Key Concepts and Vocab:
Academic Vocabulary – frequently used words in social studies, math, science and language arts.
Three Tiers of Words: Tier 1: Basic Words- words used in a socially informal conversation at home or on playground. Tier 2: Academic Vocabulary- words that are more frequently written rather than spoken, they have a wide application in the school setting. Tier 3: Specialized Terms – content specific and are often abstract. Not used frequently to devote time teaching them.
Levels of Word Knowledge: Unknown word- words that are not recognized. Inital Recognition – words that have been seen, heard or even pronounced but the meaning is unknown. Partial Word Knowledge – one meaning of the word is known and it can be used in a sentence. Full Word Knowledge – more than one meaning is known and it can be used in several ways.
Word Consciousness – students interest in and awareness of words and their meanings.
Multiple Meanings of Words- Many words have more than one meaning. Multiple meanings for some words develop for the noun and verb forms. Other times the meaning develops through word play and figurative language. Additional meanings are acquired through reading.
Synonyms- words that mean nearly the same thing.
Antonyms- words with opposite meanings.
Homonyms- Words that sound alike but are spelled differently.
Root Words – Have no prefix or suffix. Root words are free morphemes or words that can stand alone as a word.
Affixes- syllables added to the beginning or end of a word to change the meaning.
Etymologies- is the history of words or the orgin of certain words.
Word Study Activities- Activites used for students to examine new words and think more deeply about them as they participate in the activity. Teachers use the activities to teach new academic vocabulary such as word posters, word maps or word chains.
Word-Learning Strategies- there are a variety of things a student can do when coming across an unfamiliar word that includes using context clues, analyzing word parts and checking the dictionary. When trying to figure out the meaning of a word students should reread the sentence containing the word, use context clues to figure out meaning, and examine word parts while looking for familiar root words and affixes to help aid in finding the meaning. If that does not help students should pronounce the word to see if they recognize it and if that dont help they should use the dictionary or ask for help from the teacher.
Application to Classroom: Teachers can catergorize unfamiliar words into three tiers which include basic words, academic vocabulary and specialized terms. The following vocabulary concepts will be taught: multiple meanings, synonyms, antonyms, homonyms, root words and affixes, etymologies and figurative language. Teachers will be able to teach academic vocabulary and word -learning strategies through a variety of activities. These things demonstrate responsibility and commitment to ensuring students are successful when it comes to vocabulary use.
Works Cited:
Tompkins, G. E. (2017). Literacy for the 21st century: a balanced approach. Boston: Pearson.
Amanda Jachthuber 
Great job!
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