Methods of Teaching Individual Words
Word Learning Strategies/Fostering Word Consciousness
Planning a Successful Reading Experience/Fostering Comprehension of Text
Frameworks for Scaffolding Students' Reading
Comprehension
100
Learning a ______ ____________ is necessary for students to be able to read fluently and comprehend what they are reading. If they do not have this, they may stop and/or stumble over unknown words. The _____ __________ of impoverished children and ESL children may be very simple. Various ways to improve this concept are as follows: - pointing out words in a text you are reading aloud & then briefly defining them for your students [which use exemplifying cognitive orientation, since our brains are then working as we read and calling into thoughts we already know, i.e. schema] - have students make cheers for unknown words - have students play games and complete puzzles with new words - from Chapter 9
What is 'BASIC VOCABULARY'?
100
These are the “words, phrases, and sentences that surround an unknown word and provide clues to its meaning.” (Graves p. 267) They can be used to figure out the meaning behind a word. Furthermore, they can be found orally as well as in text, like in conversations, lectures, and films. [Using context clues is a good example of the construction integration process, since the process allows us to use background knowledge {schema} in order to build understanding. ] -Chapter 9
What is 'CONTEXT CLUES'?
100
These three things/factors should be taken into consideration when planning reading experiences which will foster comprehension. - Chapter 10
What are the ‘READER, SELECTION, and PURPOSE’?
100
This is a 5-step activity that guides students through reading a text. 1) Teachers create interest in the text while also introducing any unknown vocabulary. The teachers will also establish the purpose of the reading [thus exemplifying direct explanation]. 2) Students will read the text silently 3) The class will have a discussion, in which the teacher will check the students’ comprehension levels. 4) Students will read various parts of the text once more, but aloud this time. 5) Follow up activities - Chapter 10
What is ‘DIRECTED READING ACTIVITY (DRA)’?
100
These are systematic plans that students use in attempts to fully understand the text, as well as possibly learn from the text and remember it in the future. They are conscious efforts since you ask your students to deliberately use them. They are also widely applicable and flexible. They can lead to higher-level thinking, and they can be covert or overt (directly observed or solely mental). - Chapter 11
What are 'COMPREHENSION STRATEGIES'?
200
Learning to _______ ______ ____________ is a process in which a student learns the relationship between an unknown concept (which is a written word) with something that is already known (which is a spoken/said word). Hearing a word being pronounced while simultaneously reading it will help this process. Repetition is crucial for the student to retain this new concept/information [which will help with automaticity and word recognition in the future]. - from Chapter 9
What is 'READ KNOWN WORDS'?
200
This is a strategy used when learning words that separates words into chunks. Students then figure out what the separate parts mean and try to then figure out what the unknown word means as a whole. Prefixes, suffixes, and non-English roots play a large role in a student’s ability to successfully use this strategy. [Students are using schema when they employ this strategy, since they are using what they know about the various chunks of the word in order to attain an understanding of the new word. Perhaps this is best used in the zone of proximal development, where they would known the majority of the various word chunks/word meanings.] - Chapter 9
What is 'USING WORD PARTS'?
200
Teachers should consider many things when providing their students with text/books to read. They should consider the variety of cultures that are possibly present in the classroom, as well as the varying reading levels. Moreover, teachers should consider that students may have varying interests, so as a result, they should provide many different genres in their print-rich classroom. All of these considerations fall under the _________ component of planning reading experiences. - Chapter 10 [The sociocultural theory is evident here, as teachers much consider that each student has a different cultural background. Their previous social contexts (and future) may have an impact on their learning. This also exemplifies providing a print-rich classroom with lots of choice.]
What is 'SELECTION'?
200
This scaffolding strategy is mostly used in elementary grades, although it can be adapted for older students. It is done in small groups of students, normally in the instructional level of text (those that are somewhat challenging, but not too much). Teachers will select the text and give students individual copies. She will introduce the selection and prepare students to read it (talking about unknown vocab, which strategies to use, etc.). The students will read quietly/silently, with the teacher watching and helping when necessary. The students then discuss what they read, talking about any areas they didn’t understand or that one could find difficult. Teachers will assess the students and then follow-up with what they noticed. - Chapter 10 - [This exemplifies scaffolding and teaching for understanding, since the teacher is taking multiple steps to ensure that the students know what is going on. The students are also using various strategies while reading the text.]
What is 'GUIDED READING'?
