Developing vocabulary

In the Programme of Study for Years 5 and 6 in English it is stated that children should: “use knowledge of morphology and etymology in spelling and understand that the spelling of some words needs to be learnt specifically, as listed in English Appendix 1” (DfE, 2014, p36). What is morphology? The study of word parts: roots, prefixes and suffixes. Root word – can stand alone (help) Prefix – added at the beginning (unhelpful) Suffix – added at the end (helpful) Inflection – change of structure by adding or changing the word to indicate tense / singular or plural (helps, helping, helped)

In your practice:
 How does your school approach the teaching of morphology in English? How does this relate to your English subject knowledge?

Have a go Explore the word expanding activity on the next page to help you investigate the morphology of the word "port".&#160;

If you or your pupils don't know what a word means, what do you do?

SIOP Activity: Shades of Meaning with Dr. Deborah Short

In this short video the idea of "shades of meaning" in vocabulary development is explored.&#160;

Blue polka dot pattern

<a href="bookcreator://page/K4OxpCLwTvWlftKZDlfGsg">Introduction</a> (p3-5) <a href="bookcreator://page/17jzq62NRzuJy1wrYoJm1Q">Morphology</a> (p6-7) <a href="bookcreator://page/nRsBVKVNRfyE794dfA__5Q">Etymology</a> (p8-9) <a href="bookcreator://page/aBm0PjErTz-MMljKULU6_g">The three tier approach</a> (p10-11) <a href="bookcreator://page/ZlI8yeLrQ9m2_YPvZol_vQ">The Frayer model</a> (p12-13) <a href="bookcreator://page/_RZKxFC0S1GMviWDfP9ygg">The paint chip approach</a> (p14-15) <a href="bookcreator://page/N3ZmSi93QuqkcSHrGSKdAg">Vocabulary and knowledge organisers</a> (p16-17) <a href="bookcreator://page/iAryZ2tfTYqFOhDjKw7b2A">Word of the day / week approaches</a> (p18-19) <a href="bookcreator://page/SGebBWaEQ8Sabd9kIehStg">The disciplinary literacy approach</a> (p20-21) <a href="bookcreator://page/bN_8JPlTShu4ln9obsS8jQ">Research</a> (p22) <a href="bookcreator://page/hvtEbl8oRZC1CBbx_M8bbA">References</a> (p24)

This digital book supports the "Developing Vocabulary" session in English in PDT1068 on the FDLT course. It introduces some of the key approaches used in developing vocabulary both in English and across the curriculum. Each approach is discussed across two pages. On the first page is some explanation about the approach and some key questions to help you think about it in relation to your setting and practice. On the second page are some examples and interactive activities including google quizzes, a padlet, a video, some links, an interactive google slide and a slide presentation. You can follow up the academic reading by looking at the details in the reference list and exploring the linked texts in "reading and resources" in the session folder.

Language across the curriculum: knowledge organisers

Over the last few years knowledge organisers have begun to be part of the resources developed to support planning and learning across the curriculum in some schools. A knowledge organiser tends to summarise the learning for unit of work and often includes key vocabulary that will support the use of language in speaking, reading and writing in that subject. Where a school is seeking to systematically support the development of vocabulary across all curriculum areas this can be an invaluable resource. It is vital that thought is given to the chosen vocabulary and how it all fits together across subjects, units of work, years and key stages. There are links to several teachers discussing their knowledge organisers at the bottom of the padlet on the next page.

In your practice:
 Does your school use knowledge organisers?
 
 If it does, how is key vocabulary identified and taught?
 
 If it doesn't, how else is key vocabulary identified and taught?

Explore the Padlet on the facing page and identify where key vocabulary is identified. There are several links to teachers discussing their knoweldge organisers at the bottom of the Padlet

An American educator, Lent, has explored the idea that literacy skills are "firmly rooted within each discipline" (2016, p.1). She uses the word "discipline" or "field of study" to refer to what we call subject. She argues that in each subject literacy skills could and should be used in a subject-specific way rather than trying to apply generic speaking and listening, reading and writing skills across all subjects. Her approach suggests that we might support pupils to understand and use language in a different way in science than in history or in English, for example. Lent discusses how specific reading, writing and thinking skills might be taught in subject areas, seeing those skills as "an inherent part of each discipline, one that supports content learning" (2016, p4).

In your practice:
 What have you noticed about how language is used in different subjects?
 
