word - TextProject

Which Words
to Teach?
Curriculum for
Fluency &
Vocabulary
Elfrieda H. Hiebert
University of
California,
Berkeley
UCSIR (2005)

Definition of Reading
Comprehension
UCSIR (2005)

Which Words to Teach?
Curriculum (Standards?) for Fluency and
Vocabulary
1.The “word” problem: Volume far
outstrips the possibility that the
pronunciation and meanings of all
words can be taught
2.The words with which students need
to be fluent
3.The words that form the vocabulary
curriculum
UCSIR (2005)

1. The “word” problem: Volume far outstrips the
possibility that the pronunciation and meanings of all
words can be taught
5
4
3
WordZones TM
0-2
UCSIR (2005)
Zeno et al., 1995

Gr. 2--Mid Year (Nation’s Most Widely
Used Reading Program)
Hot oil sizzles, vegetables crackle, and
woks clang and bang. The cooks shout to
be heard. At the outdoor market I can
barely move. But we go there because
Grandma likes to buy fresh snapping
crabs for dinner. When the crabs seem
furious, Grandma is pleased. The angrier
the crabs, the tastier the meat, she says.
UCSIR (2005)

Gr. 2--Mid Year (Nation’s Most Widely
Used Reading Program)
Next the children are taken to see the
dispatch room. Things are never slow here!
It is busy all day and all night. Computer
monitors flash. Telephone switchboards
ring. It is here that phone calls come in,
telling operators where the fires are.
Some calls come from 911, the number
many communities use for emergencies.
UCSIR (2005)

Gr. 2--Mid Year (Nation’s Most Widely
Used Reading Program)
That night, after he put on his pajamas,
Ricky went into the living room, where his
father was listening to the radio. "Papi, I
lost my mustache...mi bigote." His father
laughed. "What mustache?" Ricky climbed
into his father's lap and told him
everything. His father smiled and told him
a story.
UCSIR (2005)

Gr. 4--Mid Year (Nation’s Most Widely
Used Reading Program)
Six hours after Mick and the team had left,
Akiak padded softly, cautiously, into the
checkpoint. Her ears alert, her wet nose
sniffed the air. The team had been there,
she could tell.
Suddenly, cabin doors flew open. Five
volunteers fanned out and tried to grab her.
Akiak zigged around their every zag and
took off down the trail.
UCSIR (2005)

Gr. 4--Mid Year (Nation’s Most Widely
Used Reading Program)
Several days later, the Carpathia arrived
in New York City harbor. Thousands of
people waited in pouring rain to greet the
survivors. Ruth heard cries of joy from
the people who had found their loved
ones. But many others looked sad as
they searched for family and friends who
had drowned.
UCSIR (2005)

Gr. 4--Mid Year (Nation’s Most Widely
Used Reading Program)
He surrounded himself with songbirds, but
he could not forget. Finally, when his
daughter was nearly grown, he could wait
no more. He took his family and returned
to his homeland.
Once again he saw the mountains and
rivers of his childhood. They were just as
he had remembered them. Once again he
exchanged stories
UCSIR (2005)

II. The Words With Which Students
Need to be Fluent
NAEP (Gr.4)
Proficient & Above Basic Below Basic
UCSIR (2005)

Fluency Problem and Solutions
HUNGRY SPIDER
AND THE TURTLE
Spider was a hungry one,
he always wanted to eat.
Everybody in Ashanti
knew about his appetite.
He was greedy, too, and
always wanted more than
his share of things. So
people steered clear of
Spider. But one day a
stranger came to Spider's
habitation out in the back
country.
98
96
94
92
90
Accuracy
1 (low) 2 3 4 (High)
UCSIR (2005)

Grade 4 Textbooks
The fellow seemed confused about buttonholes and
buttons. In the evening he joined the Baileys for dinner. The
steam that rose from the hot food fascinated him. He
watched Katy take a spoonful of soup and blow gently
across it. Then he did exactly the same. Mrs. Bailey
shivered.
(from The Stranger, Houghton Mifflin, 2003)
And directly between those forepaws, in the very jaws of
his enemy, sat Tucker Mouse. He was watching Chester
curiously. The cricket began to make frantic signs that the
mouse should look up and see what was over him. Very
casually Tucker raised his head.
(from Cricket in Times Square, Harcourt, 2001)
UCSIR (2005)

