Vocabulary and Decoding - RPI

On Days 1-3 of the Manaiakalani Reading Practice Intensive we focussed on pillars 1 and 2: Planning for Ambitious Outcomes and Planning to Use Diverse Texts. Today we continued to focus on the second pillar, but with a more detailed analysis of Guided Reading. Regular and systematic Guided Reading offers particular benefits for teaching, observing and scaffolding learners to develop skills and strategies to better comprehend text with teacher support. 

Dorothy started off the session discussing the Manaiakalani Kaupapa and Shared Pedagogy, especially in relation to reading and addressing the reading achievement challenge. The Welcome to School language metrics showed that many children in the Tamaki area start school with a developmental language level of 3-4 years, highlighting the need for vocabulary enrichment opportunities. What is important is that there are lots of chances to improve vocabulary.

Vocabulary plays a vital role in reading, and it's important to provide robust instruction to develop strong word knowledge. One key aspect is assessing students' prior knowledge and identifying any gaps that need to be filled. By giving students words beforehand, we can gauge what they already know and what areas we need to focus on. It's important to help students understand vocabulary in context, as it allows them to see how words are used and their meanings in different contexts. Making target words visible is essential, as it enables students to see, say, and write the words to reinforce their understanding. 

One task we did today was the "Spotlight" Word Knowledge Organiser.  Currently, I write a list of vocabulary we need to understand before guided reading, and we discuss their meanings before we read.  As we read, we tick the words however many times they are read.  I plan to use the template linked in place of this.

What I found particularly interesting is that research shows that vocabulary knowledge accounts for a significant portion (80%) of the variation in reading comprehension scores. A learner's vocabulary serves as the strongest predictor of reading comprehension, and by Year 5, 70% of reading difficulties are related to vocabulary. 

Additionally, reading comprehension is closely linked to oral vocabulary skills. It's essential to incorporate pronunciation practice when introducing new words during guided reading sessions.  Currently, I often call out "I say, you say" to promote the pronunciation of new words to my akonga, but I definitely have room to become more explicit in teaching pronunciation.  Word knowledge develops incrementally through repeated encounters, and can allows us to foster high-quality literacy learning experiences.  My key work on for this can be summarised by these words : "Repetition without boring."

One of my key takeaways from the "Chalk 'n Talk" session with Naomi was : ALL students can benefit from high-quality vocabulary instruction. Words can be known to different levels of knowledge.  This was a good reminder to me that : although it is said 'learning to read' transitions into 'reading to learn' by the time a student gets to senior school, even students who have a large vocabulary repertoire can enrich their knowledge in ways that make it more accessible and productive.

The biggest learning I am excited to take away with me is what I learnt about vocabulary instruction, specifically how it is crucial to select and teach Tier 2 words, which are less frequent but have wide applicability across various contexts and are more academically oriented. These words, such as "hilarious," "endure," and "compare," have a powerful impact on verbal functioning and contribute to precision and sophistication in language use.  As learners are less likely to encounter Tier 2 words in everyday conversation, targeted teaching becomes essential.

Ngā mihi to the RPI team for today's session.  I have come away with an improved understanding of vocabulary and decoding and many ideas I am excited to implement in Term 3.