Visualizing Vocabulary: Moving Beyond Lists and

Definitions

Victoria A. Oglan Ph.D.

oglanmon@mailbox.sc.edu

Deidre M. Clary, Ph.D.

clarydm2@mailbox.sc.edu

University of South Carolina

Lists and definitions have gone the way of the dodo

bird.

~Elin Keene

Vocabulary is a full contact sport.

~ Sara Holbrook and Michael Salinger

2D Palindromes…

are word squares in which every

row and column reads as a word in

both directions.

The “Nym” FamilyWords ending in –nym are often usedto describe different classes of words,and the relationships between words.The –nym literally means name, fromthe Greek onoma meaning name orword.

Some of the family members…acronyms antonyms aptronyms

autonyms tautonyms homonyms

hypernyms eponyms exonyms

patronyms contronyms bacronyms

synonyms meronyms metonyms

heteronyms hyperonyms hyponyms

autoantonyms capitonyms oronyms

paronyms pseudonyms retronyms

Words in a Word

Vocabulary

A ABA ABLY ABY ABORAL ACYL ALA ALAR ALARY ALB

ALBA AR ARAB ARC AURA AURAL AVA AY BA BAA

BAAL BAR BAY BAYOU BLOC BLUR BOA BOAR BOLA BORA

BOY BOYAR BRA BRAVA BRAVO BRAY BUOY BUR BURL BURLY

BURY BUY BY CAB CABAL CALORY CALVARY CAR CARBOY CARL

CAROB CAROL CAUL CAVALRY CAVY CAY CLARO CLARY

CLAY CLOY

CLUB COAL COB COBRA COL COLA CORAL COY CRAB CRY

CUB CUR CURABLY CURB CURL CURLY LA LAB LABOR LABOUR

LAC LACY LAR LARVA LAURA LAVA LAVABO LAY LO LOB

LOBAR LORY LOUR OAR OCULAR OR ORA ORAL ORB ORC

ORLY OUR OVA OVAL OVARY OVULAR RACY RAY ROB ROC

ROYAL RUB RUBY VACUA VACUO VACUOLAR VALOR VARA VARY VOCABULAR

VOCAL VOLAR YAR YOU YOUR

WORDS IN A WORD

VOCABULARY

125 WORDS

Let’s Predict

How many words are there in the English language?

How many words do you think you know?

What is the longest word in the English language?

What word in the English language has the most

meanings?

Set has 464 definitions in the Oxford English Dictionary

Run runs a distant second with 396

Rounding out the top 10 are: go with 368 take with 343 stand with 334 get with 289 turn with 288 put with 268 fall with 264 strike with 250

How many metaphors do you use in regular conversation

(free discourse)?

It is now well accepted that the chief cause of the achievement gap

between socioeconomic groups is a language gap.

~ Ed Hirsch 2003

Struggling readers lack word knowledge

Struggling readers do not use visualization as a strategy

Research also tells us word knowledge:

promotes reading fluencyboosts reading comprehension improves academic achievementenhances thinking and

communication

And… Students learn words through wide reading Knowing a word means more than knowing

a definition for the word Discussion leads to vocabulary learning Students learn words through strategy

instruction

What Doesn’t Work?

Copying definitionsWriting sentencesTelling students to “use context”Memorizing lists of definitions ~Feldman & Kinsella (2003)

Four Principles to Guide Vocabulary Instruction

Students should be active learners in vocabulary and strategies to enhance vocabulary

Students benefit from personalizing the learning of words

Four Principles to Guide Vocabulary Instruction

Students gain from immersion in words

Students augment their vocabulary through repeated exposure to words

Comprehensive vocabulary instruction thatincludes strategy instruction where students

are provided opportunities to play with wordsand language is a necessary part of a plan

for academic success.

Some Strategies to Think About… Word sorts Sticky note sentences Cloze tasks Word walls Picture walk (to introduce new words) Rebus Word webs

List, group label Ten important words Kid-Friendly definitions Word wonder ARTiculate the word Word curiosity

It’s Rebus Time!

What is a Rebus?

JOBINJOB

Search the web

www.cnn.com/studentnews www.funwithwords.com www.nytimes.com/pages/education www.smithsonian.com www.teachingtolerance.org

Become a wordsmith, a lexophile

Make your classroom a place where students learn to

become language collectors.

Remember…

One forgets words as one forgets names. One's vocabulary needs constant fertilizing or it will die.

~Evelyn Waugh

So Now We Are…

Thank You ROMANIAN mulţumesc

GERMAN danke (dahn-kah)

HAWAIIAN mahalo

HEBREW toda (toh-dah)

ICELANDIC takk

FRENCH merci (mehr-see)

SPANISH gracias

SLOVENIAN hvala

JAPANESE arigatô (ahree-gah-tow)