Gr. 4 Texts and Tests
FCAT TAKS NAEP HM
(Unit
1)
Quick
Reads
(D)
5b 100 100 100 100
5a 99 98 99.5 95 100
4 91 92 93 82 98
3 83 81 87 68 94
0-
2
67 70 80 57 87
UCSIR (2005)

Difficulty of Texts on Tests
Grandpa looked at the picture silently for a moment.
“When I was a boy, my father worked for the railroad in
Canada,” he began. “His job was to take care of sections of
railroad track in remote areas. The workers’ families lived
along the tracks in small groups many miles from other
towns or people.” (from TAKS, 2004)
The red fox hurried back to her babies. One by one, she
carried them under the fence, across the field, and through
the hole in the barn wall. And when all three kits were
snuggled down in the blanket of straw, she licked them and
felt safe. (from FCAT, 2003)
UCSIR (2005)

Text Difficulty: Assessments
TAKS FCAT NAEP HM
(Unit
1)
Quick
Reads
(D)
5b 100 100 100 100
5a 98 99 99.5 95 100
4 92 91 93 82 98
3 81 83 87 68 94
0-
2
70 67 80 57 87
UCSIR (2005)

Text Difficulty: Assessments
FCAT TAKS NAEP HM
(Unit
1)
Quick
Reads
(D)
5b 100 100 100 100
5a 99 98 99.5 95 100
4 91 92 93 82 98
3 83 81 87 68 94
0-
2
67 70 80 57 87
UCSIR (2005)

The texts that accounted for significant
differences in the NRP sample
Texts with controlled vocabulary were used in
74% of the studies used in the meta-analysis.
Of the four studies that used literature, only one
reported a fluency outcome and, in that study,
treatment and comparison groups did not differ
significantly. That is: the effect size for fluency
came from studies that used texts with
controlled vocabulary.
(Hiebert & Fisher, Elementary School Journal, 2005)
UCSIR (2005)

A Fluency Curriculum
Level A
Level B
Level C
Level D
Level E
300 most frequent words;
short and long vowels
500 most frequent words;
short, long and r
controlled vowels
1000 most frequent words;
all monosyllabic words
1000 most frequent words;
two syllable words
3000 most frequent words
UCSIR (2005)

Level B Texts (i.e., Gr. 2 curriculum)
How Animals Communicate
Animals don't talk, but they do communicate. When you
communicate, you give information to others. Animals have
ways of communicating that are different from the ways that
people use. When your friend talks to you, your friend uses
language to communicate information. In a language, each
word means something.
Animals do not use words. They use sounds and
signals. Birds sing and move their wings. Some animals
move their tails. Other animals communicate by moving their
bodies in other ways. Different sounds and signals help
animals communicate with each other.
UCSIR (2005)

Level D (i.e., Gr. 4 curriculum)
CLIMATE ZONES
A pattern of weather over a long time is called a climate.
The earth has six major climate zones. The United States
is large enough to include examples of all six climate
zones.
Patterns of temperature and rainfall vary from one climate
zone to another. As a result, the clothes that people wear
are quite different in different climate zones. People
living in a tropical climate, like Hawaii, do not need coats.
Temperatures are warm to hot in winter and summer. An
umbrella can come in handy, though, because Hawaii's
tropical climate gets heavy rains. In contrast, people
living in a polar climate, like northern Alaska, need very
warm coats for the snowy winters that last for much of
the year.
UCSIR (2005)

Difficulty: Texts and Tests
FCAT TAKS NAEP HM
(Unit
1)
Quick
Reads
(D)
5b 100 100 100 100
5a 99 98 99.5 95 100
4 91 92 93 82 98
3 83 81 87 68 94
0-
2
67 70 80 57 87
UCSIR (2005)

