Download - W ords O f the W eek Vocabulary Project
WWords ords OOf the f the WWeekeek Vocabulary ProjectVocabulary Project
WWords ords OOf the f the WWeekeek Vocabulary ProjectVocabulary Project
Cedar Rapids, IowaCedar Rapids, IowaGrant Early Childhood Grant Early Childhood
CenterCenter
Grant Action Research Team
•Principal•Grade level teachers•Special ed & preschool teachers•Reading Coach & Title I teachers•Media Specialist
PLAN
ACT
STUDY
DO
Plan for Continuous Improvement
Standardize Improve-ments
Study the Results
Try Out Improvement Theory
PLAN
Analyze Causes
Define the System
AccessCurrent Situations
ART process is based on a cycle called
PlanPlanDoDo
StudyStudyAct Act
PLAN Spring 2006
Only 64% of 2nd grade students were at the proficient level in vocabulary
2005/2006 ITBS Vocabulary Subtest
PLAN
Why are vocabulary scores so low on 2nd grade ITBS?
Teachers
Want a process to teach words and their meanings that is aligned in the building.
Methodology
We teach sight words explicitly to students.Want and need a process for word knowledge.
Materials
We are not using a standardized curriculum for vocabulary instruction.
K/1 Students
*Lack of extensive working vocabulary for many students.*Many Tier 1 and 2 words are unknown to many of our students.
DOSpring 2006
Looked at systematic and research-based vocabulary programs
Bringing Words to Life by Isabel Beck
Elements of Reading by Isabel Beck
STUDY Spring 2006
“How could we begin to implement a vocabulary program for Kindergarten and first graders in the fall of 2006?”
ACT
Spring 2006
Decided to utilize children’s literature selections inBringing Words to Life
PLAN Fall 2006
To develop a receptive assessment tool
DOFall 2006
For each story at each grade level:
•Collected 9 storybooks •Created and displayed 3 Boardmaker pictures
STUDY Fall 2006
How to make vocabulary instruction consistent
STUDY Fall 2006
Were 3 words enough?
WOW Words Weekly Progress (first trimester)
6973
7572
81
9295
97 96
50
60
70
80
90
100
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Week
Pe
rce
nta
ge
co
rre
ct
WOW Assessment – 1st Trimester
ACT
Fall 2006
•Focused on 1 book and 3 targeted words each week
•Shared teaching ideas
PLAN Winter 2007
•To increase from 3 to 10 targeted words
•To make WOW books more accessible
DOWinter 2007
•Made 10 Boardmaker pictures for each story
•Purchased classroom sets of books
STUDY Winter 2007
•Studied weekly random assessments
•Collected feedback from teachers
STUDY Fall 2007
WOW Words Weekly Progress 2006-2007
60
65
70
75
80
85
90
95
100
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Week number
Perc
en
tag
e o
f
wo
rds c
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ect
1st trimester
WOW Words Weekly Progress 2006-2007
60
65
70
75
80
85
90
95
100
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Week number
Perc
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tag
e o
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wo
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ect
1st trimester
STUDY Winter 2007
WOW Words Weekly Progress 2006-2007
60
65
70
75
80
85
90
95
100
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Week number
Perc
en
tag
e o
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wo
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1st trimester
2nd trimester
WOW Words Weekly Progress 2006-2007
60
65
70
75
80
85
90
95
100
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Week number
Perc
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tag
e o
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wo
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ect
1st trimester
2nd trimester
ACT
Winter 2007
Brainstormed reasons why teaching more words was not effective
ACT
PLAN Spring 2007
•To decrease from 10 to 6 words per week
•To make completed WOW books available to students
DOSpring 2007
Adjusted number of Boardmaker pictures to 6 per book
DO
Created a teacher survey for feedback
Spring 2007
STUDY Spring 2007
Continued weekly random assessments and feedback from teachers
STUDY Spring 2007
Studied data collected throughout the 3 trimesters.
