Selection Vocabulary (Student Anthology)

About the Routine

The Selection Vocabulary Routine has been designed to be used in Part 2: Reading and Responding. In Open Court Reading and SRA Imagine It! Like the vocabulary words from the Big Books, have been carefully chosen from the selection. These words are not only important to understanding the text but are also high-utility words that can be used in discussing and writing about the unit theme. Because vocabulary instruction is so critical to comprehension, vocabulary instruction is integrated throughout Open Court Reading and SRA Imagine It!

It is important to remember that the work that occurs in Part 1: Preparing to Read—as students deconstruct the parts and relationships of words (Word Knowledge, Word Structure, or Word Analysis)—is a vital aspect of vocabulary instruction. The knowledge that students are gaining in Part 1 will be used to determine meanings of words in Part 2. The connection continues in Part 3: Language Arts, as students are encouraged to use their new vocabulary in writing.

You will find variations between Open Court Reading and SRA Imagine It! in how vocabulary is taught as some of the some of the formatting has changed in SRA Imagine It! However, the pedagogy behind both programs is still the same.

Before Reading

• If you are using Open Court Reading:
  • Display the vocabulary transparency to introduce the selection vocabulary. Each transparency contains two sentences for each vocabulary word. Have students read the underlined words. Teach or review specific vocabulary skills, such as context, structure, and apposition.
  • Have students read a sentence and figure out the meaning of the target word using the vocabulary skills. Have the students explain how they figured out the word. If they cannot figure out the meaning, have them use the glossary or a dictionary.
  • Reread the sentence substituting the meaning of the word in the sentence. Check to see if the sentence makes sense.
• If you are using SRA Imagine It!:
  • Have students read the Vocabulary Warm-Up in their Student Reader.
  • Have the students explain any highlighted selection vocabulary words that they know or figured out from using vocabulary skills such as context clues, word structure, or apposition. Have students explain how they figured out the meaning of the word.
  • Display the selection vocabulary transparency to review the definitions of the vocabulary. Then have the students read the words and definitions. Use the vocabulary words in a variety of activities.
  • Return to the Vocabulary Warm-Up to reread the sentences containing the vocabulary and to discuss the words.
  • Discuss the concept vocabulary word and its connection to the theme.

Modeling Using Vocabulary Strategies

Context Clues

• Have students read the Selection Vocabulary word in context. Explain to students that they can use context clues, or other words in the sentence or passage, to determine the meaning of the vocabulary word. For example, if the word is treacherous, the context might include the following: We took a treacherous walk near a swamp filled with crocodiles.
• Have students look for clues in the sentence that might help them understand the meaning of the word. Point out that a good clue in the sentence is a swamp filled with crocodiles. This clue should help them understand that treacherous probably has something to do with danger. Guide students until they can give a reasonable definition of the word. To consolidate understanding of the word, ask another student to use the definition in a sentence and then use treacherous in another sentence.

NOTE: Some words can be inferred from context and be learned with repeated exposure while reading and listening. Although using context can be useful, it is not the most effective way to learn new words. Also, as students move into content area reading, context becomes a less effective tool for determining the meaning of unfamiliar words.

Apposition

• Have students read the word in context. Explain to students that they will use apposition to figure out the meaning of the word. In apposition, the word is followed by the definition, which is usually set off by commas or dashes. For example, if the word is abolitionist, the sentence might include the following: The conductor thought he was an abolitionist, a person who wanted to end slavery.
• It should be clear to students using apposition that the definition of the word is a person who wanted to end slavery. However, you should still use the same word in another sentence so students do indeed know the meaning of abolitionist.

