8. Contact Information
Angela B. Peery, Ed. D.
drangelapeery@gmail.com
Drangelapeery.com Creativeleadership.net
Twitter: @drangelapeery
Facebook: Dr. Angela Peery
9. Forthcoming Books
(Solution Tree, Summer 2016)
BLENDED
VOCABULARY
o Modeling and school
culture
o Direct instruction that
includes strategic use of
digital tools
o Incidental learning
opportunities
THE VOCAB LAB
o Effective instruction
o Specific mini-lesson
structure
o 200 ideas for mini-
lessons
11. 30 million word gap
(preschool)
lack of background
knowledge
mothers’ educational
level
connected to reading
comprehension
the gap
grows over
time…
writing and speaking
achievement in all
disciplines
13. Levels of Knowing a Word
1. No knowledge of the word—never heard or saw it
2. May have heard the word, but don’t really know
what it means
3. Can make general associations with the word and
recognize it within context (receptive)
4. Have a rich understanding of the word and can use
it in speaking and writing (expressive)
Edgar Dale, 1965
14. Let’s try to get students
from stages 1 and 2 to
stage 3 or beyond!
15. Vocab Lab Components: SNAP
Seeing and saying each word
Naming a category and/or group to which
the word belongs
Acting on the words (engaging in a brief task
or conversation about the words)
Producing an original application of the words
25. Experience It: Student Version
How might you use these words in
conversation with a friend today?
• Advance
• Proceed
• Progress
A
26. Experience It: Student Version
Choose at least two words to use in
sentences showing that you understand the
meaning.
• Advance
• Proceed
• Progress (regress)
P
32. How can you put the Vocab Lab
ideas to work in your classroom,
school, or district?
33. Leave your business card or
email address with me…
And I’ll send you a chapter from one
of my forthcoming books.
Editor's Notes
Solution Tree, 2016
Having a robust vocabulary helps students achieve success. Students who are deficient in vocabulary face numerous obstacles. Their range of reading becomes limited, their writing lacks specificity and voice, and their spoken language lacks range of word choice and may give others first impressions that may be neither positive nor accurate.
Teachers are often frustrated with the lack of background knowledge that students bring with them to school. Lack of concept understanding and both general and specific word knowledge have implications for learning at every level.
While teachers must strive to have a positive impact on vocabulary building in both direct and indirect ways, in reality, word learning begins at home. Nothing illustrates this more clearly than the now familiar study by Hart and Risley (2003) which chronicled the vocabulary growth of three-year-old children of low-income families compared to toddlers from middle-class and professional families. The difference in vocabulary knowledge and word acquisition was both stark and persistent between groups and became known as the “30 million word gap.”
In sum, it is estimated that students coming from professional families have heard approximately 30 million more words in use than their low-income counterparts. Hart and Risley (1995) estimated that children of professional families enter school with a vocabulary of about 1,100 words, whereas children of working-class families enter knowing about 700 words and children of welfare families have only amassed about 500 words upon entering school. Simply put, young children’s language and social interactions closely mirrors that of their parents. Looking at it another way, “to grow up as the child of well-educated parents in an affluent American home is to hit the verbal lottery” (Pondiscio, 2014).
In order to illustrate the four stages, consider a teacher who is teaching her students the meaning of the term polygon in mathematics. No doubt, some students will have never heard or seen the word polygon (Stage 1, dimmer switch is off). Another group of students may remember hearing the word, but wouldn’t be able to tell the meaning. In other words, they may remember hearing a teacher use the word polygon but don’t remember what it means (Stage 2, the light is very dim). Still another group of students will be able to make general associations with the term polygon. They may, for example, remember that a polygon is a shape they learned about in math class (Stage 3, the light is getting brighter). Stage 3 is when students are able to place the word in a category which is a higher level of understanding. And, finally, some students will be able to use the word. In other words, they will be able to express that a polygon is a flat shape with at least three closed lines (Stage 4, the light is bright).
Describe receptive and expressive vocabulary
SNAP minilessons can be conducted by any adult and include these components. Emphasize that they are intended to provide exposure and initial understanding – not deep understanding.
