Impact of Direct Vocabulary Instruction on Comprehension Levels

Problem

• Reading is a challenge for ELL students
• Limited comprehension ability due to the lack of vocabulary background
• No enjoyment or motivation to read if they don't understand the text

Purpose Statement

The purpose of this study was to integrate direct vocabulary instruction into the students' daily schedule to evaluate the impact it had on the proficiency of students' comprehension levels and their motivation to read.

1. What impact will direct instruction have on ELL students' reading comprehension levels?

2. What effect will comprehension levels have on student motivation to read on their own?

Setting and Participants

• Title 1 elementary school located in Orange County with population of 98% Hispanic and 2% other
• 25 first grade students
• 22 EL learners and 3 EO students
• 4 inclusion students

Confidentiality and Informed Consent

• Research was written without any names
• Data collected solely by researcher and kept in a locked cabinet
• Informed consent was gained from principal and parents of participants

Literature Review

• Vocabulary growth largely determined by parental practices until 3rd grade (Biemiller, 2003)
• By age 3, children from professional families - 1100, working families - 750, welfare families - 500
• Gap widens to nearly 4000 words by 2nd grade

Untitled Slide

• Vocabulary is one of the key elements in learning how to read and reading to learn (Pullen, Tuckwiller, Konold, Maynard, & Coyne, 2010)
• Children use their oral vocabulary to decode words
• Vocabulary demands increase in text in upper grades making comprehension difficult

Untitled Slide

• Very few studies address vocabulary instruction with elementary children
• National Reading Panel (2009) found trends across studies - vocabulary needs to be taught directly and indirectly
• Not a single method to teach but should include active thinking and multiple opportunities to use them

Untitled Slide

• EL learners lack incidental exposure
• Large gap of vocabulary knowledge between EO students and EL learners does not diminish so important for EL learners to receive vocabulary instruction (August, Carlo, Dressler, & Snow, 2005)
• EL learners need instruction in both Tier 1 and Tier 2 words

INTERVENTION

• 5-week study
• Weeks 1 & 5 - gathered baseline data and conducted assessments to collect data from results after intervention
• 3 weeks of direct vocabulary instruction

Untitled Slide

Weekly Schedule for Vocabulary Instruction

Untitled Slide

Untitled Slide

Untitled Slide

Untitled Slide

Day 4

• What does the word ____ mean?
• How would you use the word ___ in a sentence?
• Is the word ___ a noun or a verb?
• What is the antonym/synonym of ___?
• Which word means _____?

Untitled Slide

Journal Reflections

• Pictorial representation & game were most engaging
• Identifying parts of speech was the least engaging - need to change method of delivery
• Game included a spiral review of words previously introduced

Methods

• Triangulated data was collected from student-generated artifacts, observational data, and inquiry data
• Student-generated artifacts - running records, vocabulary tests, vocabulary notebooks
• Observational data - observation and reflection notes
• inquiry data - student survey

Untitled Slide

Untitled Slide

Findings

Vocabulary Assessment Week 3

Vocabulary Assessment Week 5

Findings

• Week 3 (12 words) - median score 62.5%
• Week 5 (18 words) - median score 78%, 4 students below the median
• Explicit instruction, daily activities, and spiral review helped students retain knowledge of vocabulary words

Performance on Comprehension Questions

Findings

• Baseline data - 80% of students answered 2 or less questions correct
• 20% to 60% increase of students answering 3 or more comprehension questions correctly
• students gained more meaning of words to understand text and more confidence as they identified words they knew

Feelings Towards Reading

Time Spent Reading at Home

Findings

• Pre intervention - 23 students liked or loved reading and 2 students disliked it
• Post intervention - 24 students liked or loved reading and one student hated it
• Read at home - decrease from 92% to 80%

Conclusions

• Direct vocabulary instruction increased comprehension levels but did not increase motivation levels
• Marzano's six-step process did help students gain vocabulary knowledge to help understand text better
• Students were motivated to learn new words but increase in comprehension did not motivate them to read on their own

Recommendations

• Find list of common Tier 1 and Tier 2 words to show similar results on any assessment
• Extend intervention period
• Revise student survey, include parent survey, and log time students spend reading in class on their own