Objective 0005

Reading

Wisconsin Foundations of Reading Study Guide by Jennifer Arenson Yaeger p. 42-46, used with permission from the author.

Understand vocabulary development

  • The relationship between oral and written vocabulary development and reading comprehension
  • The role of systematic, non-contextual vocabulary strategies and contextual vocabulary strategies
    • use of context within the sentence to determine the meaning of an unfamiliar word
    • grouping words based on conceptual categories and associative meanings
    • paraphrasing
    • using structural analysis of familiar morphemes (in- or -ible) in order to deduce the meaning of the word - powerful independent word-learning strategy
  • The relationship between oral vocabulary and the process of identifying and understanding written words
    • Ability to decode words is relative to identifying written words
    • The decoded word needs to connect back to one's vocabulary
    • If vocabulary is comprehensive - comprehension is achievable
    • If vocabulary is deficient - comprehension is slighted
  • Strategies for promoting oral language development and listening comprehension
    • read-alouds -
    • word explanation strategies - using verbal language to describe what is written and listening to oral language to gain a picture of what could be written - What word am I describing? Use descriptive language and synonyms to try to paint a picture for the listener.
  • Knowledge of common sayings, proverbs, and idioms - an expression that is a sequence of words that have a specific meaning beyond the sum of the meanings of the component words. - The best instruction for explaining the mean of idioms and proverbs is to use the idiom to describe several situations
  • Idioms and Proverbs
  • Idioms and Proverbs
  • Knowledge of foreign words and abbreviations commonly used in English (RSVP)
  • Criteria for selecting vocabulary words
  • Vocabulary Tiers
  • Tiers
  • Strategies for clarifying and extending a reader's understanding of unfamiliar words encountered in connected text
    • Use of semantic and syntactic clues
    • Use of word maps - use when a student does not know a word so (s)he can seek out the meaning and add to their acquired vocabulary list
    • Use of dictionary - looking up words that are unfamiliar and finding the definition (can be added to the word map)
  • Strategies promoting comprehension across the curriculum by expanding knowledge of academic language, including:
    • Conventions of standard English grammar and usage
    • Differences between the conventions of spoken and written shared English
    • General academic vocabulary
    • Content area vocabulary (focus on key words)
      • Grouping words related to a text based on concepts and associated meanings - microorganisms, bacteria, protozoa, algae, fungi, viruses, parasites
      • Introduction to conceptually challenging words (most likely not in the student's current vocabulary) as well as key concepts is crucial in comprehension
        • Assist students in setting up a semantic map (as the one pictured above) to help categorize, visualize, and remember new vocabulary as well as develop a framework for making connections
  • The importance of frequent, extensive, varied reading experiences in the development of academic language and vocabulary
  • Development of academic language and vocabulary knowledge and skills in individual students (ESOL and struggling readers through proficient readers)
    • Most effective tools for teaching ESOL learners
      • Activating prior knowledge about the subject
      • Use of visual aids, pictures, illustrations

Attributions

Words Matter: Common Assignment 1 from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation