Beck’s Rich Vocabulary Instruction:  The Nature of Vocabulary Instruction, Margaret C. McKeown and Mary E. Curtis, Lawrence Erlbaum Publisher, 1987

^Provide opportunities for maximal deep processing of words

^Have students manipulate words in varied and rich ways

^Words should be encountered with great frequency…over time and in multiple contexts

^Students should be encouraged to use the words outside of the vocabulary lesson

Sequence (repeated with subsequent groups of words)

1. Present words in semantic groups of 6-10 words (Mood: jovial, indignant, enthusiastic)

Friendship:  ally, buddy, adversary, acquaintance, kindred soul

Celebration:  occasion, honor, party,

2. Work over at least a weeks time, with daily lessons, including 8-10 exposures to the words
3. Have the kids make their thinking about what they are doing/learning explicit (why? How?))
4. Develop a sequence wherein each day requires increasingly deeper processing of the words

Day l:  Associate words with their meanings

                What does jovial make you think of?  What other words come to mind?

Day 2:  Associate words with contexts that do not contain the definitions

                Think of consequences, examples, actions related to the word (He really love football. 

                He’d take a day’s worth of food, a horn to blow, and wear his team’s sweatshirt to

                Every game. {enthusiastic}

Day 3:  Create (describe/make)contexts where the words could be appropriately used

             Draw a picture where jovial is appropriate

             Imagine and describe what an indignant teenager would say to a parent who

                Wanted her to wear “baby” clothes to a party            

Day 4:  Develop activities that show relationships among the words in the group

                Create a contest to see who can include two target words in a sentence; then 3…

                Write a poem with at least three of the words

                Play Jeopardy using at least two words in the answer or questions

Day 5:  Find ways to help kids extend their interaction with the words outside of the lesson

                Introduce Word Wizard…a contest with points for outside class encounters with the

                Target words….giving context and use of the word

Futures Lab