Deck 7: Acquiring Word Meanings

Question 1

Which of the following are teacher behaviors that enhance vocabulary learning?

A) Checking, inquiring, proofreading, and explaining
B) Connecting, clarifying, relating, and elaborating
C) Correcting, reorienting, reflecting, and questioning
D) None of the above

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Approximately how rapidly does the vocabulary of children grow, according to research?

A) Seven to ten words per week
B) 1,000 words per year
C) A new word every day
D) 3,000 words per year

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Which of the following is the single most important thing a teacher can do to promote vocabulary growth, according to Nagy?

A) Increase the volume of students' reading of both narrative and informational texts
B) Read to students every day
C) Teach students to use the dictionary effectively
D) Teach students selected vocabulary from graded word lists

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Which of the following situations provide(s) opportunities for students to gain meaning vocabulary through oral language development?

A) Through read-alouds
B) Through teacher-directed group reading activities
C) Through writing activities shared with classmates
D) All of the above

Question 5

The most successful vocabulary-enhancing activities are those that do which of the following?

A) Allow students to memorize definitions in their own way
B) Involve active engagement with words taken directly from their reading
C) Require students to use the dictionary
D) Prepare students to pass standardized reading tests

Question 6

Which of the following is an example of showing students how the word shed differs from the word cabin?

A) Teaching new words that represent new concepts
B) Clarifying and enriching the meanings of known words
C) Moving words into students' speaking vocabularies
D) Learning new meanings for known words

Question 7

Which of the following activities would be the best for moving words into students' speaking vocabularies?

A) Context-relationship procedure
B) Semantic map
C) Contextual redefinition
D) Semantic gradient

Question 8

Which of the following activities would be the best for teachingstudents about word structure?

A) Divide and conquer
B) Class dictionary
C) Possible sentences
D) Semantic map

Question 9

Which of the following is an important idea to keep in mind when following basal manual instructions for introducing new meaning vocabulary?

A) Begin instruction assuming that students do not already know the new vocabulary.
B) Use as many senses as possible when introducing new words.
C) Encourage students to look up each new word in the dictionary.
D) All of the above

Question 10

According to the text, which of the following is the best independent vocabulary-enriching strategy students can be taught?

A) Using the dictionary wisely
B) Asking inferential questions
C) Using the context
D) Collecting words for a personal word bank

Question 11

Which of the following is NOT true of stuggling readers and their word knowledge?

A) They know fewer words.
B) They are unaware of the words they do not know.
C) They use the partial knowledge they do have about the word to decipher its meaning.
D) They get into the habit of skipping words they do not know.

Question 12

In which area do new standards call for deeper vocabulary knowledge and application?

A) Reading and writing of literature
B) Opinion text reading and writing
C) Informational reading and writing
D) Personal narrative reading and writing

Question 13

The sum total of a child's understanding of the meanings of words is called his or her __________.

Question 14

Students can often determine the meaning of __________by combining the meaning of the component parts.

Question 15

The most basic meaning structure of a word is called the __________.

Question 16

The teaching of dictionary skills should begin as early as __________ with the use of picture dictionaries.

Question 17

__________are important vehicles for helping students put together related information and develop additional words for the same concept.

Question 18

Words in the English language that have multiple meanings are called __________words.

Question 19

A class dictionary activity can be used to promote a positive association with the __________.

Question 20

When teachers respond to the language of learners in the early stages of language acquisition by elaborating on their one or two-word expressions, they are using the process of __________.

Question 21

You are about to teach a lesson on animal survival to a group of second graders. Your main goals are to develop meaning vocabulary and to enhance students' understanding of the roles pets play in their lives. Describe in detail how you would use a semantic map activity as a pre-reading strategy to begin such a lesson.

Question 22

Design and discuss an ideal classroom environment in which meaning vocabulary acquisition might flourish. Be sure to consider both English Language Arts and content area vocabulary. What, if anything, would you change in your design if you had many English learners in your classroom?

Question 23

What are the two types of meaning vocabulary instruction? Explain the purpose for each type of instruction and give an example of an activity you might use to develop each.