 Is this identified on planning or in resourcing for learning?
 
 How does this relate to subject knowledge?

Explore the chart on the facing page and consider how it relates to vocabulary development.

Expanding from a root word Add prefixes and / or suffixed to the root word "port" to make associated words. Can you think of any more? Think about what these new words mean. How could this support learning in speaking, listening, reading and writing?

<a href="https://membean.com/wrotds/port-carry">Explore the morphology</a> <a href="https://membean.com/wrotds/port-carry">and roots of "port" more fully</a> <a href="https://membean.com/wrotds/port-carry">here.</a>

The Frayer model was devised in America by Dorothy Frayer, and is a graphic organiser format that has been applied to vocabulary teaching. It can provide a useful structure to use systematically to explore words and their meanings. It is context free and can be used as it is or in a modified form across the curriculum.

In your practice:
 Does your school use a format to collect and define words? If you do, compare it to this model. If you don't, consider this model for its usefulness as a starting point.

Have a go Choose a word and use the Frayer model to define it.

This is also known as the "shades of meaning approach" originated by Goodman in 2004. In this model groups of words are explored in a continuum using paint colour cards as a means of recording them to show the connections. This could be a series of synonyms of increasing depth, complexity or intensity. Collecting words and discussing the subtle differences in their meanings is an effective way of developing vocabulary for children. It can feed into their understanding of what they read and their word choices when writing and and talking. It can also be a way into understanding and using a thesaurus to support choosing and using new words.

Watch the short video on the next page and consider how this approach could support learning in your practice.

An American educator, Beck, and her colleagues have devised a three tier approach to the learning of vocabulary. Tier 1 Words that typically occur in oral conversations (warm, dog, tired, run, talk, swim) Tier 2 Words that children often encounter in texts rather than in speech (contradict, precede, retrospect, circumstances) Tier 3 Words with a low frequency of use, often in subject specific contexts (epidermis, melody, anarchy) Beck et al. (2013, p.13) go on to suggest that "robust instruction" is necessary for pupils to learn and recall the words so that they can use them effectively.

In your practice:
 Does your school identify vocabulary in groups or tiers? If it does, how is this vocabulary taught systematically? If it doesn't, how are words chosen and grouped for teaching?

Identify some tier 3 words related to a subject or lesson you are supporting learning in.

Where in the world did these words come from?

<a href="https://membean.com/exemplars/pandemonium">Explore the origins of a word here.</a>

The word you explored for morphology on the previous pages "port" is from the Latin meaning "carry".&#160;

<a href="https://www.etymonline.com/">Explore more about the etymology of words here.</a>

Implications of the "word gap" and identifying children as "word rich / word poor" Research&nbsp;by Hart&nbsp;and Risley&nbsp;published in 1995 suggested a connection between socio-economic circumstances and the quantity of words children hear at home, with a possible word gap of 30 million between children in poor to more affluent families. The research was based on observations of 42 families. More recent research in the USA by Sperry&nbsp;et al. (2019, p.1303) proposes that the so-called "30 million word gap" has been over-estimated and state that their research "reveal[s] substantial variation in vocabulary environments within each socioeconomic stratum, and suggest that definitions of verbal environments that exclude multiple caregivers and bystander talk disproportionately underestimate the number of words to which low‐income children are exposed". In the UK Cushing has gone further in his criticism of the deficit model that the word gap and use of terms such as word rich and word poor sustain, labelling them as "racist, classist and ableist" (2023, p.324).

Let's Stop Talking About The '30 Million Word Gap'

Sperry et al (2019,).pdf

Word rich or word poor  Deficit discourses  raciolinguistic ideologies and the resurgence of the  word gap  in England s education policy.pdf

Quigley&nbsp;(2018, p.2) suggests that we are aiming for a child to have a word hoard of around&nbsp;50,000&nbsp;words to succeed&nbsp;in education and later life. He identifies a number of challenges to "cultivating word consciousness" on p.20 of his book "Closing the vocabulary gap". What do you think these are?

What % of words does a child need to understand the meaning of when speaking and reading? What are they drawing upon when try to understand the meaning of words in texts?

