pronto me establezco bien. Florida es un estado maravilloso durante este tiempo del año. El agua tiene un hermoso color índigo; tiene apariencia como del cielo. De hecho, en ocasiones no me doy cuenta donde termina el agua y donde empieza el cielo. Me tomo caminatas en la playa todos los días y los pájaros siempre me hacen reír al estar éstos graznando y graznando para que los turistas les den alo de comida. Me gusta vivir en la ciudad, pero en ocasiones puede llegar a ser algo difícil. Hay siempre autos sonando los claxon, alarmas que son activadas y gente por todos lados. Parece que a veces es difícil ir de un lugar a otro y me siento cansado al pensar que tengo que salir de la casa. Sin embargo, al saber que puedo estar en la playa n cinco minutos me ayuda a aliviar la tensión. Siempre me siento mejor al poner los dedos de mis pies en la arena y al escuchar el sondo de las olas. Espero que puedas venir pronto a verme. ¡Te extraño! ¿Puedes cree que alguna vez vivimos a lado uno del otro? Parece que fue hace mucho tiempo. Te llamaré tan pronto que pueda para ver si podemos programar una visita. Espero verte pronto. Dale a tu familia un saludo y un abrazo de mi parte.

Con amor, Tammy


Questions that Evoke Conversation

Multiple Meaning Words

What else can _________________mean? What is the author talking about when he/she says __________? What is the author trying to say when he/she says___________? Which words in the text help you understand what the author meant?

Questions that Evoke Conversation

Words in Context

What is the author talking about when he/she says __________? What is the author trying to say when he/she says___________? Which word from paragraph ___ means the opposite of ____? Which words in the text help you understand what the author meant?


Preguntas para promover la conversación

Palabras de significado múltiple ¿Qué más puede significar ____________? ¿En qué está pensando el autor cuando dice _____________? ¿Qué quiere decir el autor cuando dice ____________? ¿Cuáles palabras del texto te ayudan a comprender que quiere decir el autor?

Preguntas para promover la conversación

Palabras en contexto ¿A qué se refiere el autor cuando dice _______________? ¿Qué quiere decir el autor cuando dice _____________? ¿Qué palabra de párrafo _____ significa lo opuesto de ________? ¿ Qué palabras del texto te ayudan a comprender lo que quiere decir el autor?


Vocabulary Activities Using Tier Two Words Tier One Words: Basic words (clock, baby, happy) – rarely require instruction in school Tier Two Words: Frequently occurring words for mature language users (coincidence, absurd, fortunate) – ***Instruction in these words can add productively to a student’s language ability.*** Tier Three Words: Low frequency, often content specific (isotope, peninsula, photosynthesis) Have You Ever…? This activity helps students associate newly learned words with contexts and activities from their own experiences. For example, students are asked, “Describe a time when you might…” or “Tell about someone you know who is…” or “Describe a time when you felt…” Applause, Applause! For this activity, students clap to signal their approval in being described by target words, for example: frank, impish, vain, stern. A follow-up discussion should address, “why?” they clapped or didn’t clap. Idea Completions – Instead of the traditional “write a sentence using a new word,” provide students with sentence stems that require them to integrate a word’s meaning into a context in order to explain a situation. For example: The audience asked the virtuoso to play another piece of music because… The skiing teacher said Maria was a novice on the ski slopes because… Word Association – Students are asked to connect their new vocabulary with another more familiar word, phrase or concept. Avoid using synonyms and instead focus on associative words. For example: Which word goes with crook? (accomplice) Which word goes with piano? (virtuoso) Questions, Reasons, Example – This activity requires students to support their thinking and encourages discussion around new vocabulary. For example: What is something you could do to impress your teacher (mother, friend)? Why? What are some things that should be done cautiously? Which one of these things might be extraordinary? Why or why not?

-A shirt that was comfortable, or a shirt that washed itself? -A flower that kept blooming all year, or a flower that bloomed for 3 days? -A person who has a library card, or a person who has read all the books in the library?

Making Choices – Students show their understanding of vocabulary by saying the word when it applies, or remaining silent when it doesn’t. For example: Say elated if any of these things would make someone feel elated. -Winning a million dollars. -Earning a gold medal. -Walking to the post office. -Cleaning your room. -Having a picture you painted hung in the school library. Vocabulary Assessment: (If a sentence makes sense, students write, “Yes” (or circle a happy face). If not, they write, “No” (or circle the sad face). Teacher provides statements orally containing target words.

