My inquiry question was therefore, what can be done to hasten and
enhance that process? How can the knowledge and use of vocabulary be enhanced? The students chosen to focus the inquiry on were identified through assessment.
Term 1 Data
Name
|
STAR-vocab
stanine
|
E-asTTle-vocab
|
Probe-vocab score
|
Noah
|
6
|
1proficient
|
0
|
Kaya
|
4
|
1basic
|
0
|
Kaliyah
|
6
|
1basic
|
0
|
Ella-Joe
|
4
|
1basic
|
0
|
 |
| Ella-Joe's |
 |
| Kaya's |
 |
| Noah's |
 |
| Kaliyah's |
Appraisal Planner: Setting Goals
Relevant school-wide goals or targets
|
1 To increase the number of Māori
students achieving at or above National Standards in reading.
|
2. To increase the number of Māori
students achieving at or above National Standards in writing.
|
Focus Māori students or groups
|
1. Noah
|
2.Kaya
|
3. Kaliyah
|
4.Ella-Joe
|
GOALS
|
Criteria for meeting the goals
|
Student learning and achievement
|
|
1. To build a knowledge of
vocabulary; meaning and understanding and the type of word; adjective, noun,
verb or adverb.
|
* When reading are able to work out meaning of unknown
vocabulary
|
*Probe assessment-improvement in vocabulary scores as part of
comprehension.
|
|
*Be able to identify and discuss types of words.
|
|
2. To use more sophisticated, rich
vocabulary in writing.
|
*E-assTLe assessment of writing-improvement in vocabulary
strand.
|
*evidence of using more sophisticated, rich vocabulary in writing
|
|
*
|
|
Teacher learning and practice
|
|
1. To question and understand how
identified learners learn. Research best practice, activities, resources and
ICT’s for building vocabulary.
|
*Know and understand how learners learn.
|
*Identified practice and resources/practices are used to build
student vocabulary
|
|
2. Assess and discuss progress with identified
students and question what is working for them and what else might.
|
*Feedback and feed forward with students and next goals.
|
*Use of tools to assess
|
|
GOALS
|
Associated professional learning
(Individual or group)
|
Student learning and achievement
|
|
1. To build a
knowledge of vocabulary; meaning and understanding and the type of word;
adjective, noun, verb or adverb.
|
*Discussion on how we best learn and what
we can use to help build vocabulary.
|
*Work in groups on vocabulary building
activities and to discuss vocabulary.
|
|
*Use appropriate visual activities, resources, displays, games, songs and
ICT’s to help build a strong vocabulary foundation.
|
|
2. To use more
sophisticated, rich vocabulary in writing
|
*identify different aspects, types of
vocabulary and use to enhance writing.
|
*Edit writing with peer and teacher
feedback to add sophisticated/rich vocabulary
|
|
*Use a dictionary and on-line dictionary
to identify and add vocabulary to writing.
|
|
Teacher learning and practice
|
|
2. Assess and discuss progress with identified
students and question what is
working for them and what else might.
|
* Discuss with colleagues what they have tried, what has worked
or not. Discuss with colleagues what is working and what is not.
*
Use of appropriate visual activities, resources, displays, games and ICT’s to
help build a strong vocabulary foundation.
*IWB activities
*raps and flocabulary-songs
*Deliberate teaching of
vocabulary.
*Group collaborative
activities and discussions.
* Use of tools to assess and identify next
steps.
* Feedback and feed forward
with students and next goals
|
Questioning/research on how to enhance vocabulary.
- Colleague shared with me how she increases vocabulary through spelling activities and gave me her resources.
- Another colleague discussed a book they use for building vocabulary and they lent it to me. (Word Games by Alan Pleat)
- Teaching effective vocabulary by the department for children, school and families.
- Put a discussion on the VLN re I-pad apps to build vocabulary
- Teaching Vocabulary: Strategies and Techniques by Paul Nation. Heinle, Cengage Learning. 2008
- Discussions with buddy
- http://www.teachingideas.co.uk/english/contents_vocabulary.htm
- http://www.trcabc.com/resources/top-ten-ways-to-teach-vocabulary/
Questioned children how they like to learn and why.
To initiate what type of activities/resources would possibly help build vocabulary with the above students I first needed to know how they like to learn and why. I used the questions Sharon Ross had introduced to gather student voice.
Teaching and learning to enhance vocabulary knowledge and use of vocabulary.
Set up a sub page on our class blog on Ultranet with learning activities to help build knowledge of vocabulary and encourage it's use. Also set up a folder on the I-pads with resources to help do the same. The vocabulary sub page can be accessed anytime anywhere.
