Which of the following are good criteria for selecting tier 2 words to teach in-depth?
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This article offers guidance for selecting vocabulary words when teaching ELLs and explains the difference between Tier 1, 2, and 3 words. A student's maximum level of reading comprehension is determined by his or her knowledge of words. This word knowledge allows students to comprehend text. As the teacher, you can explicitly teach word meanings to improve comprehension. However, to know a word means knowing it in all of the following dimensions:
Therefore, it is vitally important to teach key words that children will need to comprehend texts, learn the content in those texts, and pass tests. Words are taught through direct instruction of word meanings as well as through discussions about words (including prefixes, suffixes, and roots) – all combined with a lot of reading. For English language learners (ELLs), vocabulary development is especially critical for their ability to read and comprehend texts. The selection of vocabulary words to teach ELLs can be grouped into three tiers. Tier 1 wordsTier 1 words are words that ELLs typically know the concept of in their primary language, but not the label in English. For example, a Tier 1 word might be butterfly. This is a word that English language learners may not know, but it can be easily taught by pointing to a picture of a butterfly during text discussion. Another Tier 1 word might be march (move like a soldier). A word like march can be easily instructed during text discussion by marching in place. But because this word has multiple meanings, it also merits further instruction. This can be accomplished through oral language activities that follow the text discussion. Teaching Tier 1 wordsWe take it for granted that native English-speakers know most Tier 1 words, but this is not the case for ELLs. Many Tier 1 words may be unknown to ELLs and key to the comprehension of a passage. Different types of Tier 1 words require different teaching strategies:
Here is a list of helpful Spanish-English cognates. Tier 2 wordsTier 2 words are more complex than Tier 1 words. They may also be more abstract. These include:
Teaching Tier 2 wordsTier 2 words appear in grade-level texts. They can be worked with in a variety of ways so that ELLs build rich representations of them and connect them to other words and concepts. Different types of Tier 2 words require different teaching strategies:
ELLs should be expected to master Tier 2 words in order to do well on comprehension and on tests. Tier 3 wordsThese are low-frequency words that are found mostly in content books in the upper grades. Examples include witticism, isotope, procrastinate, amoeba, or words that are not demonstrable or cognates. These words are rarely encountered in the early grades, but if they do appear, you can translate them or briefly explain them in either English or in the ELLs' first language. Note: It is advisable at all grade levels to have bilingual dictionaries available in the classroom. If you do not know the translation for a vocabulary word into students' native language, it is an easy reference and clarification tool. Also, when reading texts on their own, students can look up unknown words and ensure their own comprehension. ReferencesBeck, I., McKeown, M. & Kucan, L (2002). Bringing words to life: Robust vocabulary instruction. New York: The Gilford Press. Calderón, M., August, D., Durán, D., Madden, N., R. Slavin & M. Gil (2003 and in press). Spanish to English Transitional Reading: Teacher's Manual. Baltimore, MD: The Success for All Foundation. Calderón, M. & L. Minaya-Rowe (2004). Expediting Comprehension to English Language Learners (ExC-ELL) Teachers Manual. Center for Data-Driven Reform in Education, Johns Hopkins University. Calderón, M. & L. Minaya-Rowe (in press). Teaching Reading, Oral Language and Content to English Language Learners - How ELLs Keep Pace With Mainstream Students. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. ReprintsFor any reprint requests, please contact the author or publisher listed. Which words are low frequency specialized words that are often limited to specific fields domains of knowledge or content areas such as social studies or science?Tier-three words are low-frequency "specialized" words that are often limited to specific fields, domains of knowledge, or content areas such as social studies or science.
How Do you decide which vocabulary to teach?Hiebert (2009) describes three general criteria for determining which words to choose for intensive teaching: 1) words needed to fully comprehend the text, 2) words likely to appear in future texts from any discipline, and 3) words that are part of a word family or semantic network.
How many words should be taught in depth per week in the primary grades?In the primary grades about 8-10 words per week can be taught in depth. Other words must be learned informally through conversation, listening to and reading texts.
What is the main focus of classification activities?Key Takeaways
The purpose of classification is to break a subject into smaller, more manageable, more specific parts. Smaller subcategories help us make sense of the world, and the way in which these subcategories are created also helps us make sense of the world.
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