STUDY Spring 2007
WOW Words Weekly Progress 2006-2007
60
65
70
75
80
85
90
95
100
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Week number
Perc
en
tag
e o
f
wo
rds c
orr
ect
1st trimester
WOW Words Weekly Progress 2006-2007
60
65
70
75
80
85
90
95
100
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Week number
Perc
en
tag
e o
f
wo
rds c
orr
ect
1st trimester
STUDY Spring 2007
WOW Words Weekly Progress 2006-2007
60
65
70
75
80
85
90
95
100
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Week number
Perc
en
tag
e o
f
wo
rds c
orr
ect
1st trimester
2nd trimester
WOW Words Weekly Progress 2006-2007
60
65
70
75
80
85
90
95
100
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Week number
Perc
en
tag
e o
f
wo
rds c
orr
ect
1st trimester
2nd trimester
STUDY Spring 2007
WOW Words Weekly Progress 2006-2007
60
65
70
75
80
85
90
95
100
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Week number
Perc
en
tag
e o
f
wo
rds c
orr
ect
1st trimester2nd trimester3rd trimester
WOW Words Weekly Progress 2006-2007
60
65
70
75
80
85
90
95
100
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Week number
Perc
en
tag
e o
f
wo
rds c
orr
ect
1st trimester2nd trimester3rd trimester
ACT
Spring 2007
Decided to make a WOW notebook for each teacher
ACT
Spring 2007
Discussed developing an expressive vocabulary assessment
PLAN Summer 2007
To create WOW notebooks:
– Vocabulary schedules– Story maps– Examples of teaching
activities
DOSummer 2007
Added an implementation log to the data collection component
DOSummer 2007
Developed an expressive assessment tool to be used by each teacher
DOSummer 2007
Created common, uniform, kid-friendly definitions
STUDY Summer 2007
Began to study explicit instruction models and techniques
ACT
Summer 2007
Finished notebooks and presented them to teachers in August
PLAN Fall 2007
To begin explicit instruction in a more systematic and building-wide format
DOFall 2007
Asked teachers to follow the daily vocabulary schedule
DOFall 2007
•Collected data from random assessments
•Sent home weekly word list
STUDY Fall 2007
Studied expressive assessment, PPVT, and weekly implementation logs
STUDY Fall 2007
02468
101214161820
Class 1 Class 2 Class 3
PPVT Gains - Fall 2006 to Fall 2007
1 year,
7 months
1 year,
5 months
1 year,
4 months
STUDY Fall 2007
59%
39%
34%
52%
72%
60% 58%57%
46%
61% 61%
70%
77%
53%50%
60%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Sept. 14 Sept. 28 Oct. 12 Oct. 26 Nov. 9 Dec. 7 Dec. 21 Jan. 11 Test 9 Test 10 Test 11 Test 12
Test Dates
per
cen
t o
f w
ord
s co
rrec
t
K
1
Vocabulary
Perc
ent
of
Word
s C
orr
ect
Test Date
ACT
Fall 2007
Piloted an explicit instruction model and activities to reinforce learning
ACT
Fall 2007
Provided on-going staff development
PLAN Winter 2008
•Refined weekly schedule•Established daily teaching plan
PLAN Winter 2008
•Created story summaries and graphic organizers
•In-serviced staff
WOW is now part of Grant’s WOW is now part of Grant’s school culture with school culture with
building-wide building-wide teacher/staff/student buy-inteacher/staff/student buy-in
Continue to implement Continue to implement the PDSA cyclethe PDSA cycle
Where do we go from here?
WWords ords OOf the f the WWeekeek Vocabulary ProjectVocabulary Project
WWords ords OOf the f the WWeekeek Vocabulary ProjectVocabulary Project
Cedar Rapids, IowaCedar Rapids, IowaGrant Early Childhood Grant Early Childhood
CenterCenter