Approaches to teaching vocabulary in English and across the curriculum

Beck, I., McKeown, M. and Kucan, L. (2013). Bringing words to life : Robust vocabulary instruction. (2nd ed.) London: The Guilford Press. Cushing, I. (2023) Word rich or word poor? Deficit discourses, raciolinguistic ideologies and the resurgence of the ‘word gap’ in England’s education policy. Critical Inquiry in Language Studies. 20 (4), pp.305-331 DfE. (2014)&nbsp;The national curriculum in England Framework document.&nbsp;GOV.UK.[online] Available from:&nbsp;<a href="https://bit.ly/2REtcOy">https://bit.ly/2REtcOy</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;[Accessed: 11/12/19]. Hart, B. and Risley, T.R. (1995)&nbsp;Meaningful differences in the everyday experience of young American children.&nbsp;London: P.H. Brookes. Haslem, L., Wilkin, Y. and Kellet, E. (2015)&nbsp;English as an additional&nbsp;language, meeting the challenge&nbsp;in the classroom. London: David Fulton. Hegler, A. (2018) Shades of Meaning. Twitter. [online] Available from: <a href="https://twitter.com/HeglerA/status/1058759870466404352?s=20">https://twitter.com/HeglerA/status/1058759870466404352?s=20</a> [Accessed: 15/04/2020]. Jennings, A. (2019) Vocabulary Ninja. Mastering Vocabulary: Activities to unlock the world of words. London: Bloomsbury Education. Lent, R. (2016) This is disciplinary literacy. London: Corwin. Lent, R. (2017) Literacy in every classroom. ASCD Express. 12. [online] Available from: <a href="http://www.ascd.org/ascd-express/vol12/1212-lent.aspx">http://www.ascd.org/ascd-express/vol12/1212-lent.aspx</a> [Accessed: 18/09/2019]. Oxford Learners Dictionary (2020) Morphology. [online] Available from: <a href="https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/morphology?q=morphology">https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/morphology?q=morphology</a> [Accessed: 15th April 2020]. PearsonSIOPModel (2016) SIOP Activity: Shades of Meaning with Dr. Deborah Short YouTube. [online] Available from: <a href="https://youtu.be/c_KBttJ4NrI">https://youtu.be/c_KBttJ4NrI</a> [Accessed: 15/04/2020]. Quigley, A. (2018) Closing the vocabulary gap. Abingdon: Routledge. Sperry, D.E., Sperry, L.L. and Miller, P.J. (2019) Re examining the verbal environments of children from different socioeconomic backgrounds.&nbsp;Child Development.90(4), pp.1303–1318.

As a response to the Tier 1, 2, 3 approach introduced by Beck et al. resources such as word of the day / week have been made and implemented in schools. One approach popular in the UK is that made by Jennings (2019) and called Vocabulary Ninja. It includes online resources and a book that provide resources and short daily activities to systematically develop vocabulary. It presents words as "Grasshopper" (Tier 2) or "Shinobi" (Tier 3) and has a consistent format to present, define and explore each word. The word resources for each week can be downloaded as PDFs or slides to use in the classroom.

Interactive Slides Frayer Model

Exploring the Frayer model To the left is an interactive version of the model on a Google Slide. You can use this to devise your own example.&#160;

<a href="https://www.nbss.ie/sites/default/files/publications/frayer_model_-_vocbulary_strategy_handout__copy_3.pdf">Explore this more fully here.</a>

In the Programme of Study for Years 5 and 6 in English it is stated that children should: “use knowledge of morphology and etymology in spelling and understand that the spelling of some words needs to be learnt specifically, as listed in English Appendix 1” (DfE, 2014, p36). What is etymology? The study of the history of words, their origins and how they change over time. The English language contains words from many sources, including Anglo-Saxon, Latin, French and Greek and our history of exploring and colonising has led to words from all over the world being absorbed into the language. As Quigley (2018, p.29) points out, only by giving children access to "the complexities of language" will they have access to "a wealth of intriguing knowledge".

In your practice:
 How does your school approach the teaching of etymology in English?  How does this relate to your English subject knowledge?

Try the quiz on the next page to explore your knowledge of the places where words in the English language came from.

Beck et al. (2013, p.45) suggest that words are best learned through devising pupil friendly definitions to help them "capture the essence of a word and how it is typically used and explain the word in everyday language". In this example you can see that the dictionary definition can be problematic as it can be too generic, too brief and assume background information.

Choose two or three words that are new to you, perhaps from your academic reading, and try to define them in the way used above.

Word of the Day | Vocabulary Ninja

Week-30-May-9th-2022.pdf

Explore the Vocabulary Ninja resources here.

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