Word study methods and applications

Education

Word Study

This handout is intended for teachers at a professional development workshop. It deals with:

) Word-study activities.

f) Word-study strategies.

g) Word-study assessment.

The following strategies / tools can be used to help readers enlarge their vocabulary

Dictionary

Dramatizing words

Sorting words into categories

Semantic feature analysis

Learning from word cards

Identifying context clues

According to Cambridge.org, dictionary consultations is one of the most preferred ways of leaning new words whilst learning form word cards ( new word on one side, meaning on the other) is least preferred. Context is extremely important, since decontextualized learning makes acquiring of vocabulary far harder and less easy to retain.

(ii) The Six Type of Context Cues (adapted from*)

Clue

Description

Sample sentence definition

Readers use definition of sentence to understand word

" the person was intimidating; Jim was frightened"

Example

Readers use the example to understand unknown word

"Spiders, frogs, and toads are examples of predators that eat flies."

Contrast

Readers understand unknown word due to contrast

" Most spiders live for one year, but tarantulas live for 20 years or more"

Logic

Readers think about the rest of the sentence to understand unknown word

"An exoskeleton acts like a suit of armor to protect the spider"

Root words

Readers use the knowledge of root words to figure out unknown word

"People who are terrified of spiders have arachnophobia"

Grammar

Readers use the word function in the sentence to figure out unknown word

"spiders generally mate five to ten times"

Another technique that is sometimes used for teaching foreign languages and can be applied to everyday vocabulary is students incorporating word into their everyday routine and seeing how many times they use it (Education. Com)

Helpful Strategies

Michael Graves' tripartite strategy:

1. Using context clues

2. Analyzing word parts

3. Checking a dictionary

Graves (2006) procedure:

1. Students reread sentence containing he word

2. Student uses clues (context) to figure out word

3. Students examines word parts

4. Student pronounces word

5. If student still can't recognize the word, he/she consults dictionary.

Cunningham and Allington's (2007) Self-Assessment Approach