Word Structure (or Word Analysis)

• Students will most likely use this strategy to figure out the meanings of most words. Have students read the Selection Vocabulary word in context. Explain to students that they will use word structure (called word analysis in SRA Imagine It!), or parts of the word itself, to figure out the meaning. For example, if the word is uncharted, the sentence might include: The explorers Lewis and Clark went into uncharted territory.
• Have students look at the word uncharted and break it into parts: the prefix un-, the base word chart, and the inflectional ending -ed. Students should know that the prefix un- means “not” and that the inflectional ending -ed usually indicates the past tense of a verb. However, you may need to remind students about the meaning of these affixes. Ask students for the meaning of the base word chart. Students should know that a chart could be a map or a table. Guide them as they put together the definitions of the word parts, un- (not), chart (mapped or tabled). They should be able to come up with the definition “not mapped” or “unmapped.” Have them substitute their definition in the sentence to see if the definition makes sense. So the sentence would read: The explorers Lewis and Clark went into territory that was not mapped. Confirm with students that new sentence makes sense.

Semantic Mapping Having students create a semantic map of an unknown word after learning its definition helps them learn the word’s meaning. Have students write the new word and then list in a map or a web all the words they can think of that are related to it.

Semantic Feature Analysis A semantic feature analysis helps students compare and contrast similar types of words within a category to help secure unknown words. Have students chart, for example, the similarities and differences between types of sports, including new vocabulary such as lacrosse and cricket.

During Reading

• Point out the Selection Vocabulary words during the first read, checking for meaning.
• Have students stop and clarify the meaning of unknown words during the first read. Help students use context, structural analysis, or apposition to figure out the meaning. If students cannot figure out the meaning using vocabulary skills, have them ask someone for help or use the glossary or a dictionary. Finally, have students reread the sentence with the definition to see if it makes sense. Review the meanings of these words during the second read. Determining the meanings of words while reading prepares students for the demands of independent reading in and out of school.
• If you are using SRA Imagine It!, introduce expanding vocabulary during the second read of the selection by providing students with definitions and examples.

Other Vocabulary Strategies for Unknown Words

Syntax

How a word is used in a sentence may provide some clue to its meaning. This is particularly effective with homographs and homophones: The lead pipe is a hazard to the community. Here lead is an adjective and is pronounced with a short e. In the sentence He will lead the troops into battle, the word lead has a very different meaning, is a verb, and is pronounced with a long e. In the sentence He led the troops into battle, the word is a homophone of lead material. It sounds the same but has a different spelling and meaning.

Key Word

This strategy involves providing or having students create a mnemonic clue for unknown vocabulary. For example, the word mole is defined in chemistry as a “gram molecule.” By relating mole to molecule, students have a key to the meaning of the word.

Definitions

Copying a definition is not a highly effective strategy for learning new words. Defining words and then using them in a variety of activities helps solidify meanings and deepen understanding. It is not uncommon for the meaning of the vocabulary words to be unclear when students use the words in sentences. For example, a typical sentence a student might give for the word camouflage is The octopus uses camouflage. The word is used correctly, but there is no real indication that the student knows the meaning of camouflage. Having students extend the sentence to explain why or how helps clarify the meaning: The octopus uses camouflage to protect itself from predators or The method of camouflage an octopus uses when it is in danger is to change its shape and color.

Contextual Word Lists

Teaching vocabulary in context is another way to secure understanding of unknown words. Grouping words by subject area such as science, social studies, math, descriptive words and so on enables students to connect word meanings and to build vocabulary understanding.

• Figurative Language Idioms, metaphors, similes, personification, puns, and novel meanings need to be specifically taught, especially for English learners.
• Derivational Word Lists Presenting groups of words derived from a particular language or with specific roots or affixes is an effective way to reinforce meanings and spellings of foreign words and word parts.

After Reading

• Review the vocabulary words by having students give examples that explain the meaning of the word. Review any interesting words students identified and discussed during reading.
• In Open Court Reading you will have the students complete the Vocabulary Word forms, which can be done over several days. In SRA Imagine It! students record in their Writer’s Notebooks the selection vocabulary and interesting words identified during their reading.
• Have students use both sets of words in discussion and writing.