Level B Texts (i.e., Gr. 2 curriculum)
How Animals Communicate
Animals don't talk, but they do communicate. When
you communicate, you give information to others. Animals
have ways of communicating that are different from the
ways that people use. When your friend talks to you, your
friend uses language to communicate information. In a
language, each word means something.
Animals do not use words. They use sounds and
signals. Birds sing and move their wings. Some animals
move their tails. Other animals communicate by moving their
bodies in other ways. Different sounds and signals help
animals communicate with each other.
UCSIR (2005)

Text 2 of a Topic
The Honeybee Dance
One way honeybees communicate with each other is
by dancing. Honeybees do a special dance after they find
nectar in flowers. Honeybees need nectar to live. When
honeybees find nectar, they fly home to tell the other bees
where to find the nectar.
A bee that finds nectar moves its wings very fast when
it dances. The bee moves in a shape that looks like the
number 8. The bee does the dance many times. After the
dance, the other bees know where to find the flowers with
nectar.
UCSIR (2005)

UCSIR (2005)
Text 3 of a Topic

UCSIR (2005)
Text 4 of a Topic

UCSIR (2005)
Text 5 of a Topic

Program of Research
4
3
Content
Text
2
Content
Text
1
Literature
Content
Text
Misc.
Texts
0
Status
quo
Status
quo
Literature
WCPM Gain per week
Study 1 Study 2 Study 3
UCSIR (2005)

Study 4: 24-Week Intervention:
Number of Words Read with
meaning on a silent maze passage
70
60
50
40
30
Science
Narrative
20
10
0
Begin
End
UCSIR (2005)

3. The words that form the
vocabulary curriculum
UCSIR (2005)

CA: Of 3 reading standards:
1.0 Word Analysis, Fluency, and Systematic Vocabulary
Development
Word Recognition
1.2 Apply knowledge of word origins, derivations, synonyms,
antonyms, and idioms to determine the meaning of words and
phrases.
Vocabulary and Concept Development
1.3 Use knowledge of root words to determine the meaning of
unknown words within a passage.
1.4 Know common roots and affixes derived from Greek and
Latin and use this knowledge to analyze the meaning of
complex words (e.g., international).
1.5 Use a thesaurus to determine related words and concepts.
1.6 Distinguish and interpret words with multiple meanings.
UCSIR (2005)

TX: Of 9 reading standards
• (6) Reading/word identification.
The student uses a variety of
word recognition strategies. The
student is expected to:
(A) apply knowledge of lettersound
correspondences,
language structure, and context
to recognize words (4-8);
(B) use structural analysis to
identify root words with prefixes
such as dis-, non-, in-; and
suffixes such as -ness, -tion, -
able (4-6); and
(C) locate the meanings,
pronunciations, and derivations
of unfamiliar words using
dictionaries, glossaries, and
other sources (4-8).
(9) Reading/vocabulary development. The
student acquires an extensive
vocabulary through reading and
systematic word study. The student is
expected to:
(A) develop vocabulary by listening to
selections read aloud (4-8);
(B) draw on experiences to bring meanings
to words in context such as interpreting
figurative language and multiplemeaning
words (4-5);
(C) use multiple reference aids, including a
thesaurus, a synonym finder, a
dictionary, and software, to clarify
meanings and usage (4-8);
(D) determine meanings of derivatives by
applying knowledge of the meanings of
root words such as like, pay, or happy
and affixes such as dis-, pre-, un- (4-8);
and
(E) study word meanings systematically
such as across curricular content areas
and through current events (4-8).
UCSIR (2005)

Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test:
Distribution of Word Zones (Gr. 4)
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
% of 4th grade sample
0-2
3
4
5
6
UCSIR (2005)
*Based on first appearing word of morphological family

attention
discovered
Current Direct Instruction:
Words “Taught” in HM Gr2/Unit 4
accept
accident
advantage
argument
audience
colonies
commands
electrical
enormous
expression
guarded
nearby
officer
safety
stared
tending
dim
experts
herd
horizon
imagination
log
obeys
stiff
tropical
tunnels
weaver
antennae
applauded
banner
carpenter
cocoons
fastening
fungus
larvae
munching
penalty
pity
puddle
quarrel
sawdust
stalks
aphids
jeered
parasol
swivel
teamwork
news team
UCSIR (2005)

