Target Audience

• Grades 4 & 5, including ELLs

Program Benefits

• Ensures students learn when and how to use word learning strategies for inferring the meanings of unknown words so that students are able to learn new words on their own
• All materials are included: Teacher's Guide, Student Activity Books, posters, quizzes, and tests
• Teacher's Guide provides step-by-step instructions and is easy to use
• Supplemental online instruction is available for ELLs and students needing remediation
• Online teacher training includes videos with experts and teachers who have taught the Word Learning Strategies program

How It Works

1. Before teaching the Word Learning Strategies program, teachers take an online training course. The interactive, 90-minute training utilizes video and other multimedia to explain the rationale and guiding principles of the program, introduce the WLS materials and lessons, and provide critical background information about prefixes, suffixes, context clues, and dictionary use.
2. Teachers teach the WLS core curriculum to their students—15 weeks of instruction on four word learning strategies: Word Parts, Context, Dictionary, and Combined. The strategies are taught using a set of guidelines that combine direct explanation and constructivism, two approaches that have proven very successful. The WLS lessons emphasize student motivation and include activities such as teacher modeling, guided practice, and independent practice.
   
   Online remediation lessons are available for students who learn at a slower pace. The 22 remediation lessons, which students can complete independently, support the strategy instruction going on in the classroom.
   
   Because English Language Learners face extra challenges in vocabulary development, there are two units of online instruction designed especially for them. The online instruction on idioms is suitable for all ELLs. The online lessons in cognates are intended for Spanish-speaking ELLs.

What Are Word Learning Strategies?

Word Learning Strategies are conscious and flexible mental processes that readers use to infer the meanings of unknown words they meet while reading. In the language we would use with students, they are "thoughtful plans for achieving a goal."

In the WLS curriculum, all students learn these four strategies: Word Parts, Context, Dictionary, and Combined. As part of their online work, ELLs learn two additional strategies: Idioms and Cognates.

ELL Strategies	Strategy Steps
Idioms Strategy: (for all ELLs)	When you find a group of words that doesn't make sense: Decide if you have found an idiom. Ask a native speaker what it means. Try the meaning in a sentence to see if it makes sense.
Cognates Strategy: (for Spanish-speaking ELLs)	When you find an unknown word: Decide if the unknown word might have a Spanish cognate. Think about the meaning of the Spanish word. Try the meaning in a sentence to see if it makes sense. If the meaning makes sense, you have found a cognate and figured out the meaning of an unknown word.

The Word Learning Strategies program includes all of the teacher and student materials needed for the core curriculum, as well as online lessons for the students and online resources for the teacher.

Learner Management System

The Teacher Website enables teachers to assign students to the online lessons, set up groups, and monitor student progress through the use of reports.

Teachers are able to access these areas:

• Preferences - change personal account information (such as username and password)
• Training - where teachers can access an interactive 60-minute course
• Students - add students or edit student information; assign students to groups; view reports about students
• Groups - add or edit groups of students; view reports about groups

Data for reports can be viewed and compiled by group or student.

Student reports:

• Provide general information about student progress (such as lessons completed, number of attempts, and best score)
• Provide details about student success for each lesson (such as start date, time taken to complete, and score)

Group reports:

• Provide summary information for each student in the group (such as number of lessons completed, number of attempts, and best score)
• Group data reports may be viewed by unit, by lesson, and lesson attempts per student

The electronic components of the Word Learning Strategies product are internet-based. Access to the Teacher and Student Websites requires a basic Macintosh or PC computer with a fast, stable, internet connection.

The Adobe Flash Player (version 10.0 or above) plug-in is also required for student lesson access. The core hardware requirements can be found at the following website: http://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer/systemreqs/

Students learn about the different word learning strategies with the help of superheroes who support the program's motto: Word Learning Strategies gives students the power to unlock word meaning.

The theme is carried into the content of the stories and the look of both the core curriculum print materials and the supplementary online lessons, serving as a motivator for students.

Core Curriculum

The Word Learning Strategies core curriculum consists of:

• 15 weeks of teacher-led instruction
• Three 30-minute lessons per week
• Four units, each named for the strategy being taught

Unit	Unit Description	# of Weeks	# of Lessons
Word Parts	Students learn to use the Word Parts Strategy to infer the meanings of unknown compound, prefixed, and suffixed words. The lessons include instruction on meanings of 10 prefixes and 8 suffixes. Prefixes: dis-, fore-, in-, im-, mis-, non-, over-, pre-, re-, and un- Suffixes: -able, -al, -er, -or, -ful, -less, and -ly	7	21
Context	Students learn to search the text for clues to an unknown word's meaning. They work with five types of context clues (definition, synonym, contrast, antonym, and general) in both instructional and authentic text.	5	15
Dictionary	Students learn to read every part of every definition to ensure they can find the definition that best fits the context of the unknown word.	1	3
Combined	This unit is the culmination of the WLS program. Students learn to choose the strategy or strategies that are most appropriate for the unknown words they encounter while reading.	2	6

Online Lessons for ELLs

Two units of online instruction are available for English Language Learners: Idioms and Cognates. Each unit contains three 10-15 minute lessons, which are structured as games.

Unit	Definition	Unit description	Intended Audience
Idioms	An idiom is a group of words having a meaning not deducible from the meanings of the individual words. Expressions such as "drop in the bucket" and "monkey business" are idioms.	This unit provides instruction on recognizing and dealing with idioms ELLs encounter in their reading.	all ELLs
Cognates	Cognates are words from two languages that have a similar spelling, pronunciation, and meaning. The English word family and Spanish word familia are cognates.	This unit provides instruction on recognizing cognates and using them as a word learning strategy.	Spanish–speaking ELLs

Core Curriculum Lesson Structure

Each 30-minute lesson begins with an overview page that includes:

• Key Messages
  The Key Messages are the points to be emphasized with the students during the lesson.
  
  
  
• Objectives
  Objectives describe what students will be able to do by the end of the lesson.
  
  
  
• Lesson at a Glance
  The Lesson at a Glance provides a quick overview of the lesson structure.
  
  
  
• Materials and Equipment
  Look under Materials and Equipment for a list of supplies needed for the lesson.
  
  
  

Product Alignment to Common Core Standards in English Language Arts

The purpose of the Word Learning Strategies program is to teach upper elementary students how and when to use the Word Parts, Context, Dictionary, and Combined Strategies to infer the meanings of words they encounter while reading. This purpose is in direct alignment with the Vocabulary Acquisition and Use Standard #4 for grades 3-5: "Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on [grade-appropriate] reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies."

The following table shows the specifics of the standard for each grade and how the standards align with the WLS program.

Vocabulary Acquisition and Use, #4			Alignment with WLS
Gr.	CCS #	Standard
3	4a	Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.	In the 5-week Context Unit, students learn to search the context surrounding the unknown word for definition, synonym, antonym, contrast, and general clues.
4	4a	Use context (e.g., definitions, examples, or restatements in text) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
5	4a	Use context (e.g., cause/effect relationships and comparisons in text) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
3	4b	Determine the meaning of the new word formed when a known affix is added to a known word (e.g., agreeable/disagreeable, comfortable/uncomfortable, care/careless, heat/preheat).	In the 7-week Word Parts Unit, students learn the meanings of 10 prefixes and 8 suffixes. They also learn to break compound words, prefixed words, and suffixed words into their component parts to infer the meaning of the whole word.
3	4c	Use a known root word as a clue to the meaning of an unknown word with the same root (e.g., company, companion).	(not addressed in WLS)
4	4b	Use common, grade-appropriate Greek and Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., telegraph, photograph, autograph).
5	4b	Use common, grade-appropriate Greek and Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., photograph, photosynthesis).
3	4d	Use glossaries or beginning dictionaries, both print and digital, to determine or clarify the precise meaning of key words and phrases.	In the Dictionary Unit, students learn to read every part of all the dictionary definitions for an unknown word to select the meaning that best fits with the context.
4	4c	Consult reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation and determine or clarify the precise meaning of key words and phrases.
5	4c	Consult reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation and determine or clarify the precise meaning of key words and phrases.

Word learning is a complex process that occurs over time as learners' breadth (size) and depth (quality) of knowledge about words expands. Word learning strategies help students independently learn new words as well as broaden and deepen existing word knowledge.

Type of Word Learning	Description
Learning a new meaning for a known word	The student has the word in her oral or reading vocabulary, but she is learning a new meaning for it. For example, the student knows what a branch is and is learning in social studies about both branches of rivers and branches of government.
Learning the meaning for a new word representing a known concept	The student is familiar with the concept but he does not know the particular word for that concept. For example, the student has had a lot of experience with baseballs and globes, but does not know that they are examples of spheres.
Learning the meaning of a new word representing an unknown concept	The student is not familiar with either the concept or the word that represents that concept, and she must learn both. For example, the student may not be familiar with either the process or the word photosynthesis.
Clarifying and enriching the meaning of a known word	The student is learning finer, more subtle distinctions, or connotations, in the meaning and usage of words. For example, he is learning the differences between running, jogging, trotting, dashing, and sprinting.

The Four-Part Vocabulary Program

In The Vocabulary Book: Learning and Instruction, author Michael Graves proposes a comprehensive four-part vocabulary program for all children:

1. Providing rich and varied language experiences
   Most words are learned incidentally. Capitalize on students' ability to indirectly learn new vocabulary by providing rich and varied language experiences. For children in the primary grades and younger, the best way to facilitate vocabulary growth is through myriad interactions that involve listening and speaking. A good way for students in the intermediate grades to increase their vocabularies is through frequent and extensive reading.
2. Teaching individual words
   Another way children learn vocabulary is through direct instruction. Not all vocabulary can be taught this way, but some of it can be. Teaching individual words involves more than having students look up the words in a dictionary, however. &lquot;Vocabulary instruction is most effective when students are given both definitional and contextual information, when learners actively process the word meanings, and when they experience multiple encounters with the words.&rquot; (Graves, 2006, p.6) In other words, read to kids, discuss the meanings of the new words, and have students use the words on their own.
3. Teaching word learning strategies
   You may be familiar with reading comprehension strategies such as asking questions before reading and summarizing when you’re finished. Students can also use strategies to develop their vocabulary. The most widely recommended ones are using context, using word parts such as prefixes and suffixes, and using the dictionary.
4. Fostering word consciousness
   The more students become aware of words, the more likely they are to use them skillfully and precisely. Encourage students to watch and listen for new words. Promote word play, and provide writing opportunities.

Importance of Word Learning

• Learning, as a language-based activity, is fundamentally and profoundly dependent on vocabulary knowledge (Baker, Simmons, & Kameenui, 1997).
• Language acquisition and word knowledge are crucial to reading comprehension and overall academic development.

Importance of Word Learning Strategies

• Word learning strategies are essential to teaching students how to independently learn new words, which is necessary since not all words can be taught directly.
• Independent word learning strategies support a generative knowledge of words that transfers and enhances students’ learning of words in addition to the specific words that are the focus of instruction (Pacific Resources for Education and Learning, 2004).

Teaching word learning strategies is identified as one of the two direct (explicit) types of vocabulary instruction

• Specific word instruction - teaching of specific words and their meanings
• Word Learning Strategies instruction - supports indirect learning of new words by teaching strategies (word parts, context, dictionaries) students can use independently to infer the meaning of unknown words they encounter while reading

Word Poverty and the Matthew Effect

Some children enter school with much smaller vocabularies than their peers, often due to limited language experiences at home. In addition, these children tend to be disproportionately from racial and/or ethnic minority groups and low socioeconomic status (SES). Louisa Moats (2001) describes this "gap in word knowledge between advantaged and disadvantaged children" as "word poverty."

To make matters worse, this vocabulary gap has been shown to persist and even widen as students progress through school. Students with larger vocabularies tend to experience early reading success that leads to further success in both vocabulary and reading, while those with smaller vocabularies tend to struggle with reading and tend to fall farther and farther behind their peers. This cycle in which "the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer" is commonly referred to as the Matthew Effect, a term originally used in sociology and later applied to education by Keith Stanovich (1986).

"By the time children are ready for kindergarten, some will have heard millions more words than others. Without intervention, this vocabulary gap can lead to a school achievement gap. That, in turn, can mean college for some, while others drop out without even learning how to read." (John Merrow, PBS NewsHour, "Chicago Program Aims to Close Achievement Gap for Youngest Students")

Did You Know?

• Students who don't have large vocabularies or effective word learning strategies often struggle to achieve comprehension. Their bad experiences with reading set in motion a cycle of frustration and failure that continues throughout their schooling (Hart & Risley, 2003; Snow, Barnes, Chandler, Goodman, & Hemphill, 2000; White, Graves, & Slater, 1990).
• Whereas intentional instruction can benefit all students, it is especially important for students who have not developed the decoding and comprehension skills necessary for wide reading. For these students in particular, intentional, explicit teaching of specific word meanings and of word learning strategies is especially important (National Reading Panel, 2000).
• For every word known by a child who is able to apply morphology and context, an additional one to three words should be understandable (Nagy & Anderson, 1994).

No Child Left Behind

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) identifies vocabulary development as one of the essential components of reading instruction. The NCLB Act, policy documents, reauthorization information, and other resources can be located on the U.S. Department of Education website.

