A New View on Academic Vocabulary in Middle School Sheleen DeLockery, Curriculum Coordinator Lori Ann Greidanus, Literacy Coach ILLINOIS READING COUNCIL SPRINGFIELD, IL MARCH 19, 2011

Goals for Today Increase knowledge of research supporting explicit vocabulary instruction. Increase knowledge of best practices for vocabulary instruction. Provide a variety of vocabulary activities.

District 62 4,749 students in eight elementary buildings, two middle schools, and one year-round K-8 school Five Title I Schools 40% Low-Income district-wide 7 Schools meeting AYP

Our District’s Journey Years 1 & 2 Three-year rollout of Balanced Literacy PD on Gradual Release of Responsibility, Small Group Instruction, and Flexible Grouping Year focus on Academic Vocabulary across all content areas Use of consultants and teacher leaders Alternate months with introduction of new vocabulary strategy with follow up discussion and collaboration Created non-negotiable academic vocabulary lists K-8 for every content area to be implemented

Why Academic Vocabulary? Student before and after explicit content area vocabulary instruction -Marzano, 2005

Skiing and Math The more terms a person knows about a given subject, the easier it is to understand – and learn – new information related to that subject.

Children with limited vocabulary knowledge grow much more discrepant over time from their peers who have rich vocabulary knowledge. An average student in grades 3 through 12 learn approximately 3,000 new words per year, assuming he/she reads between 500,000 to a million words of text. -Hart and Risley, 1995

Marzano’s Six Steps to Academic Vocabulary 1.Provide a description, explanation, or example of the new term to students. 2.Ask students to restate the description, explanation, or example in their own words. 3.Ask students to construct a picture, symbol, or graphic representing the term or phrase. 4.Engage students periodically in structured vocabulary discussions. 5.Periodically ask students to discuss the terms with one another. 6.Involve students in games that allow them to play with terms.

Step 1: Provide students with a description, explanation or example. Personal Story or Anecdote Notebook Page

Step 2: Ask students to restate in their own words or provide an explanation of their own. Notebook Page Motivational Posters

Step 3: Ask students to construct a picture, symbol, or graphic representing the term or phrase. Picture Cube Trading Cards

Step 4: Engage students periodically in structured vocabulary discussions. Creating Metaphors Word Walls Learning New Words * Say them * See them * Use them Multiple Times! Learning New Words * Say them * See them * Use them Multiple Times!

Step 5: Periodically ask students to discuss the terms with one another. Skits Word Walls

Step 6: Involve students in games that allow them to play with terms. Bingo Rivit

Sheleen DeLockery – Lori Ann Greidanus –