Direct Instruction of Words:
Criteria for Selecting
1. Sufficient frequency to be useful
2. Morphological families
3. Complex meanings (Unknown &
Polysemous)
4. Semantic connections
5. Spanish cognates
6. Themes
UCSIR (2005)

1. Frequency
5
4
3
WordZones TM
0-2
UCSIR (2005)
Zeno et al., 1995

Frequency, “Knowness,”
Morphological Richness (Hiebert, 2005)
Total
Words
Morphological
Morphological
families
of 2+
over
Knowness:
NO
Carry-
Zone-
Focus
Words
Zone 1
203
160
124
49
8 (Z2)
40
1 (Z3)
Zone 2
620
231
221
76
18 (Z3)
86
Zone 3
1676
840
612
250
20 (Z2)
225
24 (Z4)
Zone 4
2980
1233
332
163
187
UCSIR (2005)

2. Morphologically rich
Prefixes (account for 62%
of all prefixed words)
un-, re-, in/im/il/ir (not), dis-,
non-
Suffixes (account for 76%
of all suffixed words)
-s, -es, -ed, -ing, -ly, er/or
(agent)
(White, Sowell, & Yanagihara, 1989)
UCSIR (2005)

Frequency, Morphological Richness (Hiebert, 2005)
Total
Words
Morphological
of 2+
Carryover
Knowness:
NO
Zone-
Focus
Words
Zone 1
203
124
49
8 (Z2)
40
1 (Z3)
Zone 2
620
221
76
18 (Z3)
86
Zone 3
1676
612
250
20 (Z2)
225
24 (Z4)
Zone 4
2980
332
163
187
UCSIR (2005)

3. Complex meanings
• Graves (2000) identifies three types of word-learning
tasks :
• Words that are synonyms for words that students already know,
such as dim;
• Words that students know at some level but that have multiple
meanings, such as attention, channel, and practice; and
• Words that represent concepts that may be new to students,
such as liberty, biome, and probability.
UCSIR (2005)

Frequency, Morphological Richness,
“Knowness” (Hiebert, 2005)
Total
Words
over
Morphological
of 2+
NOT
Known
Living Word
Voca.
Carry-
Zone-
Focus
Words
Zone 1
203
124
49
8 (Z2)
40
1 (Z3)
Zone 2
620
221
76
18 (Z3)
86
Zone 3
1676
612
250
20 (Z2)
225
24 (Z4)
Zone 4
2980
332
163
187
UCSIR (2005)

Zone 1
Zone 2
Frequency, Morphological Richness,
“Knowness” (Hiebert, 2005)
Total
Words
203
620
over
Morphological
of 2+
124
221
NOT
Known
49
76
Carry-
8 (Z2)
1 (Z3)
18 (Z3)
Zone-
Focus
Words
40
86
Zone 3
1676
612
250
20 (Z2)
225
24 (Z4)
Zone 4
2980
332
163
187
UCSIR (2005)

Word
Zone/
Grade
Words
within
Zone/Grade
1 body
important
form
believe
example
2 nature
scientists
behavior
considered
section
3 defense
express
sample
style
managed
4 exposed
minor
tense
associated
merchandise
UCSIR (2005)

4. Semantic connections
• 7,230 “elementary school words” fit into
61 instructional clusters (Marzano &
Marzano, 1988)
UCSIR (2005)

dicovered,
discovers,
discovering
cover,
recover
discover (2nd
grade)
discover
find (for the
first time)
find out
learn
know
understand
discoverer
discoverable
(adjective)
discovery
realize
detect
analyze
trick
confuse
UCSIR (2005)

5. Spanish cognates
Greek
(and others)
Specialized words
used mostly in
science
Romance
Technical, sophisticated words
used primarily in more formal
settings such as literature and
textbooks
Anglo-Saxon
Common, everyday, down-to-earth words and
frequently in ordinary trade books and found
in school primers.
UCSIR (2005)
(from Calfee & Drum, 1981)

