Teaching Vocabulary in All Classrooms

Camille Blachowicz is Professor of Education at the National College of Education of National-Louis University, where she is Director of the Reading Center and Reading Program. In her long career as an educator, Dr. Blachowicz has been a classroom teacher, team leader, and reading specialist as well as a university educator and staff developer. Her research has been supported by grants from the Spencer Foundation, the Fulbright Council and the International Reading Association. Dr. Blachowicz's many articles have been published in journals ranging from Educational Leadership and Reading Teacher to Reading Research Quarterly. She is also co-author of the books Reading Diagnosis: An Instructional Approach, Teaching Vocabulary in All Classrooms, Reading Comprehension: Strategies for Independent Learners, Reading Street, Fluency Development:From Research to Practice, and the chapter on vocabulary research for the third Handbook of Reading Research along with numerous book chapters and monographs. She also co-edits the series of staff development and in-service books Tools for Teaching Literacy along with Donna Ogle. As a staff developer, Dr. Blachowicz is a frequent speaker at national, local, and international conferences and at meetings of the International Reading Association, where she is a member of the publication committee. Dr. Blachowicz has also been named to the roster of Outstanding Teacher Educators in Reading by the International Reading Association. Currently, along with her teaching and writing, Dr. Blachowicz is co-directing two projects in urban and suburban schools: Literacy Partners, and the Everybody Reads Fluency Project.   Peter Fisher is a professor of education at National College of Education of National-Louis University where he teaches graduate classes in literacy education. Peter taught in elementary and high schools in England prior to coming to the USA to complete his doctoral studies at SUNY at Buffalo. Peter’s research interests include vocabulary development and the teaching of storytelling.  In 1997 he was inducted into the Illinois Reading Hall of Fame.

Contents

CHAPTER 1

Vocabulary in the Classroom: A Theoretical and Practical Perspective

What Does the Research Tell Us about Vocabulary

What Does It Mean to Know a Word?

What Is Effective Vocabulary Instruction?

Guideline 1: The Effective Vocabulary Teacher Builds a Word-Rich Environment in Which Students Are Immersed in Words for Both Incidental and Intentional Learning

Guideline 2: The Effective Vocabulary Teacher Helps Students Develop as Independent Word Learners

Guideline 3: The Effective Vocabulary Teacher Uses Instructional Strategies That Not Only Teach Vocabulary Effectively but Model Good Word-Learning Behaviors

Guideline 4: The Effective Vocabulary Teacher Uses Assessment That Matches the Goal of Instruction

Some Last Thoughts

Looking Back and Looking Ahead

Resources for Further Learning

CHAPTER 2

Learning Vocabulary from Context

Learning from Context

Early Word Learning

Learning Vocabulary from Storybook Reading

Teaching Vocabulary with Storybook Reading

Text Talk

Instructional Planning for Storybook Reading

Vocabulary Visits

The Nature of the Words to Be Taught

Teaching Vocabulary Using Other Methods

Encouraging Informal Word Learning

Developing Rich Language Environments

Classroom Labeling

Wide Reading

Using Technology

Learning to Problem-Solve with Context

Teaching About Context

Metacognitive Context Instruction

Using the Cloze Procedure

Self-Selected Vocabulary from Context

Using Contextual Methods to Present New Vocabulary

The Sentence Game

Create a Personal Context

Looking Back and Looking Ahead

For Further Learning

CHAPTER 3

Integrating Vocabulary and Reading Strategy Instruction

Developing Strategic Reading

What Is Strategic Reading?

How Is Strategic Reading Developed

Why Connect Vocabulary and Strategic Reading Instruction

Vocabulary in Strategic Reading Instruction

Classroom Examples

Starting with Graphic Organizers: Vocab-o-Grams

Starting with Writing: Story Impressions

Starting with Drama: Word Plays

Starting with Student Self-Evaluation: Knowledge Rating

Looking Back and Looking Ahead

For Further Learning

CHAPTER 4

Learning Vocabulary in Literature-Based Reading Instruction

Literature-Based Reading Instruction

The Core Book Approach

The Literature Unit Approach

The Individual Reading Approach

Figurative Language

Metaphors and Similes

Idioms

Looking Back and Looking Ahead

For Further Learning

CHAPTER 5

Learning Vocabulary in the Content Areas

Teaching New Meanings for Known Words

Teaching New Words for New Concepts

Teaching New Words for Known Concepts

CHAPTER 6

Vocabulary and Spelling Instruction Using Structural Analysis

Morphological Connections

Spelling and Morphemic Analysis

Etymology

CHAPTER 7

Assessing Vocabulary Knowledge

Assessment for Instruction

Standardized Measures of Vocabulary

What Are Standardized Measures?

Diagnosis for Special Needs

CHAPTER 8

Vocabulary Instruction for Diversity: English-Language Learners and Struggling Readers

Making Connections Through Topic Relatedness

Making Connections Through Word Relatedness

Making Connections with Imagery

Making Connections: English-Language Learners

Activate and Use Prior Knowledge

CHAPTER 9

Using Dictionaries and Other References

The Nature of Definitions and Defining

The Nature of Dictionaries

Understanding How to Use a Dictionary

Using Dictionaries in the Classroom

Knowing Other Resources for Word Learning

CHAPTER 10

Wordplay in the Classroom

Why Do Wordplay in the Classroom?

Using Books About Words

Word Books for Interpretation

Using Riddles, Jokes, and Puns

Using Word Games

Using Art for Wordplay

Using Drama

Synonym String

Using Puzzles

Word Circles

Using Computers

APPENDICES

Books for Expanding Vocabulary and Wordplay

Computer Programs with a Vocabulary Focus (Including Publishers’ Recommended Levels

Vocabulary/Word Games

References

Name Index

Subject Index