200
This is a key comprehension strategy in which students use their schema and information they’ve gathered from the text in order to come to conclusions and gather information that is not directly stated in the text. This strategy relies heavily on schema, and it teaches students to use it to build meaning. - Chapter 11 - [As stated, this strategy connects to schema. It is also related to higher-order thinking, since students are using what they know and what they’ve read in order to come to conclusions that are not explicitly stated in the text.]
What is 'MAKING INFERENCES'?
300
A teacher provides students with a sentence that uses a word in its correct context. She then points out this specific word and has the students repeat the word, and then the entire sentence. The students are then instructed to look up the word in a dictionary and see if it makes sense in the sentence according to its various meanings. The class then discusses the word more in-depth and gives other examples of how to use this word in other contexts. The students are then asked to use the word in context, in their own sentences. This situation is an example of students learning _____ _________ that represent ______ ________. - from Chapter 9
What is 'NEW WORDS' that represent 'KNOWN CONCEPTS'?
300
This strategy may be overlooked, but is a very useful strategy that involves students searching for the definition of an unknown word. Teachers normally give students guidelines on how to use this strategy to learn the meaning of a word, such as to read all of the definitions given instead of just concentrating on a single definition. [This strategy uses direct explanation and gradual release of responsibility.] - Chapter 9
What is 'USING A DICTIONARY'?
300
These can be used to foster higher-order thinking. They can be ideas, time periods, theories, concepts, and more. They are directly connected to what the students are studying, and they can be applied and connected to other topics in the same field of study or in other fields of study. For example, ‘plot’ is an example of one of these when dealing with literature. - Chapter 10 [These are related to scaffolding, since they deal with higher-order comprehension and breaking things into various steps/components in order to foster said higher-order thinking.]
What are 'GENERATIVE TOPICS'?
300
This procedure focuses on student-generated purposes. It is based off of the idea that reading is a thinking process. In this procedure, teachers have to create situations that foster thinking. It has two phases. First phase: The teacher will set purposes and have the students predict what they will read. The students will then read, and then re-visit their predictions to verify if they were right or not, which will cause the students to read the passage once more. Second phase: The students will analyze various words, graphics, phrases, etc. This could involve semantic webs/weaves, summarizing, vocab work, and more. - Chapter 10 [This procedure ties into monitoring comprehension, since the teachers have the students predict and then confirm/clarify after they have read the selection.]
What is 'DIRECTED READING-THINKING ACTIVITY'?
300
“Good readers are __________.” (Graves p 333). They are aware that they are the readers and they are aware of the task at hand. They are also aware of the various strategies that they can use. They periodically check their comprehension WHILE reading (and not only afterwards). If they do not understand something, they will use the strategies they know. They may ask questions, and they may apply the reading’s information in order to have higher-order thinking. Teachers can encourage this and should also monitor it as well. - Chapter 11
What is “METACOGNITIVE”?
400
A teacher begins class by defining an unkown theme/concept, going in-depth with its details and attributes. She even shows a graphic illustration of the concept. She then points out how this unknown concept is different than other concepts with which it might be confused by pointing out common mistakes that people make to confuse the two concepts. She gives examples of the new concept and illustrates why these examples are good examples of the concept. She may also give examples of what is NOT this concept in order to further illustrate what the new concept exemplifies. As a test, she then gives her teachers a few options and asks them to pick out which example exemplifies this new concept and why it is an example of this new concept. This teacher is using a strategy in order to teach _____ ______ that represent ______ _________. [Notice that she is most likely asking students to use their schema in order to comprehend what she is teaching. She is also using sociocultural theory as the students work together to differentiate between the new concept and other examples of what the concept is not.] - from Chapter 9
What is 'NEW WORDS' that represent 'NEW CONCEPTS'?
400
When a student is _____ _______, they have a “disposition towards words that is both cognitive and affection.” They know a multitude of words and how to correctly use them. The student also is interested in words and enjoys when various words/vocabulary are utilized correctly. (Graves p. 271) [A student with this attribute/skill is most likely using metacognition.] - Chapter 9
What is 'WORD CONSCIOUS'?
400
Part 1) This is a three-part procedure that can be used with expository texts (those that give information). It is frequently used and can be separated into three different columns, regarding what people already know [schema], what people desire to find out, and then what did the people learn after reading the text. Part 2) This is another procedure used in expository texts. They are papers that question students about the reading and their purpose for reading. They can create scaffolds for students, but also let them control certain aspects of their learning.