- Introduced a word of the day, to discuss and find a synonym and antonym for.
- Modelled how to use a thesaurus and dictionary in hard copy and digitally.
- Created visual displays with examples of vocabulary and types of words in the classroom.
- In writing, modelled, discussed, questioned and explained how to add impact in writing by using different word types and more sophisticated vocabulary. Also in editing worked with children on adding vocabulary and using thesaurus to change words for "wow words" (synonyms with more impact).
- Used drama and the senses to build vocabulary use in writing.
- Work sheets used during reading to help identify unfamiliar vocabulary
- Work sheets requiring the use of thesaurus to complete.
- Word games to build vocabulary knowledge-from Alan Pleat-Word Games.
- Other word games
- Singing and raps to build knowledge and understand vocabulary use. Use of Mimio and flocabulary website.
Observations/discussions with buddy
Meeting with my buddy Sonja during CRT has helped me think about and reflect on what it is I am trying to achieve and what has or is working and what else I can do. After questioning and discussion we both agreed that in building vocabulary reading and writing are linked and the resources we are using and creating can complement both. However, after discussion and reflection she questioned what I was really wanting the children to improve in, from this I decided to focus more on the writing. We both thought about finding out how much vocabulary is used by the students at home and what situations, places they are exposed to which may develop different vocabulary, may be useful to influence what we focus on and for me whether Te Reo is spoken widely at home.
Children mainly use words their parents and other adults use with them in conversation, and acquire larger vocabularies when their parents use more words. (Meaningful differences in the everyday experience of
young American children. Baltimore: Paul Brookes. Hant and Risley, 1995).
I observed the resources Sonja was using and took photocopies of the sheets to use in reading to help identify and build vocabulary. From further observations and discussions I have introduced finding synonyms and antonyms of homework spelling words and introduced a word of the day.
Below is a copy of the notes of an observation by my team leader of a writing lesson focusing on building knowledge of vocabulary. After feedback I reflected on how important it is to question the children on whether what we had done had; helped with their learning and why and what the pupose was.
Term 3 writing shows an increase in using vocabulary in writing. in questioning and discussing writing the targeted students said that having something to write about that they could use some 'wow' words to describe things has helped.
 |
| Kaliyah's |
 |
| Noah's |
 |
| Kaya's |
 |
| Ella-Joe's |
Term 3 Data
Name
|
E-asTTle-vocab
|
probe vocab
|
Kaliyah
|
2 basic
|
0
|
Kaya
|
1 advanced
|
0
|
Noah
|
1 advanced
|
0
|
Ella-Joe
|
2 basic
|
1
|
The E-asTTle-vocab scores are based on the above writing which involved shared writing in term 4 an unassisted writing sample will be assessed using E-asTTle.
What have we found so far...
What have we found so far...
Questioning the chosen group about how they learn helped with choosing activities and resources and informed deliberate acts of teaching and learning. Activities, resources, the deliberate use of language games and discussion have increased understanding of vocabulary,the different types and their pupose. As has using dictionaries and thesaurus and working on synonyms and antonyms. A wider usage of 'rich' vocabulary can be seen in the students writing. Probe was not really a good indicator as there is not enough questions in the text on vocabulary. Although the main question of this inquiry was to enhance knowledge and usage of vocabulary in general, it has focused mainly within writing. However, there has also been some focus in reading and to build knowledge of vocabulary, children need to be able to work out unfamiliar vocabulary. They also need to be exposed to new vocabulary to be able to use it and therefore when trying to build vocabulary with students it has to be done throughout literacy learning. A next step is to work on making that link, for these students to use what they are reading to enhance their writing. To do this they could make a word bank from reading, with synonyms, to use in their writing. The students themselves said; that knowing the different types and purpose of words had helped, they had enjoyed the word games, the on-line thesaurus and dictionaries had helped with finding synonyms to add words to their writing and it helped to talk about using 'wow' words and sharing them. They identified their next steps as; trying to use more and different words regularly to describe things, to use dictionaries and thesaurus to help and keep doing fun word games.
Children mainly use words their parents and other adults use with them in conversation, and acquire larger vocabularies when their parents use more words. (Meaningful differences in the everyday experience of
young American children. Baltimore: Paul Brookes. Hant and Risley, 1995). When working with building vocabulary it maybe important to make links with families to work together to help build vocabulary.
Children mainly use words their parents and other adults use with them in conversation, and acquire larger vocabularies when their parents use more words. (Meaningful differences in the everyday experience of
young American children. Baltimore: Paul Brookes. Hant and Risley, 1995). When working with building vocabulary it maybe important to make links with families to work together to help build vocabulary.
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