Breaking the Code (or Determing the Meaning of Words from Context)

As a rule, dictionaries should be a last resort when it comes to figuring out meanings of unfamiliar vocabulary in reading.  This is especially the rule with English language learners since they often take the first definition offered which may or may not be the appropriate choice for the sentence or passage the student is reading.  Another flaw with dictionary use is that it disrupts a student's focus.  Stopping every few sentences to "check the meaning" turns the reading process into a series of constant interruptions which leads to limited comprehension of the big picture.  Needless to say, such an approach does not help such students become good readers or develop a love of reading.

So what is a teacher to do?  Provide multiple opportunities to discover meaning from context!  Analyze what position the word has in a sentence remembering that nouns and verbs are the key parts of a sentence.  Adjectives and adverbs are just additional information that a reader does not really need to know.  Then see if there are clues within the sentence that offer insight into the meaning of a word.  If there is not enough information there, look at the sentence before and after and see if more information can be gleaned from this.

Should this not prove successful, look to word parts (prefixes, roots, suffixes AKA word parts).  Supplementing every lesson with a few key word parts boosts vocabulary.  Post them on word walls, have students refer to them regularly, make up games where the use of those word parts are instrumental to solving the question, and reinforce regularly. 

Try crossword puzzles.  Spelling City offers quite a few activities that students will enjoy as they "unknowingly" acquire a larger vocabulary base.  Another site for similar activities is found at DISCOVERY EDUCATION.

Make vocabulary activities engaging and stimulating and students will become better readers:)

Denise

ELL TEACHER PROS
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WEAVE WEBQUESTS INTO YOUR INSTRUCTION--GREAT LEARNING TOOLS FOR ALL KIDS ESPCIALLY ELLS!

Inquiry-based learning is an instructional objective that can creatively be addressed through  webquests. Students are generally partnered up with peers OR assigned to small cooperative groups to complete the necessary research for the assigned task.  Since students must work on computers to do the work, their motivation is high! 

What does a webquest look like?  Here is one on volcanoes.  VOLCANO WEBQUEST
Teachers provide students with basically 5 key questions which can be easily be adapted to different English proficiency levels (as well as others with special needs).  The theme would still be the same, but students would take different routes to meet the demands of the task. This is inclusion in action!  Content is addressed with ease and language skills (including building academic vocabulary) are addressed. 

Below are the 5 questions from the webquest site on volcanoes:

1. Where can you find volcanoes? Is there a pattern? Do volcanoes always happen in the same places?
2.  What do volcanoes look like? What happens when they are active? What do dormant (sleeping) volcanoes look like?
3.  How do volcanoes make igneous rocks? What role do volcanoes have in the rock cycle?
4.  Do volcanoes change the shape of the earth? Are volcanoes important for making mountains?
5.  How do volcanoes affect the lives of people around the world? How can volcanoes be good for people? Why do volcanoes kill people? Why do scientists study volcanoes?  

 As you can see from the questions, students would be able to tackle them with relative ease.  If ELLs are working in small teams, they will find built in support within the group.  If ELLs are working with students who have more English than they have, they will be able to access the content and complete the assigned task.  ELLs can discuss websites, pictures, writing, reading, etc. within the safety of their teams before the group makes its presentation to the class.

Rubrics will keep the students on track and hold them accountable to complete the assignment.  With each of these 3 rubrics, students are working towards doing their presentation on volcanoes:

GROUP EVALUATION
Teams need to keep on track with the task.  Here they rate themselves.  Most students are generally honest with such evaluations.


SELF EVALUATION RUBRIC
From group evaluation to self evaluation.  Did the students feel that they personally fulfilled all the task requirements and how well did they do with the assignment?  Again, most students tend to if anything be harder on themselves than a teacher would be:)

EVALUATION RUBRIC
This tool would be used by the class to evaluate the presentations of other students.

There are many links on the net to find already created webquests as well as sites that will guide you in designing your own.  In fact, Cheryl and I hope to lead a 3 hour institute at CABE (California Association of Bilingual Educators) in March of 2013 at the Long Beach Convention Center on WEBQUESTS and how they support COMMON CORE.

Denise
ELL TEACHER PROS

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