Chapter 10

directive context

A context created specifically to provide enough information to determine a word's meaning.

word map

A graphic organizer for showing a concept in relation to its relevant attributes and to examples and nonexamples of the concept.

clarifying table

A graphic organizer used for teaching the meaning of complex terms.

concept ladder

A technique for examining the relationships among words.

word walk

A technique for focusing on targeted vocabulary words with young children before, during, and after reading a collection of storybooks that use the same targeted words.

open word sorting

A technique for grouping words that allows for a variety of classifications determined by the sorter(s).

closed word sorting

A technique for grouping words that relies on particular criteria provided by the teacher.

academic vocabulary

Common word forms specific to a content field.

morphemes

The smallest meaningful structures in language.

morphemic analysis

Structural analysis, or analyzing words by noticing their meaning-bearing parts, such as prefixes or suffixes.

list-group-label

A categorizing strategy developed by Hilda Taba intended to enhance vocabulary and concept development.

structured overview

A learning strategy designed to introduce new vocabulary as well as the overall organization of a selection that uses a graphic representation of terms essential to the selection through the use of the following steps: (a) listing the essential vocabulary; (b) arranging the words to show relationships between concepts: (c) adding vocabulary familiar to the students that assists in developing the relationships; (d) evaluating the diagram; (e) introducing the lesson by displaying the diagram and explaining the reason for the arrangement; and (f) continuing to relate information as the selection is read.

word clouds

Images produced by an online tool to give relative visual prominence to words that appear frequently in the source material.

context clues

The clues within the surrounding words, sentences, paragraphs, and illustrations that provide syntactic and semantic information.

word learning strategies

Using context and word parts to determine the meanings of words.

semantic gradient

Using opposite ends of a continuum to distinguish between shades of meaning.

homographs

Words that are spelled alike, but do not sound alike and do not have the same meaning (e.g., sow seeds versus sow as a female pig).

heteronyms

Words that have the same spelling but different meanings and different pronunciations.

associative words

Words that often occur together in reading (e.g., happy birthday, bacon and eggs).

homonyms

Words that sound alike and are spelled alike, but have different meanings (e.g., run a race, a dog run, run in your stocking, etc.).

homophones

Words that sound alike but have different origins and meanings and are often spelled differently.