Deepening Comprehension with Six Steps of Vocabulary Instruction

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Target Incidental Words
Teach Greek & Latin Roots
Define General-Academic Words
Prioritize Domain-Specific Words
Honor Marzano’s 6 Steps

STEP 1:
EXPLAIN

STEP 2:
RESTATE

STEP 3:
SHOW

STEP 4:
DEVELOP

STEP 5:
REFINE

STEP 6:
PLAY

Address NEW WORDS

Recognize the power of vocabulary in comprehension

Use the island graphic to represent the 5 components of reading instruction. Vocabulary instruction resides on the Island of Comprehending.

Cross the Bridge of Fluency: Islands of Literacy

Nadine Gilkison’s PPT on the Islands of Literacy
Black & White island graphic | Google Slides

Define reader voices

Teach students to recognize the Reading Voice and Thinking Voice.

Reading Voice JPEG

Thinking Voice JPEG

Distracting Voice JPEG

Purchase a set of signs, or have students utilize their own mini-signs.

For intermediate grades, use the Beats™ Headphone graphic.

Use toilet paper tubes for students to whisper their Thinking Voice thoughts into.

Provide 4 TYPES of Vocabulary Instruction

#1 Target incidental words

Help students determine the meaning of unfamiliar words using context clues

Pre-teach only the most critical vocabulary.

Define 8 types of clues authors use.

Define “context” as nearby sentences.

Provide a daily dose of context clues practice with the Vocabulary Cartoon of the Day series.

Post words digitally with padlet.com | Example

Practice reading for context with WordMarks.

#2 Teach Greek & Latin roots

Apply the generative principle to root study

Any word part that carries meaning is called a “root.” Therefore, prefixes, suffixes, and bases are all examples of roots. Teach students to look “inside” the word to solve new words for meaning by looking for known Greek/Latin roots.

Root-Word Lists | Initiate a school-wide Root Rally

Gifts from the Gods

Mythlopedia Oh My Gods!

Create an anchor chart with the word part, a visual, and words that contain that root.
Smartboard | PDF | PPT
PPT Template | Student Examples

In each slice, students include a pictorial representation of the word and a student-friendly sentence that describes the word’s meaning.
Template | Anchor Papers | Smartboard

Provide students words to break into parts for the word equation followed by an example sentence reflecting its meaning.
Example | Template

#3 Define general-academic words

Recognize the power in academic vocabulary

101 Strategies to Make Vocabulary Stick

Teach functional vocabulary essential on standardized tests.

Identify 10-15 general academic words per grade level.

Select 10-15 words per grade level

PDF | Word

Blank Template PDF | Word

Excerpt from Sidewalk Circus

#4 Prioritize domain-specific terms

Identify core vocab for each subject area

Dr. Robert Marzano’s research, and that of numerous other vocabulary experts, reveals that students must interact with a single word numerous times. (Different researchers claim 12-17 exposures.) To ensure academic success, prioritize the academic vocabulary most worthy of that level of instructional time.