What are ‘KWL CHARTS’ and ‘READING GUIDES’?
400
This is the most flexible of the four frameworks for scaffolding. It is designed to help readers succeed with whatever text they are reading for whatever purpose they may have. It involves pre-reading, during-reading, and post-reading activities. The pre-reading activities make sure that the students are cognitively ready to read [thus using metacognition]. They can include cueing background knowledge [schema], pre-teaching vocabulary, predicting, prequestioning, and setting directions. The during-reading activities are those that the student does on their own but also with assistance/guidance from the teacher. Sometimes they include breaking the text into more manageable chunks [scaffolding], using supported reading, or modifying the text. The postreading activities aim to cause the students to reflect and think critically about what they just read. They can do this through questions, discussions, writing activities, and more. - Chapter 10
What is 'SCAFFOLDED READING EXPERIENCE?'
400
Not all students benefit from written word. As a result, many teachers use this comprehension strategy, imaging and creating _________ ________________, in order to help those students who prefer learning with visual cues. Students can make semantic maps or graphic organizers in order to lay out their thoughts and understand the meaning of the text. This strategy works best when teachers provide the students with a partially-completed graphic organizer. With time and practice, students can eventually make their own. - Chapter 11 [This exemplifies the gradual release of responsibility.]
What are ' GRAPHIC REPRESENTATIONS'?
500
Semantic mapping and semantic feature analysis are two examples of this strategy that deals with ____________ and _________ the meaning of known words. Semantic mapping makes graphic organizers that look like webs. Students identify other themes, words, or situations that relate to the main word in the semantic map [thus using their schema]. Semantic feature analysis uses a grid. Students come up with a list of words that fall into the category, as well as characteristics of the word. They then check to see if these characteristics apply to the other words in the category. [Note that semantic feature analysis coincides with the gradual release of responsibility, as the teacher is prompting the students and asking them to discuss various things, but eventually ‘handing them the reins’ of the topic.] - from Chapter 9
What is 'CLARIFYING' and 'ENRICHING' the meaning of known words?
500
Modeling and encouraging _____ _________ is crucial in encouraging students to utilize word consciousness. This concept is “the skillful use of words in speech and writing.” (Graves p. 272). Teachers can model this when they go out of their way to deliberately use specific words that they know their students may know, perhaps because they were on the most recent vocabulary list, for example. Another way to model this behavior is to use the word-of-the-day as much as possible, which may then encourage the students to do the same. - Chapter 9 [This uses sociocultural theory, as students can use new words in social situations and conversations depending on the opportunities presented to them, i.e. their home life/family and how much they know/talk to them.]
What is 'ADEPT DICTION'?
500
These procedures can be used with any type of text. They are graphic organizers that allow students to organize the material how they see fit. It can also be used to help with vocabulary. There is a central topic in the middle of the paper with various branches to related ideas/events. They can be used with a large range of ages, and can be used at any point during the reading process. - Chapter 10
What are ‘ SEMANTIC WEBS AND WEAVING?’
500
One day, a teacher begins class by discussing authors. She tells her class that the people who write the text/selections/books that they read are actually regular people. As a result, they (the authors) aren’t perfect, so the students should constantly be trying to figure out what exactly the authors are trying to convey in their work. To put this into practice, the teacher and class read something together. The teacher will periodically stop mid-text to ask the students questions about the overall meaning of the text. These questions are always related to the author, such as “What is the author doing here? What is he/she trying to convey?” These questions should foster higher-order thinking so that the students search for the overall deeper meaning in the text. This is a strategy often used as a during-reading activity in one of the four frameworks of scaffolding. It has a large group/discussion setting. What is this called? - Chapter 10 [This strategy is using the sociocultural theory since it is heavily reliant on class discussion and socializing. It is also using constructivism, since it is a continuous processing of what they are reading, while also using some of their schema to make connections.]
What is 'QUESTIONING THE AUTHOR'?
500
Students and the teacher work cohesively to foster better understanding/comprehension of the text. They also strive to improve the students’ ability to metacognitively monitor their comprehension. This strategy has four components: 1) generating questions 2) clarifying issues 3) summarizing 4) making predictions This procedure begins with explicit directions from the teacher, as well as modeling done by the teacher. Eventually, the students become involved and take the lead. [This strategy relates to metacognition, the gradual release of responsibility, modeling, and the sociocultural theory.] - Chapter 11
What is 'RECIPROCAL TEACHING'?
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