Using Visual Association

Skills to Learn Word Meanings

&
Deconstructing Verbs to Infer
Character Emotions

Beth Lawrence, MA, CCC-SLP

Deena Seifert, MS, CCC-SLP
CommunicationAPPtitude.com
InferCabulary© WordQuations©
DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

We are Beth Lawrence and Deena Seifert,

speech-language pathologists and co-founders of
Communication APPtitude LLC, which has, thus far,
created two iPad vocabulary apps, InferCabulary©
and WordQuations©. We have not yet financially
benefitted from the sales of these apps, but plan to
do so. The concepts presented in today’s course are
concepts on which the apps were developed. We
have no non-financial relationships to disclose.
 Vocabulary Defined

In everyday language, vocabulary is the

knowledge of words and word meanings.

In the education setting, vocabulary is the

knowledge of the kinds of words that students
must know to read increasingly demanding
text with comprehension (Kamil & Hiebert,
2005)
Vocabulary and Comprehension

“Vocabulary is the glue that holds

stories, ideas and content
together…making comprehension
accessible for children.”

(Rupley, Logan & Nichols 1999)

 When do students KNOW a word?

“The ability to use a word in

speaking or writing demonstrates
true ownership of the word.”

(Moats, 2009, p. 7)
Vocabulary Research
What We Know…

Phonics
Fluency

Vocabulary

READING COMPREHENSION
What we learned at 2012
International Dyslexia Association:

RESEARCH
PHONEMIC VOCAB
AWARENESS -ULARY

FLUENCY
 The National Reading Panel
(NICHD, 2000)

 Identified vocabulary as one of five

major components of reading

 Its importance to overall school

success, and more specifically to
reading comprehension, is widely
documented (Baker, Simmons, & Kame’enui,
1998; Anderson & Nagy, 1991)
 Early Vocabulary Struggles

•Children with restricted vocabulary by Grade 3

have declining comprehension scores in later
elementary years. (Chall, Jacobs, & Baldwin, 1990)

•By Grade 4, many children experience a “slump”

in reading comprehension caused by below grade
level vocabularies. (Becker, 1977; Chall, Jacobs &
Baldwin, 1990; Chall & Jacobs, 2003)
 Matthew Effect

 Children learn most new vocabulary through

wide reading.
 Children with reading problems/less access or
interest in reading read less than proficient
readers.
 Children with reading problems read less
challenging texts than proficient readers.
Matthew Effect
 The result is that children with reading problems
read even less and choose simpler materials.

 The more words a child knows, the more complex

text that child will be able to read.

 The more complex texts a child can read, the more

words they will learn.

 The reverse is also true. Thus, the “rich get richer

and the poor get poorer.”
Comprehension

“Adequate reading comprehension

depends on a person already
knowing 90–95% of the words in a
text.” (Nagy & Scott, 2000)
What are Common Core Standards

“The Common Core State Standards provide a

consistent, clear understanding of what
students are expected to learn, so teachers
and parents know what they need to do to help
them. The standards are designed to be
robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting
the knowledge and skills that our young
people need for success in college and
careers.”
Common Core Standards Initiative
 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.L.4: Demonstrate
understanding of figurative language, word
relationships, and nuances in word meanings.

 CCSS-ELA-Literacy.CCRA.L.6: Acquire and use accurately

a range of general academic and domain-specific words
and phrases sufficient for reading, writing, speaking and
listening at the college and career readiness level;
demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary
knowledge when encountering an unknown term
important to comprehension or expression.
Common Core Standards Initiative
 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.L.4: Demonstrate
understanding of figurative language, word
relationships, and nuances in word meanings.

 CCSS-ELA-Literacy.CCRA.L.6: Acquire and use accurately

a range of general academic and domain-specific words
and phrases sufficient for reading, writing, speaking and
listening at the college and career readiness level;
demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary
knowledge when encountering an unknown term
important to comprehension or expression.
Common Core Standards Initiative
 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.L.6.5c: Distinguish
among the connotations (associations) of
words with similar denotations (definitions)
(e.g., stingy, scrimping, economical,
unwasteful, thrifty).
Common Core Standards Initiative
 “They must also be able to determine or clarify the
meaning of grade appropriate words encountered
through listening, reading, and media use;

 come to appreciate that words have nonliteral

meanings, shadings of meaning, and relationships
to other words;

 and expand their vocabulary in the course of

studying content.”
 Gold Standard
Vocabulary Instruction
 Multiple exposures:
conceptual,
contextual, &
definitional.
Writing dictionary Learning new
definitions is not concepts requires
recommended active
practice involvement

“Owning”
Vocabulary
We cannot just teach students to use
context clues, because:
 Students may presume the wrong meaning.
 There is often not enough information in
the text to allow students to adequately
infer meaning.
 The passage may be too general.
 They may miss alternate contexts and
believe they “know” the word.

From Bringing Words to Life, Beck & McKeown

 National Reading Technical Assistance
Center Research Synthesis 2010

 Vocabulary Knowledge: “Know the definition and how

it functions in different contexts.” (Stahl and Kapinus
2001)

 Long-term vocabulary development: reading

extensively is important. (Cunningham 2005)

 Computer technology can be used effectively to help

teach vocabulary.
Depth of Word Knowledge

Can define it

Know It
can use context clues,
can answer simple
questions about it

can categorize, provide

synonyms/antonyms, part-whole,
continuum, semantic features etc.
Which Vocabulary to Teach?
Tier 3
low frequency use
limited to specific knowledge domains

isotope, lathe,
Tier 2 peninsula, refinery
high frequency,
mature language users
clock, baby, ball,
found across a variety of knowledge domains
happy, run
Tier 1
coincidence, absurd,
basic words
industrious
rarely require instruction
Experienced frequently
Example from Paragraph
Johnny Harrington was a kind master who treated his
servants fairly. He was also a successful wool merchant
and his business required that he travel often. In his
absence, his servants would tend to the fields and cattle
and maintain the upkeep of his mansion. They performed
their duties happily, for they felt fortunate to have such
a benevolent and trusting master.

