ACADEMIC VOCABULARY BUILDERS: SCAFFOLDING FOR SUCCESS IN WRITING Presented By Ashley Ray

Key Questions What can I do to get my students to actually use more sophisticated academic vocabulary in their writing? How can I help my students be successful in their open-ended responses while also teaching them to think and write independently?

RESEARCH LINKS Why do we need to teach vocab? “Vocabulary acquisition is crucial to academic development. Not only do students need a rich body of word knowledge to succeed in basic skill areas, they also need a specialized vocabulary to learn content area material” (Baker et al, 1995b).

RESEARCH LINKS Who needs this support most? “Students with poor vocabularies, including diverse learners, need strong and systematic educational support to become successful independent word learners” (Baker et al., 1995a).

RESEARCH LINKS Why can’t I just use my old vocab lessons? We know that “training in definitions or synonyms only has not improved students’ understanding of texts that contain those words” (Kameenui et al., 1982).

ACADEMIC VOCAB BUILDER The A.V. Builder works best if it is used in two stages: first as a homework/ classwork assignment so that kids become familiar with the words, and second as part of a quiz or writing assignment. (See example.)

BENEFITS OF USING THE A.V. Provides a clear use for learned vocabulary. OER questions become far less intimidating because students have a framework of words within which to think about question. Dramatically improves the quality of student expression. Students actually do vocabulary homework because they believe it is like “cheating” on their quiz.

A.V. BUILDER Prep Start by writing your OER essay question. Then consider what kinds of words an excellent writer might use in his/her response. Be sure to think about multiple reasonable answers, as the question is open-ended.

A.V. BUILDER Prep (2) Using the responses you came up with, choose 3-5 words that are conceptually related to the text. It’s a good idea to incorporate these words into discussions of the text. Choose 3-5 words that are standard academic vocabulary appropriate for a well-phrased essay. (See handout and next slide.)

A.V. BUILDER Prep: (3) Choosing Words INSTEAD OF “This shows that” This indicates that This suggests that This reveals that This proves that This illustrates that INSTEAD OF “Important” Relevant (This scene is the most relevant to our discussion because...) Significant (The most significant aspect of the scene is Caesar’s insistence on his own fearlessness.) Key (One key question for an author is, “How do I show what character’s feel?”) Crucial Essential

A.V. BUILDER Prep: (4) Choosing Words For an expanded version of the A.V. word list, complete with parts of speech and etymologies, visit: cvocabulary2.pdf

MODIFICATIONS Content Area: Use the same concept of targeted vocabulary use in writing to have students explain a concept (science, social studies) or describe a process (math). Elementary: Simply adapt the level of the question. You may want to draw academic vocabulary from the list of words that appear on TAKS. GT: Have students generate new word lists for questions. They may also use synonyms for the academic vocabulary and justify their selection.

YOU TRY IT… After reading the super-short selection “Night,” answer the following question using the A.V. word bank on your handout: Question: Although “Night” is extremely short, the writer still manages to develop the father’s character. How would you characterize this father? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

BIBLIOGRAPHY Allen, Janet Words, Words, Words: Teaching Vocabulary in Grades Portland: Stenhouse. Baker, S. K., D. C. Simmons, and E. J. Kameenui. 1995a. Vocabulary Acquisition: Curricular and Instructional Implications for Diverse Learners. Technical Report No. 13. University of Oregon: National Center to Improve the Tools for Educators. Baker, S. K., D. C. Simmons, and E. J. Kameenui. 1995b. Vocabulary Acquisition: Synthesis of the Research. Technical Report No. 13. University of Oregon: National Center to Improve the Tools for Educators. Kameenui, E.j. et al