group+11+module+6+questions

1. What does research say about the topic? JZ: Research says that vocab knowledge is 1 of the best indicators of verbal ability, disadvantaged students are likely to have smaller vocabularies and lack of vocab can be a crucial factor underlying school failure. * Maybe the most important factor is"The task of learning vocabulary is huge."(p.141 text) GJ: Strategies have been proven to help increase vocabulary, which in turn leads to increases in comprehension. Also we know that the more student read, the more they increase vocabulary. Growing up in poverty leads to a limited vocabulary, but there are things that are proven to increase vocabulary. JD:Research says that promoting word consciousness in the reading instruction will enhance a student’s vocabulary and they will increase their knowledge of words. Word consciousness is an on-going strategy because of the vast amount of words.

2. How can you apply the Isabel Beck's three levels of word consciousness in your classroom? (Look in External Links to view slides 51-68 for information) JZ: Currently I am having trouble finding this. GJ can you help?! GJ: I cannot find it either. I have emailed Eeg for help in locating them. JD: It was not there.

3. Define these terms of complexity of word knowledge into application ideas: level of word knowledge, multidemensionality, polysemy, and heterogenity. JZ: Levels of word knowledge can be raised by substantially increasing students' reading. Multidimensionality can be applied through teacher modeling and a variety of activities such as word play, word of the day, teaching idioms, expressions and puns,etc.Polysemy- words having multiple meanings- could be applied through making personal dictionaries and illustrating words with more than one meaning, after defining them. Heterogenity-"What it means to know a word is dependent on the type of word in question."text p.157 Having students define and illustrate various examples of words would be a good application of this. GJ: I couldn't have said it any better. There are several vocab strategies that can be used by teachers to increase levels of word knowledge. Multidimensionality can be applied through an activity like Synonym/Definition Concentration. Polysemy - a teacher could use an activity like Multiple Meaning Racetrack. Heterogenity - I think of teaching students about different careers and the terms or jargon that is used in that particular field. Depending on the reading story for the week, you could do this as a more in depth study of the careers in the story.  || JD: Levels of Word Knowledge: word learning is incremental; Multi-dimensionality: it involves the depth of meaning of words. There is no single dimension of word knowledge;polysemy: many words have multiple meanings, the more a words is used the more likely of multiple meanings. || Heterogenity: knowing a word independentl y of the type of word in question.

Your questions JD: How do you help a student know how to spell or read a word they know the meaning to? || JZ:How would YOU teach word consciousness to 1st graders? GJ: That is similar to my question, what is the most effective way to teach vocabulary strategies to kids in special ed. who can barely read?