The Vocabulary Book: Learning & Instruction (Graves, 2006)

The Vocabulary Book: Learning & Instruction presents a comprehensive four-part plan for vocabulary instruction. Chapter 5 focuses on teaching students word learning strategies.

Vocabulary Instruction: Research to Practice, Second Edition

Vocabulary Instruction is a comprehensive guide to research-based vocabulary instruction, and provides practical suggestions for teaching specific words and word learning strategies.

Institute of Education Sciences - What Works Clearinghouse

The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) initiative was created in 2002 to be a central and trusted source of scientific evidence for what works in education. Find information about various types of interventions including programs, products, practices, and policies.

Research-Based Teaching Approaches

The Word Learning Strategies program uses a powerful approach to teaching strategies that involves a combination of two widely researched and widely recommended approaches—direct explanation of strategies and constructivist principles.

Direct explanation of strategies includes:

• an explicit description of the strategy and when and how it should be used,
• teacher and/or student modeling of the strategy in action,
• collaborative use of the strategy in action,
• guided practice using the strategy with gradual release of responsibility, and
• independent use of the strategy (Duke & Pearson, 2002).

Constructivist principles include:

• giving substantial attention to motivating students to use the strategies,
• discussing with students the value of the strategies and rationales for using them,
• providing verbal explanations and collaborative discussion of the thinking processes associated with strategy steps,
• providing extensive feedback and engaging in substantial collaborative discussion with students as they try strategies, and
• extending instruction and practice over a long period of time and across diverse tasks (Pressley, Harris, & Marks, 1992).

Principles Underlying the Word Learning Strategies Instructional Approach:

• Motivate students to use the strategy.
• Provide a description of the strategy and information on when, where, and how it should be used.
• Model use of the strategy for students on a text the class can share.
• Work with students in using the strategy on a text the class can share.
• Gradually give students increased responsibility for using the strategy on their own.
• Gradually increase the complexity of the task.
• Give students opportunities to construct knowledge.
• Review the strategy and further discuss students' understanding of it and their responses to it from time to time.
• Work over time to help students use the newly learned strategy in authentic in-school and out-ofschool tasks.

Field testing of the program has taken place over two phases of SBIR development. Phase I occurred in a public elementary school in a first-tier suburb of Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota and consisted of three trials. A different 4th grade classroom participated in each trial. Seventy-seven students in the three separate classrooms were pre- and post-tested on their knowledge and skills related to using prefixes to infer unknown words. Students overall showed a statistically significant gain in their pre- to post-test scores on a 21-point test, and each class also showed statistically significant gain.

Class	Pre Mean (sd)	Post Mean (sd)	t	P
All 3 Classes	6.08 (2.10)	14.60 (5.52)	13.19	<.001
Class 1	5.75 (1.86)	14.08 (4.82)	7.95	<.001
Class 2	6.08 (2.02)	14.85 (5.35)	7.82	<.001
Class 3	6.46 (2.40)	14.90 (5.14)	6.91	<.001

The first field test for Phase II took place in another public elementary school in the same first-tier suburb used in Phase I. In this phase, one 4th grade teacher and one 5th grade teacher taught a 15-week curriculum on morphology, context, and the dictionary. Forty-six students in the two classrooms were pre- and post-tested on their knowledge and skills related to morphological, context, and dictionary word learning strategies to infer unknown words. The 4th and 5th grade students showed statistically significant gains from pre- to post-test on a 30-point test. One thing we were particularly encouraged to see in the results was the lower standard deviations on the post-test results. This is a good indication that most children are learning the material well and few are being left behind, something we are very much striving to do in the program.

Class	Pre Mean (sd)	Post Mean (sd)	t	P
Both Classes	21.76 (4.72)	27.21 (2.67)	9.26	<.001
4th Grade	21.56 (4.24)	27.17 (2.48)	6.87	<.001
5th Grade	22.00 (5.34)	27.26 (2.96)	6.06	<.001

The final field test for Phase II will be completed by early 2012 and will take place in a large urban district in which approximately two-thirds of the students are Spanish-speaking ELLs. One 4th-grade and one 5th-grade teacher will teach the WLS program, and another 4th grade and 5th grade teacher will teach control classes. Students will again be pre- and post-tested on their knowledge and skills related to morphological, context, and dictionary word learning strategies to infer unknown words. In addition, we will test online instruction on using cognates to infer word meanings for Spanish speaking ELLs, online instruction on recognizing and dealing with idioms for all ELLs, and online remedial instruction for students teachers identify as needing more work on word learning strategies.

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