Thoughts and prayers for everyone on the East Coast tonight! Keep warm and safe!
My good friend Christina over at SugarandSpice has been attending some amazing professional development seminars and sharing the wealth of information with me!
Currently, one of the big topics being discussed is vocabulary development. The state tests for our little kiddos are changing and becoming increasingly difficult. As a speech-language therapist, it is important for me to stay up on what’s required on my little ones. In order to help them, I need to know what’s required of them.
For the new assessments, students are no longer being asked, “What does ______ mean?” Instead, students as young as third grade are being required to read text, search for information, make inferences AND cite references! Wow! Looking at some of the examples, I’m not sure how well I would do answering some of those questions 🙂
Vocabulary plays a huge part in this as well. State test questions are requiring students to use context to determine unknown word meanings. Research also supports this. Giving our students strategies (such as using context clues) is proven to be more successful than trying to teach individual words (see below).
*Clay, K., Zorfass, J., Brann, A., Kotula, A., & Smolkowski, K., (2009). Deepening content understanding in social studies using digital text and embedded vocabulary, Journal of Special Education Technology, 24(4), 1-16
In response to this, I went straight to my computer and made a packet of activities to address these skills. 🙂
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Susan says
October 30, 2012 at 1:17 amHi Nicole,
I have not heard of Tier Vocabulary but sounds very interesting and something I could implement with my kiddos.
Some of the strategies I use are worksheets, reading comprehension and i also work with my kiddos using their own vocab words from their Language Arts class. I will use their vocab words and work on different activities that help work on definitions or making a sentence.
Thanks for the giveaway.
Susan
ssjvarga@yahoo.com
Nicole Allison says
October 30, 2012 at 8:54 pmThose are great ways to work on vocabulary! Thanks for commenting and I hope my Context Clues Packet comes in handy!
Lori Rosenberg says
October 30, 2012 at 1:20 amVery insightful post! I’d love to learn more!
Ѽ Lori
Teaching With Love and Laughter
luvyorkies@gmail.com
Nicole Allison says
October 30, 2012 at 1:59 amHi Lori,
What strategies do you use to teach vocabulary? I love to hear how others do it! Thanks for posting 🙂
Felice Clark says
October 30, 2012 at 2:22 amLove your pack. It’s on my wish list! I work with low-income students and I feel like most of my therapy has to be strategies because I can’t teach them all they need to know. Many of the students don’t always have language rich environments. Hope to purchase soon! I use context clues, teaching inferencing, pre-teach vocabulary, and use visualizing strategies to help with vocabulary (a lot of my kids haven’t been many places, so I have to get on goggle and show them words).
Felice Clark says
October 30, 2012 at 2:24 amI meant google images 🙂
Nicole Allison says
October 30, 2012 at 8:55 pmMy kiddos also come from a language-scarce background. I love your idea of incorportating a picture for a visual. I hope my context clues packet comes in handy! Thanks for commenting!
Rachel says
October 30, 2012 at 2:30 amI have heard of Tiered Vocabulary. I do try to teach by using pictures, read stories and explain a higher level word as I go along. Love your post!
rmariemuniz@hotmail.com
Nicole Allison says
October 30, 2012 at 8:56 pmHi Rachel,
Using pictures is a great visual to teach vocabulary! Hope you like my context clues packet! Thanks for commenting!
Jenna Rayburn says
October 30, 2012 at 2:55 amThis looks great! I usually take the vocabulary that classes are using for content. Then we use them in many ways, definition, sentences, synonyms/antonyms, and in context. The kids just need to much practice to grasp the new vocab! Added to my wishlist!
Jenna
SpeechRoomNews.blogspot.com
speechroomnews@gmail.com
Nicole Allison says
October 30, 2012 at 8:57 pmI also try to incorporate vocabulary that they are already working on in class-that way they get a “double-dose.” Love you idea of pairing synonyms/antonyms along with it! Thanks for commenting!
Keywe says
October 30, 2012 at 5:03 pmYou always have the neatest activities. Your students are very lucky to have you and the teachers you work with should feel very lucky, too! I have added your product to my wish list. 🙂
Nicole Allison says
October 30, 2012 at 8:58 pmYou are so kind! Thanks so much for your encouragement :). It makes me want to create more activities!
Communication Station: Speech Therapy, PLLC says
October 30, 2012 at 11:14 pmWow! GREAT info and great explanations of the teirs of vocabulary words. I never heard of teired vocabulary but I will definately be using this information in the future to change the way I target vocabulary. Thanks great stuff!!!!
Rebecca says
October 31, 2012 at 2:40 amI haven’t heard of tiered vocabulary. I usually just try to get the teachers to pass along the vocabulary from each grade and subject and use those. In the past I’ve worked with very low income students and googling or using pictures (especially ones I’ve taken with my camera) are big hits with the kids. I also focus on strategies like context clues and pair it with synonyms and antonyms they do know because there’s no way I can teach them everything they need to know.
Rebecca
Talking With Rebecca
Nicole Allison says
October 31, 2012 at 10:45 pmIt’s great to work on vocab that the kiddos are being exposed to in their classes. Kids like mine need that “double-dose!”
SLP Gone Wild says
October 31, 2012 at 1:24 pmI use this! Went to a training a few years back on it and was blown away. Bringing Words to Life by Isabel Beck is a great resource….I think every SLP and teacher should have it on hand. I have spent a lot of time training the teachers on using Tier 2 words to increase vocabulary. We have managed to change our vocabulary instruction across 3 grade levels using this research and have seen great results! Good stuff Nicole 🙂
Nicole Allison says
October 31, 2012 at 10:47 pmThat is amazing that you are training the teachers on this! I didn’t attend any professional development on this strategy-just gleaned what I could off the web. Please come to my school to train us! 🙂
SLP Gone Wild says
November 30, 2012 at 9:24 pmLol! I wish!
I just wanted to tell you that I JUST finished printing this off and I cannot wait to use it with my kids!!! Such a great resource 🙂 Thank you for all the hard work you put into it!
Nicole Allison says
December 3, 2012 at 12:46 amYay! So glad you are enjoying them!
Jen K says
October 31, 2012 at 2:26 pmThanks for the great information. I did a research project on vocabulary for my Administrative Leadership Masters program. I love the Bringing Words to Life book as well as the 2nd book, Creating Robust Vocabulary.
Nicole Allison says
October 31, 2012 at 10:47 pmThanks for sharing! I am definitely going to have to get the book now 🙂
CC says
November 1, 2012 at 7:14 pmI’ve heard of Tier Vocab but forgot about it! Is there a place to get Tier 1 and Tier 2 words in list form? Love your activity!!!
Willow, SLP says
November 5, 2012 at 3:37 amI’ve learned so much about vocabulary lately!!! Some of the achievement gaps are earth shattering and a good reminder of how much work still needs to be done! Thanks for sharing and can’t wait to see more!