Saturday, January 27, 2007

New Research on Vocabulary and Learning

The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) has announced new research that helps document the connection between standards-based vocabulary instruction and future academic achievement.

View the full report: Building Academic Vocabulary Report

Posted by Jennifer Abell at 7:44 AM

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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

And taxpayers needed a study to determine that a methodical approach to vocabulary is better than the [non-existent] approach we have today?! What will we waste our money on next? A study to tell us nit wits that students benefit from using dictionaries?

English is required all 12 years. Students should have challenging weekly spelling lists and separate vocabulary lists each and every week from 1st grade all the way through high school.

Trash in, trash out. A gilded tongue requires effort from students and direction from educators. Instruction in vocabulary should be a staple in every classroom of any system worth it's salt. (Especially when they're charging taxpayers $9,000+ per pupil per year.) If we expect our children to utillize literature where the only interjections are profane words, and ghetto speech patterns are the norm, then we shouldn't be surprised when our graduates don't understand, let alone incorporate, multisyllabic words. Nor should we be surprised when hoards of them flunk the English HSA.

1/28/2007 12:20 AM
LegalBeaglette said...

I agree with you, Margaret. But did you look at this study? I was not impressed with its design or presentation. Also, I thought it curious that “The constructed-response items for the pre-test and the post-test were scored by a consultant hired by M&A. Because the consultant was proficient in both English and Spanish, scoring responses in both languages was possible.”

Hmmm…the premise of BAV and this study, that “teaching standards-based academic terminology using a specific six-step process can enhance students’ abilities to read and understand subject-area content and ultimately help students build a store of academic background knowledge that enhances academic achievement” is gobbledy-speak that translates to what in plain English?

1/28/2007 11:44 AM

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