Guiding Questions for Discussion from published Study Guide:
1.What is your definition of “word confidence”? Why is word confidence important,
especially for high-poverty students?
2. Margot and Leslie have very different teaching styles, yet each of them effectively
develops the vocabulary knowledge of her high-poverty students. What makes
each classroom a place where students develop word confidence?
3. Leslie and Margot carefully choose words from vocabulary suggested in the
school’s reading series. How can you select appropriate words and plan for
instruction with your own students?
4. Discuss the benefits of establishing a daily vocabulary routine. How does the routine
fit into a vocabulary cycle? Would a vocabulary routine be important for the
students you teach? Why and how?
1.Word confidence is the freedom students feel that they can experiment with trying new words, noticing new words, asking about new words, and so on. For high-poverty students, building word confidence is critical in order to bridge their vocabulary gap and prep them for learning strategies about words and receiving instruction on words. Changing their culture of words, I guess you could say.
ReplyDelete2. Both classrooms develop word confidence because both immerse students in vocabulary in engaging systematic ways with consistent and high expectations.
3. I can choose words that I know my students will be able to connect to more easily in order to help them use these words to make meaning in their own lives. I can also choose a few challenge words they won't have connections to and I can build those connections through learning experiences in the classroom.
4. "Clear and consistent expectations gives [students] confidence and order." Both the teacher and the student need the structure to be authentic, engaging, and flexible. The variation of the routine can still follow the basic vocabulary cycle that sets the instructional structure. A vocabulary routine would be important for my students for the reasons previously addressed- it would create a culture of words for the classroom community and put word knowledge at the top of our instructional priorities. Students would know that there a high expectations in place to become, "word nerds."
1. Word confidence is when students have no fear experimenting with language, using unfamiliar words and taking risk with vocabulary that takes them out of their comfort zone. It is important to high-poverty students to have word confidence because these students are able to see structure routines within a classroom that helps build their confidence. The teacher establishes clear and consistent expectations and students are able to see the passion that the teacher have when teaching vocabulary.
ReplyDelete2. Margot and Leslie’s classrooms are places where students develop word confidence because their classrooms are student convenient, where the majority of the space belongs to the students. Students feel free to try new things and have feelings of self- reliance. Areas of the classrooms are structured for collaboration and group activities. High expectations are a given and students trust each other. Vocabulary thrives and flourishes in these classrooms.
3. I would try to have a balance of Tier 2 and Tier 3 words. Students need to have experiences with content specific vocabulary because they see these words in reading and during science and social studies as well. Things I will consider when choosing vocabulary words are:
• Words that the students already know
• Words that the students will consistently encounter in their texts
• Words that they need to know
• Words that need to be explicitly taught
• Words are going to give me the most “Bang for my Buck”
4. The benefits of having a daily vocabulary routine is that students know the expectations and are more likely to take risk with learning new words. Having a daily routine sets the tone that vocabulary is important and will hopeful encourage discovery and self-reliance. Routines act as an anchor for our students. Classrooms run more smoothly when students know what is expected.