10 Common English Words & Their Latin and Spanish Equivalents
English common word
Examples of English
literary/academic words
Latin root
Spanish common word
brave valiant, valorous, valor valere (to be strong) valiente
bug
insect, insecticide, insectum
insecto
insectivore
dig
cavern(ous), cave, cavus (hollow)
excavar
cavity, excavate
empty vacant, vacate, vacancy vacare (to be empty) vacía
enough
sufficient, suffice, sufficiere (to provide) suficiente
sufficiency
first
prime, primate, primal, primus (first)
primero
primacy, primary,
primer, primitive
mean significance, significant significans (meaning) significar
moon
lunar, lunacy, lunatic, luna (moon)
luna
lunation
sell vendor, vend, venal venus (sale) vender
wash lather, lavatory lavare (to wash) lavar
Adapted from Kamil & Hiebert (in press).
UCSIR (2005)

A Sample of
ZONE 2 (Gr. 2)
Words
agree
appear
attack
behavior
certain
charge
choosing
community
company
connected
considered
continued
danger
describe
design
developed
difficult
direction
discovered
distance
education
energy
equal
exercise
experience
concordar
parcecer
atacar
conducta
cierto
carga
escoger
comunidad
compañía
conectar
considerar
continuar
peligro
describir
diseño
desarrollar
difícil
direccíon
descubrir
distancia
educacíon
energía
igual
ejercicio
experiencia
UCSIR (2005)

Thematic Vocabulary
ocean
habitat
decomposition,
decomposing
organism
Shoreline
composition
compose
erosion
beach
survive
erode
survival
UCSIR (2005)
© Seeds of Science/Roots of Reading

Picture Vocabulary Results
N
Mean
Pre
Mean
Post
Effect
Size
Post
Shoreline Seeds-Roots 342 4.71 5.60 .40
GEMS 148 4.53 5.07
Terrarium Seeds-Roots 342 3.12 3.53 .22
GEMS 148 3.10 3.33
Significant differences in favor of the S&R intervention
for both, but marginal on Terrarium items
UCSIR (2005)
from Pearson, Cervetti, Hiebert, Arya, & Bravo, May 2005

Vocabulary (Semantic
Associations): Results
Significant effects on both taught (shoreline) and
not taught (terrarium) vocabulary, but the effect
size is nearly double for the taught vocabulary.
N
Mean
Pre
Mean
Post
Effect
Size
Post
Shoreline Seeds-Roots 342 8.62 12.98 .57
GEMS 147 8.64 10.49
Terrarium Seeds-Roots 342 2.80 3.81 .30
GEMS 147 2.88 3.35
UCSIR (2005)
from Pearson, Cervetti, Hiebert, Arya, & Bravo, May 2005

Applying “Principled” Vocabulary Selection
to the Texts of Basal Reading Programs
attention
discovered
accept
accident
advantage
argument
audience
colonies
commands
electrical
enormous
expression
guarded
nearby
officer
safety
stared
tending
dim
experts
herd
horizon
imagination
log
obeys
stiff
tropical
tunnels
weaver
antennae
applauded
banner
carpenter
cocoons
fastening
fungus
larvae
munching
penalty
pity
puddle
quarrel
sawdust
stalks
aphids
jeered
parasol
swivel
teamwork
news team
UCSIR (2005)

Words THAT SHOULD BE Taught DEEPLY
in HM Gr2/Unit 4
attention*
discovered*
formed
groups
noticed
replied
accept*
advantage*
allowed
argument*
commands*
department
expression*
guarded*
officer/official*
tending*
creature
experts*
horizon*
UCSIR (2005)

accept* accepted acceptable acceptance
advantage* advantages
allowed allow allows allowing
argument* arguments argued argue
attention* attend attended
commands* commander command
creature creatures
department departments
discovered* discover discovery discoveries
experts* expert
expression* expressed expressions express
formed form forms forming formation
groups group grouped
guarded* guard guards
horizon* horizontal
noticed
notice
officer/official* officers offices officials office
replied
reply
tending* tends tended tendency tend
UCSIR (2005)

Which Words to Teach?
• The “word” problem: Volume far
outstrips the possibility that the
pronunciation and meanings of all
words can be taught
• The words with which students need to
be fluent
• The words that form the vocabulary
curriculum
UCSIR (2005)

For more
information:
www.textproject.org
UCSIR (2005)