Examine at least two different video clips, sources, or links (e.g., blogs, descriptions, videos) about children developing morphology. Drawing upon the readings and videos, prepare a short response (maximum 300-500 words):
a.) Identify two instructional approaches to teaching morphology that you would consider adopting into your instruction. Provide the link. State a rationale for the choice and how it might improve your instruction. OR b.) Write a summary about the role of morphology in language development. Morphology plays a crucial role in language development, shaping the structure and meaning of words. It is one of the core components of linguistic competence, and its acquisition is fundamental for effective communication. Morphology refers to the study of the internal structure of words and how they are formed from smaller units called morphemes. This process is integral to understanding and producing language. One of the primary functions of morphology in language development is word formation. Morphemes, the smallest units of meaning in a language, can be divided into two categories: free morphemes and bound morphemes. Free morphemes can stand alone as words, such as "book" or "run," while bound morphemes need to be attached to free morphemes to convey meaning, like the "-ed" in "walked" or the "-s" in "cats." Children learn to combine these morphemes to create more complex words, allowing them to express a wider range of concepts and ideas. As a secondary science teacher many words the students come across are of Latin or Greek origins. Mahony (1994) states that refinement of derivational awareness continues into high school as students encounter rarer words. It serves as a reminder that students may have learned the basics of morphology in lower grades, and it is important to review the concept and practice with more complex words they will come across. Displaying the PQRST mnemonic reference poster would serve as the reminder to morphology. After thinking more about morphology, I recalled teaching organic chemistry where again students are required to learn root words and the connection between the suffixes and number of chemical bonds. Example: alk-ane, alk-ene, and alk-yne. Switching over to mathematics and physics, the metric system utilizes morphemes in different units of measurement; milli-meter, centi-meter, meter, etc. Searching specifically for strategies to use with middle and high school students I came across this website: Using evidence-based strategies for morphology instruction with middle and high school students. — High School Speech Therapy (highschoolslp.com) I could see using the cent root worksheet with students and appreciate the other activities that are more grade appropriate for who I typically am teaching. In conclusion, morphology is a pivotal aspect of language development. It underpins word formation, morphological awareness, vocabulary growth, and grammatical competence. Children gradually acquire morphological knowledge through exposure to their native language and practice. Understanding the role of morphology in language development can provide valuable insights for educators and parents, as it highlights the importance of supporting children's morphological awareness and encouraging the exploration of word structure as they learn and develop their linguistic skills. Goodwin, A., Lipsky, M., & Ahn, S. (2012). Word detectives: Using units of meaning to support literacy. The Reading Teacher, 65, 461-470. DOI: 10.1002/TRTR.01069 Kirby, J. R., Deacon, S. H., Bowers, P. N., Izenberg, L., Wade-Woolley, L., & Parrila, R. (2012). Children’s morphological awareness and reading ability. Reading and Writing, 25, 389-410. doi:10.1007/s11145-010-9276-5 Kirby, J. R., & Bowers, P. N. (2012). Morphology works. What Works? Research into Practice, Ontario Ministry of Education Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat. Mahony, D.L. (1994). Using sensitivity to word structure to explain variance in high school and college level reading ability. Reading and Writing: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 6(1), 19–44. doi:10.1007/BF01027276
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Drawing upon your background knowledge, readings, and videos, choose 3 different instructional approaches to supporting vocabulary development. Analyze the commonalities that underlay these instructional approaches.
My prior knowledge of vocabulary development as a student and teacher is limited. I can recall making vocabulary sheets with the words and their definitions. Reading textbooks and critical words would be in bold with their definition either as a side note or found in the back of the book as a glossary. We would use the new words in our writing while in elementary school and in English classes in the higher grades. Teaching the reading program at Sylvan Learning we would provide spelling tests and use the words in a sentence. We taught students how to use context clues when reading to determine the meaning of an unknown word. Students learned about synonyms and antonyms to develop their vocabulary. I watched the Precision teaching in the primary classroom: Differentiated word sort video most recently and found it helpful to see the instructional method in action with students. This example works in the primary classroom, and I could see it being used in a resource setting with students who struggle with vocabulary development. I understand the concept of how this teacher grouped the learners into their different levels and wonder if they are always grouped in that fashion or if there are times when the groups are mixed with various levels in each. I think there is value in the mixed groups for students to work together and when the teacher is unable to provide the concentrated support needed for targeted groups. The decision on which words to teach is a theme amongst all the articles and the consensus is to focus on tier 2 words. Recall that tier 1 words are those typically found in oral language which require little instruction. Tier 2 are words with high utility for literate language users but not so common in conversation. Tier 3 are words that have particular and narrow roles in the language. Another aspect to consider is how well a student understands a word. Beck, McKeown, and Omanson (1987) identified the quantity of word knowledge along a continuum of levels: (a) no knowledge; (b) general sense of the word; (c) narrow, context-bound knowledge; (d) some knowledge of a word, but not being able to recall it readily enough to use it in appropriate situations; and (e) rich, decontextualized knowledge of a word’s meaning. Effective vocabulary instruction is motivating. What makes instruction for vocabulary effective is actively processing and manipulating words and contexts, which is exactly what makes the activities engaging and fun McKeown & Beck, (2011). The sample instructional sequence in this article is specific and easy to follow. You can see how the progression throughout the week is effective with the repetition of the words in different activities to keep the students engaged. Oral responses are easier for students to produce than written responses, and they allow students a window on the thinking of their peers. The intensity of the activities—the multiple encounters and the extended talk around examples produced by asking “why”—helps to ensure students’ success, even those students who often struggle with language activities, especially activities that focus on reading, McKeown & Beck, (2011). I appreciate the examples provided in the article The vocabulary rich classroom: Modeling sophisticated word use to promote word consciousness and vocabulary growth and have seen when adults use simple language with young children instead of promoting more sophisticated language. I understand when giving instructions it’s important students understand and there are ways to check for comprehension. Bauman & Graves (2010) refer to other authorities in the field and develops an answer to what is academic vocabulary. It does not go into teaching instructions which as a science and math teacher I wish there were some suggestions beyond here’s the new word and its definition. It does recommend some books that do address teaching vocabulary which may help with my earlier complaint. Fluency has been described as the bridge from phonics to comprehension (Pikulski & Chard, 2005). When a student develops fluency in terms of automaticity and prosody, they are no longer focused on word recognition, they can comprehend what they are reading, whether it is silent or oral reading. Breaking fluency down into two parts you get automaticity which is part of the fluency bridge that connects to phonics or word recognition. It refers to the ability of readers to decode words not just accurately but effortlessly or automatically. This is different from the speed someone can read. Prosody, the melodic features of oral language, is that part of fluency that completes the metaphorical bridge; it connects fluency to comprehension. To read with prosody, readers must have a sense of the meaning of a passage to know when to pause within sentences, to raise or lower their voices, to insert dramatic pauses, to emphasize particular words or parts of words (Rasinski & Samuels, 2011). Prosody is the opposite of monotone and in my opinion, contributes to the engagement of the reader and listener.
I found the MAPPS reading strategy to be of interest and something that I would try with students and families. I think this strategy could be used at different levels and would still be effective at the Secondary level with difficult material.
Parents can help children with fluency by reading aloud with the child and rereading the same story or passage with them. They can also alternate between reading to the child and having them read the next paragraph to the parent. They could turn on subtitles while watching television as the readers see text while simultaneously, or nearly simultaneously, hearing the words uttered while doing a preferred activity. I would suggest always having a book available so when the child is waiting they have something to do besides video games, etc. |
AuthorTanya Kerr is a current student of Queen's University Graduate studies. ArchivesCategories |