For example: People might be reluctant to hug a shark Ideas from Bringing Words to Life (Beck, McKeown, Kucan)


Vocabulary Activities Using Tier Two Words Tier One Words: Basic words (el reloj, el bebé, felíz) – rarely require instruction in school Tier Two Words: Frequently occurring words for mature language users (la coincidencia, absurdo, afortunado) – ***Instruction in these words can add productively to a student’s language ability.*** Tier Three Words: Low frequency, often content specific (el isótopo, la península, la fotosíntesis) Have You Ever…? This activity helps students associate newly learned words with contexts and activities from their own experiences. For example, students are asked, “Describe una instancia cuando podrías…” o “Cuéntanos de alguien que conoces que es…” o “Describe una vez que te hayas sentido...” Applause, Applause! For this activity, students clap to signal their approval in being described by target words, for example: franco, pícaro, vanidoso, severo. A follow-up discussion should address, “por qué?” aplaudieron o no aplaudieron. Idea Completions – Instead of the traditional “write a sentence using a new word,” provide students with sentence stems that require them to integrate a word’s meaning into a context in order to explain a situation. For example: El público le pidió al virtuoso que tocara otra pieza de música porque… El instructor de esquí dijo que María era una novata en las pistas de esquí porque… Word Association – Students are asked to connect their new vocabulary with another more familiar word, phrase or concept. Avoid using synonyms and instead focus on associative words. For example: ¿Qué palabra va con maleante? (el cómplice) ¿Qué palabra va con piano? (el virtuoso) Questions, Reasons, Example -- This activity requires students to support their thinking and encourages discussion around new vocabulary. For example: ¿Qué podrías hacer para impresionar a tu maestro (madre, amigo)? ¿Por qué? ¿Qué son algunas cosas que se deben hacer cautelosamente? ¿Cuál de estas cosas puede ser extraordinaria? ¿Por qué o por qué no? -Una camisa que era cómoda, o una camisa que se lavó sola? -Una flor que florece todo el año, o una flor que florece por tres días? -Una persona que tiene una tarjeta de biblioteca, o una persona que ha leído todos los libros en la biblioteca? Making Choices – Students show their understanding of vocabulary by saying the word when it applies, or remaining silent when it doesn’t. For example: Say radiante if any of these things would make someone look radiante. -Winning a million dollars (Ganar un millón de dólares). -Earning a gold medal (Ganar una medalla de oro). -Walking to the post office (Caminar al correo). -Cleaning your room (Limpiar tu cuarto). -Having a picture you painted hung in the school library (Que se exhiba una pintura tuya en la biblioteca de tu escuela). Vocabulary Assessment: (If a sentence makes sense, students write, “Yes” (or circle a happy face). If not, they write, “No” (or circle the sad face). Teacher provides statements orally containing target words.

For example: La gente puede estar renuente a abrazar un tiburón. Ideas from Bringing Words to Life (Beck, McKeown, Kucan)


Aligning Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment 2(B) Use context (e.g., in-sentence restatement and surrounding text) to determine or clarify the meaning of unfamiliar or multiple meaning words

SEs posted in language of TEKS Use context (e.g., in-sentence restatement and surrounding text) to determine or clarify the meaning of unfamiliar or multiple meaning words (while reading).

Curricular assessments aligned to SEs Students are challenged to demonstrate their ability to (A) identify unfamiliar words in text, and (B) use context clues to determine what those unfamiliar words may mean. Items on Weekly Assessments that challenge students to use context to determine the meaning of unknown words. Items on Weekly Assessments that challenge students to determine the appropriate definition from a dictionary entry for a multiple-meaning word.

SEs paraphrased in student language Use clues to figure out what a word means while reading. As a secondary resource, use a dictionary to figure out which definition of a multiple-meaning word is appropriate and to confirm hypotheses about word meaning.

Models of SEs available to students Anchors of support displayed prominently, and used often by teacher and students. Explicit model of key-words and my-words. Explicit examples of multiple-meaning words and dictionary examples.

Instruction explicitly teaching the SE Teacher finds text that contains rich vocabulary (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs) and which also has contextual support so students can learn to use context clues. Teacher guides students through multiple examples of using context to determine meaning of ambiguous or challenging vocabulary. TAKS Model lessons contain many examples.

Use of academic language (language of SEs) by teacher Teacher will teach and appropriately use terms like: context clues, key words, root-words, base words, word origins, definition, tense, synonyms, antonyms, clarify, unfamiliar, connotations, ambiguous. Current academic vocabulary will be displayed clearly in a word bank.

Use of academic language (language of SEs) by student Students appropriately use terms like: context clues, key words, root-words, base words, word origins, definition, tense, synonyms, antonyms, clarify, unfamiliar, connotations, ambiguous. Students use terms both in speaking and in journals and writing.

Student work aligned to SE While reading in different genres, students will identify words that are unfamiliar or which may have multiple meanings. Student tasks are rigorous and aligned across all classrooms. Students are challenged to identify possible synonyms for words in context given nothing more than contextual support. Evidence in: Weekly Assessments; Vocabulary journals; use of My-Words Key-Words strategies.

Evidence of planning across grade level Artifacts and Anchors of Support posted Common student work displayed Similar journal entry assignments Similar results on Weekly Assessments

Austin Independent School District Office of the Associate Superintendents for Elementary Education

Documents

Word Meaning Module - Harlingen Consolidated · PDF fileWhat is Word Meaning? ... Lesson Overview ... exposure, so savvy teachers will plan for weekly follow-up and extension activities