- Kohnke, 2001, p. 12 & Bringing Words to Life

Organizers
Vocabulary Continuum
Vocabulary Continuum

depressed morose sad

happy overjoyed ecstatic

 Using Visual
Association Skills to
Learn Word Meanings
 Visuals to Support Vocabulary

fotosearch.com, photospin.com or
dreamstime.com to support comprehension

More vocabulary cards coming home from various

schools with a drawing or picture of some sort

It’s still not enough…

Case Study

This dyslexic student has:

119 Performance Quotient/86 Verbal Quotient:

Words from literature Her antonym after reading

definition

prominent poor
reluctant outgoing
procure want
obstinate nice
intrigued ignoring
The next week I presented
these pages…
Prominent
Reluctant
Procure
Obstinate
Oblivious
Clutch
InferCabulary Method
©

for nouns and adjectives

We devised InferCabulary as a method to

avoid using language (the students’ primary
weakness) as the initial method to teach
vocabulary meaning for nouns and
adjectives.
 InferCabulary ©

With InferCabulary, students are exposed to one

PowerPoint page containing five or six images that
represent the meaning of each vocabulary term in
a variety of contexts, exposing students to multiple
contexts at once.
 Reluctant

Should I answer the question I don’t want to go to the vet!

or just be quiet?

I know this medicine will

I don’t want to know I don’t want to get up yet.
make me better, but it
what it says!
makes me sick.
 Reluctant
Synonyms Antonyms
unwilling enthusiastic

hesitant willing

afraid brave

averse eager

wary ready

cautious confident

reticent brave
 Using the InferCabulary Method©

for nouns and adjectives

1. Have your student apply a self-rating to their

vocabulary words.

2. Use the words that were rated #1 and #2.

Using the InferCabulary Method ©

(continued)

Go to a photo site (such as photospin.com,

dreamstime.com, etc.), type in the word and see
what images are available.

Look up synonyms for the word in thesaurus.

Go back to the photo site for additional contexts.

Download images or have the student draw them

on a template.
InferCabulary ©

Method for nouns

and adjectives
InferCabulary ©

Method for nouns

and adjectives
A car that won’t start A brother listening to his
little brother throw a fit

exasperated

A feeling of extreme
A business man who
frustration or irritation
dropped all his papers

A man whose
A student who has a
computer has crashed
mountain of homework
InferCabulary ©

Method for nouns

and adjectives
The soldier is out of sight. The eggs are hidden in the
grass.
Concealed

The magician hid the cards. Something that is

hidden

The hoodie keeps her The money is hidden away.

identity a secret.
Create Definition Card

Definition:

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

Category:

Associated
with:

I have:
Create Definition Card

Definition: When you clutch something, you

hold it tight

Synonyms: Hold, grasp, grip, seize, snatch,

embrace, cling to
Antonyms: Release, ease

Category: Action word

Holding
Associated Extreme emotion: anxiety, fear,
with: pain, happiness, love, excitement
I have: I clutched my purse when I was
walking downtown because I was
worried I might get robbed.
InferCabulary© on iPad
Deconstructing Verbs
Case Study: Charlie

Bright middle school student with

“scattered” comprehension

Difficulty visualizing due to shallow

understanding of verbs
Examples of glance from
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
“Her mother shook her head quickly, and glanced at the open
window covered only by the sheer curtain. Annemarie
understood.”

“Another man arrived: an old man, bearded. Quietly he went to

the living room and sat down, saying nothing to the others, who
only glanced at him.”

“Annemarie did instantly as she was told. The basket. The

packet, at the bottom. She covered it with a napkin. Then some
wrapped cheese. An apple. She glanced around the kitchen saw
some bread and added that. The basket was full.”
 WordQuations© Method for Verbs
Break down the synonym into an equation:

glance =
curious

look + fast + short + no time shy

+
casual
nervous

Base word + speed + degree + emotion/motive (+quality)

 WordQuations© Method for Verbs

plod =

walk + slow + heavy + exhausted + feet dragging

Base word + speed + heaviness + emotion/motive + quality

BASE WORD + FEATURE + FEATURE + EMOTION = SYNONYM

+ + +
=

Walk Slow Shuffling feet Bored Plod

BASE WORD + FEATURE + FEATURE + EMOTION = SYNONYM

+ + + =

Walk Slow Shuffling feet Exhausted Plod

 WordQuations© Method for Verbs

slink =

Picking up
walk + slow + light + secretive + feet

Base word + speed + heaviness + emotion/motive + quality

BASE WORD + FEATURE + FEATURE + EMOTION = SYNONYM

+ + +
=

Walk Slow Picking feet up Secretive Slink

BASE WORD + FEATURE + FEATURE + EMOTION = SYNONYM

+ +
+
=

Walk Slow Picking feet up Searching/ Skulk

Hunting
“Slink” featuring Ian Antal & Sarah Chin
Practice
WordQuations©

meander

yelp

gaze

scan
WordQuations©
 WordQuations©

walk slow light explore relaxed meander

heavy

Pain
talk fast loud surprise yelp
outrage

love
admire Admiration
look slow long predatory wonder gaze
assess enjoys

Looking hurried
read fast light for scan
something curious
“Meander” featuring Ian Antal & Sarah Chin
iPad
 Email:
[email protected]

Blog:
CommunicationAPPtitude.com

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in the Exhibit Hall Beth Lawrence, MA, CCC-SLP &
#1546 Deena Seifert, MS, CCC-SLP