S = Being able to see and say each word. This is the visualization and pronunciation component and consists of brief, direct instruction. Each target word must be written by hand in large, clear print on a chalkboard, dry erase board, poster paper or similar surface, or displayed via interactive white board or projection. Each word must be clearly visible to every student, so go sit in the seats in the very back of your classroom and make sure the shortest student who is furthest away would be able to see. Also, ensure that you write the part of speech alongside each word, as noted in each mini-lesson. The word meaning used in the lesson is the one for the specific part of speech noted. Also, seeing the parts of speech repeatedly helps students become increasingly familiar with how words work grammatically and syntactically. Lastly, each student needs to say the words aloud in this step. This can be accomplished in many ways, but often “repeat after me” is the most efficient way.
N = Naming a category or group each word belongs to or linking to related words or word families. This component also relies on brief, direct instruction. In this step, you will help students connect new information to familiar information by focusing on the parts of speech, word components, word morphology, associations, and other connections. Often in this step, you will give examples based on school, home, or community so that students can immediately get at least an initial idea of word meaning. In the next two steps, students will deepen this initial and/or partial understanding.
A = Acting on the words (engaging in as brief task or conversation about the words). This component is meant to be collaborative and engaging; it is a quick, guided practice piece. During this step, the teacher should circulate, monitor, and support students as needed. Students are supposed to be talking, writing, and/or playing with new words in this part of the lesson as foundation for using the words independently in the next step.
P = Producing an individual, original application of the words. This component is the independent practice piece. During this step, each student should authentically use at least one target word (and ideally two or more words). This step is usually done in writing but could be adapted to be done orally per teacher discretion. This component is also where digital tools can be brought in meaningfully not only to enhance engagement, but also to further support student learning and transfer.
The ladder icon represents ideas about scaffolding instruction for learners who need more support, especially during the independent practice piece, step P. Often suggestions for the guided practice piece (step A) are made too. Grouping suggestions are made in this ladder section as well. Basically, the ladder represents various suggestions for adapting each mini-lesson for struggling, hesitant, or otherwise challenged students.
The rabbit icon represents ideas about accelerating instruction for learners who may already be familiar with the words in a mini-lesson or who can learn them quickly. The acceleration suggestions are intended to help advanced students apply the target words immediately and authentically or to use them in novel ways. Sometimes words related to the target words are shared in the section denoted by this icon.
From freerice.com
Prepfactory.com
Dictionary.com word of the day and Food Network
And wordspy.com
Enigmatic – mysterious
Lachrymose – given to weeping; sad
Cupidity – greed
Peignoir – a negligee
Verbosity – wordiness
Flumadiddle – utter nonsense
Hircine – goatlike
Fete – a celebration
Kerflooey – to fall apart or fail
Sempiternity – lasting forever
Palliative – relieving pain but not a cure
Selenology – the study of the moon
Heptad – a group of 7
Foist – to impose
Condesplaining – to explain in a condescending manner
Pedantic – overly fussy, finicky
Guanciale – Italian smoked pork jowl
Microvolunteerism – low commitment, often online volunteering
Natter – to converse leisurely
Huitlacoche – corn fungus
Blurbification – distillation into a soundbite
Wistful – feeling a longing
Mostarda – Italian condiment of candied fruit and a mustard-flavor syrup
Caterwaul – a howling noise
Ad-
Word-forming element expressing direction toward or in addition to, from Latin ad "to, toward" in space or time; "with regard to, in relation to," as a prefix, sometimes merely emphatic,
Pro-
A prefix of priority in space or time having especially a meaning of advancing or projecting forward or outward, and also used to indicate substitution, attached widely to stems not used as words: provision; prologue; proceed; produce; protract; procathedral; proconsul.
Maybe we could proceed together to lunch. Perhaps I could ask how a friend is progressing in a certain class. I could advance my status with my friends or my family.
This is the student individual production phase. Allow students to choose two and write a sentence using each. Turn in their sentences. Allow this audience to pair up and do this out loud.
Arancini - Italian dish consisting of small balls of rice stuffed with a savoury filling, coated in breadcrumbs, and fried
Orriechette - small oval pasta
Guanciale - an Italian cured meat or salami product prepared from pork jowl or cheeks. Its name is derived from guancia, Italian for cheek
Affogato - a coffee-based dessert. It usually takes the form of a scoop of vanilla gelato or ice cream topped with a shot of hot espresso. Some variations also include a shot of amaretto or other liqueur.