Jennifer Upeslacis Cayla Kilgore

 “Building Vocabulary” involves the utilization of a complete six step process to teaching vocabulary that includes: teacher explanation, student explanation, student graphic or pictographic representation, review using comparison activities, student discussion of vocabulary terms, and use of games (Dr. Marzano).

 The tables below show a summary of the findings for the independent action research studies in our Meta- Analysis Database that utilized the complete six step process to teaching vocabulary as a target instructional strategy. Meta-analytic techniques were used to aggregate the findings from the independent studies. The first table reports the results of a meta- analysis of observed effect sizes for this strategy. The second table reports the results of a meta-analysis when the observed effect sizes have been corrected for attenuation due to a lack of reliability often associated with teacher-designed assessments of student academic achievement.Meta- Analysis Database

Numb er of Studie s Weigh ted Avera ge Effect Size Stand ard Error 95% Confid ence Interv al Minim um Effect Size Maxim um Effect Size Perce ntile Gain Number of Studies

Numb er of Studie s Weigh ted Avera ge Effect Size Stand ard Error 95% Confidence Interval Minim um Effect Size Maxim um Effect Size Perce ntile Gain

 Consulting a table of the normal curve, the overall percentile gain associated with the corrected weighted average effect size of 0.53 is This means that on the average, the utilization of the complete six step process to teaching vocabulary in the independent action research studies represent a gain of 20 percentile points over what would be expected if teachers did not use the six step process.

 Building your vocabulary takes time and effort. We have studied many programs created to enhance vocabulary, and from our studies, we have come up with seven important steps you need to take when building your vocabulary (Building Vocabulary).  Step 1: Read, read, read  Step 2: Repeat words several times  Step 3: Look at words with the mind of a child  Step 4: Have fun by playing word games  Step 5: Make it personal  Step 6: Use your imagination to create images of the word  Step 7: Practice using elaboration

 Building vocabulary skills can be fun for kids when you use an interactive multi-media program. Fun, interactive vocabulary building activities are integrated into the language arts curriculum in Time4Learning’s online program which is geared towards preschoolers through eighth graders.  An additional tool for increasing vocabulary skills for elementary students is using vocabulary software. Ultimate Vocabulary provides a focused method for building vocabulary skills for students.Ultimate Vocabulary

 pig-word-game/ pig-word-game/  play/hang-mouse-word-game/ play/hang-mouse-word-game/  play/hang-mouse-word-game/ play/hang-mouse-word-game/

 These strategies can be used to improve teaching by helping the teachers teach the students.  It also helps where the students can teach themselves by memorizing the words or putting a word and graphic together. For example when teaching a student how to say cat you show them the word cat and also put a picture of the cat up next to them.

 What is cooperative learning?  Cooperative learning is a generic term for various small group interactive instructional procedures. Students work together on academic tasks in small groups to help themselves and their teammates learn together. In general, cooperative learning methods share the following five characteristics. Student work together on common tasks or learning activities that are best handled through group work. Students work together in small groups containing two to five members. Students use cooperative, pro-social behavior to accomplish their common tasks or learning activities. Students are positively interdependent. Activities are structured so that students need each other to accomplish their common tasks or learning activities. Students are individually accountable or responsible for their work or learning.

 Cooperative Learning enhances student learning by:  providing a shared cognitive set of information between students,  motivating students to learn the material,  ensuring that students construct their own knowledge,  providing formative feedback,  developing social and group skills necessary for success outside the classroom, and  promoting positive interaction between members of different cultural and socio-economic groups

 Three-step Interview Three-step Interview  Roundtable Roundtable  Focused Listing Focused Listing  Structured Problem-solving Structured Problem-solving  Paired Annotations Paired Annotations  Structured Learning Team Group Roles Structured Learning Team Group Roles  Send-A-Problem Send-A-Problem  Value Line Value Line  Uncommon Commonalities Uncommon Commonalities  Team Expectations Team Expectations  Double Entry Journal Double Entry Journal  Guided Reciprocal Peer Questioning Guided Reciprocal Peer Questioning

 Building Vocabulary. (2006). (Design by: styleshout | Valid XHTML | CSS ). Retrieved November 16, 2010 from the website  Building Vocabulary. (2009). (Marzano Research Laboratory). Retrieved November 16, 2010 from the website  Vocabulary Building by Grade Level. (2010). (vocabulary.co.il). Retrieved November 16, 2010 from the website  Solomon, R., Davidson, N., & Solomon, E. (1992). Handbook for the Fourth R: Relationship Activities for Cooperative and Collegial Learning. (Volume III). Columbia, MD: National Institute for Relationship Training, Inc.  Bruffee, K.A. (1993). Collaborative learning: Higher education, interdependence, and the authority of knowledge. Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press.  Davis, J.R. Better teaching, more learning. Phoenix, AZ: The Oryx Press.  Kagan, S. (1992). Cooperative learning (2nd ed.). San Juan Capistrano, CA: Resources for Teachers.