1. Building Vocabulary in the Primary Grades By: Julia Nobley University of Hawaii at Manoa

2. Agenda Vocabulary Knowledge Think-Pair-Share (5 minutes)
Building Vocabulary-why? How? (25 Minutes)
Group activity(15 minutes)
Share Out (10 minutes)
Exit Ticket (5 minutes)

3. Think About It Find a partner and discuss these questions.
Why is vocabulary an important component of effective reading instruction?
What are some ways you currently incorporate vocabulary instruction into your classroom?
How can a students’ poor vocabulary skills affect their learning? Can it affect other areas of their life?

4. The limits of my language are the limits of my mind.
All I know is what I have words for.
-Ludwig Wittgenstein

5. Objectives
Teachers will understand that explicit vocabulary instruction is a key component of an effective comprehensive reading program.
Teachers will understand the importance of creating a vocabulary consciousness in students.
Teachers will be able to teach a variety of effective instructional strategies to students in order to build their vocabulary knowledge and foster independent learning.

6. Why Teach Vocab.?
There is a strong relationship between vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension.
Researchers have found vocabulary knowledge in primary school can predict students abilities to comprehend high school level text. (
One of the greatest tools we can give students for succeeding, not only in school, but in life.

7. Types of Vocabulary

8. How to Help? Create a word rich environment
Create independent word learners
Model good word learning

9. Assessing Vocabulary Observation
Do students have a store of words they can count on when reading? Are they developing a vocabulary consciousness?
Observation
Diagnostic Checklists (See Handout 10.5)
Informal Reading Inventory
Diagnostic Assessments

10. Effective Vocabulary Instruction
Descriptions as opposed to definitions
Use of linguistic and non linguistic representations
Gradual shaping of word meaning over multiple exposure
Teaching and using word parts
Students interacting with the words they are learning

11. Instructional Strategies for Teaching Vocabulary
*Remember you are always teaching for independence, so students can employ these strategies when they need them 
Explicit Instruction-STAR
Context Clues
Word Parts
Categorize
Additional Strategies

12. Explicit Vocabulary Instruction
Connect - Create explanations and examples before definitions.
Process - Active elaboration through use of synonyms/antonyms, verbal examples, non- verbal examples, context clues, compare and contrast
Practice - Receptive (read and listen) and Expressive (speak and write)

13. STAR
Select critical terms to be explicitly taught. Keep the list short.
High Frequency Words
Academic Vocabulary
Key Unit Vocabulary
Teach students meaningful word parts- prefixes, suffixes, and roots.
Activate and connect words with students learning, giving students multiple exposures to vocabulary.
Revisit and use vocabulary multiple times.

14. Introducing Context Clues
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Students will....
Solve teacher created riddle
Identify clues
Create their own riddle
Students will….
Share/solve each others riddles, identify clues in shared riddles
Identify unknown word in a teacher created passage
Underline context clues and use them to predict meaning of word.
Students will…
Review steps to finding context clues.
Be given unkown word with definition
They will write a passage using the word, that contains context clues.
Switch passage with a classmate and use process to identify the word.

15. Context Use Lesson
Write passage on chart paper and omit contextually explained word.
Model
Look-Before, at and after the word.
Reason-Connect what you know with what is written.
Predict-A possible meaning.
Resolve or Redo-Do you know enough or should you keep going?
Restore omitted word
Have students repeat process with peers, support as needed

16. Using Word Part Clues Combining Forms Lesson
State and writing combining form bi on board
Students brainstorm words that contain this combing form.(bicycle, biweekly, bimonthly)
Use most common word (bicylce) ask students to try and figure out meaning of bi, by thinking about the word bicycle. Hopefully someone volunteers two wheels, so bi must be two!
Introduce new word in sentence. “All humans are bipeds. However not all animals are bipeds. Can anyone guess what bipeds means?”
If students need more support with ped meaning write “motorists must be careful of pedestrians.” “People pedal hard to get up a hill” on board. Should identify ped means foot.
Talk with students about how useful combining forms can in expanding their vocabulary and figuring out new words when they read.

17. Teaching Prefixes Present prefix in isolation-Con
Define Prefix- Con means “to put together”
Present 4 words containing prefix-converge, conference, connect, construct
Use words in a sentence-Builders construct houses.
Have students match prefixes to root words and words with prefixes to matching pictures.
Have students identify meaning in new words using prefixes they have practiced.

18. Word Categorizing
Helps students make places for words to “live” in their minds.
Great way to introduce a new unit of study!
Pets vs. Non-pets
Picked up with magnet vs. not picked up with magnet
Animals with 4 legs vs. Animals with two legs
Furniture in a house
Record findings on the graphic organizer of your choice-2 column notes, graph, venn diagram, etc..

19. Categorizing Words Examples
Plants Unit-What parts of the plant do we eat?
What word does not belong?-Ex. Airedale, Persian, Siamese, Angora
Categorize a list of words/objects in as many ways as they can.
Be sure allow time to collaborate and reflect on the features of different categories and words.
Leaves
Seeds
Roots
Fruits
Cabbage
Lettuce
spinach
Peas
Beans
Corn
Carrots
Radishes
Apples
Oranges
Plums

20. Make and solve Analogies
Present two words that are opposite(hot, cold)-Have students describe the relationship between the two words(opposites) Repeat with another set of opposite words(thin, fat)
Tell students they will be studying word relationships. They will first investigate opposites.
Write first analogy challenge on board and have students fill in a word that would fit.
Thin is to fat, as little is to ______.
Provide additional examples and let students create their own.
Repeat process for different word relationships synonyms(small is to little), classification (boat is to vehicle), ratio(1 to 5), part to whole(flour to bread), whole to part(Tree to branch), degree of intensity(warm to scalding) .

21. Additional Strategies **See handout for instructions**
READ aloud to students everyday using books that interest your students and contain a rich variety of vocabulary!
Yay/nay
Create Word Riddles
Knowledge Rating
Rivet
Book Aids
A to Z Chart
Word Chain
Semantic Features Analysis

22. Assignment
Brainstorm a vocabulary lesson for an upcoming unit, using one of the strategies you learned about today. (5 minutes)
Fill out the Lesson Plan Template on the provided poster. (10 minutes)
Share with your colleagues!(10 minutes)

23. Exit Ticket
Please fill out the survey and hand it in on your way out!

24. References
Opitz, M., & Erekson, J. (n.d.). Understanding, assessing, and teaching reading: A diagnostic approach (7th ed., pp ).