Stop after Podcasts, pgs. 183-190

                                        Teaching Vocabulary in the “A” Phase:

• The goal of teaching vocabulary in the Assistance Phase is to create independent learners that will search for word meaning on their own to extend their Academic Word Lists (p. 170).

o   Pg 184: “Using sticky notes, highlighting tape, or flags to mark difficult or interesting words in the text engages the reader in actively attending to and identifying words for further consideration.”

Context Clue Discovery (p. 185): students need to know the context the word is being used in. One way to help with this is to do a brief word association activity. Ways to help students develop the ability to develop a context:

• Definitions: authors often define a word in the sentence in which it first appears
• Signal Words: Certain words or phrases may signal the reader that a word or term is about to be explained
• Direct Explanations: authors provide an explanation of an unfamiliar term
• Synonyms: a complex term will be followed by a simpler term
• Antonyms: explaining a term by contrasting it with words of opposite meaning
• Inferences: infer the meaning of an unfamiliar word from the mood and tone of the selection
• Pg. 187: “It’s a good idea to have these six clues posted at points around the classroom or in handouts to be kept in student’s work folders”

Structural Analysis (p. 187): AKA morphemic analysis. If students know how to dissect words from their roots and affixes it is helpful for this strategy. “Morphology is the next level of word families.” A lot depends on the root of the word, ie Latin or Greek Structural analysis provides a way to examine words looking for roots and affixes as keys to unlocking word meanings.

• Pg. 188: “A morpheme can be free to stand along like lock or bound like un.”

Four guidelines for teaching morphemic analysis:

·         Provide explicit instruction in how morphemic analysis works

·         Use word families to promote vocabulary growth

·         Promote independent use of morphemic analysis

·         Enhance students’ awareness that morphemic analysis does not always work

Tools to help with structural analysis:

o   Dissect: (D for discover the world’s context; I for isolate the prefix, S for separate the suffix; S for say the stem or root word; E for examine the stem or root word; C for check with someone; and T for try the dictionary)

o   Word attack paradigms: students are given a card with a series of steps to aid them in deciphering new words they encounter in reading.

o   **Dictionaries are a last resort!**

o   Vocabulary Podcasts (p. 190): Students receiving podcasts scored significantly higher on tests of vocabulary understanding at the end of the unit than their peers in the control group.


To see more about Step 1 look at pages 170-176
To see more about Step 2 look at pages 176-183
To see more about Step 4 look at pages 193-200