| Special Conference Issue February 6th, 2009 |
The LEARNING-FOCUSED Connections Newsletter is a weekly link to exemplary practice and ideas that will help you as an educator to increase achievement in your classroom and school. Some weeks there will be a mix of articles in the mailer; other weeks we will follow a theme. We are all working with the same goal in mind, continuous improvement in student achievement.
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Beyond Direct Vocabulary
Instruction
by Cindy Riedl
Beyond a doubt, direct vocabulary instruction of key words and
concepts is a highly effective practice; yet word-learning strategies also need to be explicitly taught, since there are more
words to be learned than can be directly taught, even in the most ambitious models of vocabulary instruction. Explicit instruction
in word-learning strategies also needs to be addressed to provide the tools for
students to independently determine the meaning of unfamiliar words that have
not been introduced in class. Direct vocabulary instruction of key vocabulary
was not intended to replace the other strategies used in the past to teach
students about dictionary use, morphemic analysis or contextual analysis.Since
students encounter so many unfamiliar words in their reading, they need the
help of all these strategies to comprehend what they are reading. A
robust vocabulary instructional model must include specific word instruction,
as well as word-learning strategies.
When should an awareness of and interest in words begin? Educators need to
focus on word awareness by introducing word-learning strategies as early as in
pre-school programs and continue to do so at all grade levels into twelfth
grade and beyond, as language learning becomes more sophisticated. Teachers must
place an emphasis on teaching the process of deriving a word's meaning by
analyzing its meaningful parts, or morphemes. Such word parts include root
words, prefixes, and suffixes. For English Language Learners, whose language shares
the same linguistic roots, being able to analyze a word's parts has great
significance, as these students learn our language. Also, teaching contextual analysis, inferring meaning of an unfamiliar word by scrutinizing the text
surrounding it, is critically important. Instruction in contextual analysis
generally involves teaching students to employ both genetic and specific types
of context clues. To create the most effective and rich
instructional model possible, educators at all grade levels need to
consistently connect all of this type of language learning instruction with:
~ dictionary use, which teaches students about multiple meaning
words and the
importance of choosing
the appropriate definition to fit the particular context, and
~ direct vocabulary instruction of key words and concepts.
According to Graves (2000), "If we can get
students interested in playing with words and language, then we are at least
halfway to the goal of creating the sort of word-conscious students who will
make words a lifetime interest." Since effective vocabulary learning
requires multiple exposures to the effective use of a word, it is logical to
use a game format for word play to hook interest and embed the meaning for
long-term retention. During this process of word play, students make additional
connections and expand their understanding of the words in other
contexts. This does not mean mere repetition or drill of the word. Students are provided with opportunities to encounter
words repeatedly and in more than one context. Students visualize the
word's meaning and uses through
the novel
experience of using different types of foldables and graphics: webbing a word/term identifying its meaning,
antonyms, synonyms, how the meaning changes as prefixes and suffixes are added,
examples, related topics, and possibly word usage.
Example: Word Web
What is it?
A word web is similar to a concept map. Students generate and map ideas based
on topic-related vocabulary words.
How do we do it?
1. Choose a topic-related vocabulary word for the center of the page.
2. Web ideas in stems of sections from the selected word. Categories for
section ideas include: meaning, synonyms or related words, antonyms, usage or
parts of speech, context sentences, pronunciations (when necessary), and
related topics or themes.
For a more in-depth study of these and other issues, see Vocabulary Instruction and Vocabulary Development in Language Arts .
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Scenes from the 2009 LEARNING-FOCUSED National Conference
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Dr. Carol Lane of Meriwether County, GA addresses a Leadership Academy session.
A Reading workshop participant gets involved.
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Dr. Max Thompson conferences with a table during the Leadership Academy.
Vocabulary Workshop participants getting expressive!
Bill Blynt leads a SuperSession on Toolbox.
For more pictures from the conference visit www.LEARNINGFOCUSED.com.
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Administrative Planning for Effective Conferencing
by Brenda Hill
Conferencing is designed to provide additional support to teachers
and administrators in meeting the implementation goals/needs of districts,
schools, and teachers. Implementation goals can be accomplished more
rapidly when instructional specialists and building administrators work closely
together to form an efficient, effective plan. Several questions to
consider when planning for effective conferencing days are:
~ What are the district
goals for implementation?
~ Where is the school in the implementation process based upon district
expectations?
~ Where are teachers in the
implementation process, and where is extra help/support needed?
~ Are teacher reflection
meetings occurring on a regular basis to determine individual and grade
level needs?
~ Has a focus or need been
determined at the school level for implementation to be fully
achieved?
Once administrators have answered these
questions, it becomes much easier to
plan the schedule and focus for
conferencing. The district goals for implementation should be
clearly communicated to administrators and teachers. If the goal or
implementation expectations are unclear, it helps all involved to clarify those before the
conferencing begins.
Effective conferencing should also take into consideration where the teachers
are in the implementation process and where extra help/support is
needed. Teacher reflection meetings are important tools for
administrators as they plan for conferencing. Many times comments,
concerns, or questions that arise during these reflection meetings will determine
the conference focus and schedule.
In addition, schools often have a focus based upon walkthrough
observations. These areas of focus may be determined by the administrator(s), school leadership team, or
teachers themselves. There is often (and should be) a direct correlation between the school focus
strategy/strategies and the conferencing focus.
These questions are just some things for administrators to consider when
planning how to make the best use of conferencing days. It also helps
eliminate teacher confusion about where we are and where we are going in the LEARNING-FOCUSED
implementation process. By communicating clearly the district
expectations and school focus, time can be used for teachers to
collaboratively plan and improve instructional practices that directly impact
students. Thoughtful reflection and planning for conferencing
allows all to work together to accomplish the goal of increased student
performance and achievement.
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Past Connections Articles
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