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In recent years the role of morphology has gained a great deal of attention regarding research on vocabulary and literacy learning. An attendant literature investigating morphology as a potentially rich context for instructional innovation has grown as well. Chapter 1 of this dissertation presents a critical review of that research. Its focus is on ways that this growing interest in morphology builds on lessons from previous decades of research on the relative effectiveness of instruction which targeted phonological features of words (sub-lexical features) compared to those which targeted learning to read words from context. A detailed description of the linguistic account of how English orthography operates to represent morphology and phonology is also presented. Two studies investigating the role of morphology and morphology instruction in relation to literacy learning and theories of reading are reported. The first study is an intervention using experimental and control classes (Grade 4 and 5) to investigate the effect of instruction about morphology on vocabulary learning. Hierarchical regression analyses controlling for initial vocabulary showed that the experimental group gained in measures of vocabulary compared to a control group and that the morphological treatment group made better use of existing vocabulary knowledge in learning new vocabulary. The second study is a quantitative synthesis of instructional studies assessing the effects of morphological instruction on sub-lexical, lexical and supra-lexical outcomes. Positive effects were found for morphological treatments compared to the 10 studies that used typical classroom instruction controls and effects equal to alternative treatments that mostly used well-established research-based instruction. Less able students and younger students generally exhibited greater gains than undifferentiated and older students. The results of these studies are discussed within the context of previous instructional research and established theories of reading and literacy instruction. It is suggested that the findings from these studies support the view that instruction should encourage learners to explicitly attend to the ordered lexical/sub-lexical morphological and phonological features of how oral and written words work as a means to foster generative word learning and greater literacy. / Thesis (Ph.D, Education) -- Queen's University, 2013-01-08 12:45:26.124

Thesis advisor: Susan Bruce / The acquisition of vocabulary is an important aspect of young children's development that may impact their later literacy skills (National Reading Panel, 2000; Cunningham and Stanovitch, 1997). Deaf children who are American Sign Language users, however, often have smaller vocabularies and lower literacy levels than their hearing peers (Lederberg and Prezbindowski, 2001; Schirmer and McGough, 2005). Despite the importance of teaching vocabulary for young deaf children, there are very few investigations on this important topic (Luckner and Cooke, 2010). This study examines the nature of vocabulary instruction by four early childhood teachers of deaf children (TODs) from two classrooms through a qualitative collective case study. Findings indicated that the Four-Part Vocabulary Program (Graves, 2006) could account for the nature of vocabulary in these classrooms; however, within this framework TODs used qualitatively different language strategies to address the unique aspects of teaching a visual language. Furthermore, there was interplay of teacher knowledge about learners, curricula, and pedagogy that informed their instructional planning and decision-making. Implications of this study include the varying roles of teacher knowledge, experience, and evidence in guiding ASL vocabulary instruction for TODs. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2013. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Teacher Education, Special Education, Curriculum and Instruction.

This study investigates how primary school teachers of grades F-3 pupils in a number of sample schools in Sweden use children’s literature and other methods to enhance their teaching of English. The study explores the attitudes of these teachers’ to using English children’s literature as a teaching tool to promote language development in their pupils, focusing on vocabulary. An empirical questionnaire study was carried out including a total of twenty-three respondents from seven schools in a Stockholm suburb. The respondents are all working teachers with experience of teaching English to young learners, particularly in grades F-3. This study contributes with new knowledge about the often-recommended use of children’s literature as a method for teaching English to young learners, connecting international research with empirical data from the Swedish context. While the results suggest that the majority of the respondents are positive to using children’s literature in their teaching and regularly do so, many of them feel that it is somewhat difficult to find relevant materials to plan, implement and evaluate lessons within the allocated time-frame. Based on these results, further research about how to create more effective ways of using children’s literature as a method for English vocabulary teaching in Swedish schools is recommended.

The number of underprepared students entering post-secondary education continues to be a national problem community colleges struggle with by providing remedial instruction while having to satisfy the demands for effective teaching accountability. Reading is one identified area needing remediation; and, a goal for programs to address this shortcoming is to increase vocabulary to improve reading comprehension. The problem was that students placed into developmental courses are often discouraged learners with low motivation and eschew the practice requisite for vocabulary learning. Many educators are interested in re-creating the compelling environment found in games to parlay the power of digital games to required curriculum learning in order to engage their students. However, despite the preponderance of recent literature advocating digital games for classroom learning, especially the use of complex endogenous games, there is limited empirical evidence for using digital games to achieve defined learning outcomes. Further, no recent studies have examined digital games use with developmental populations. The study designed, developed, implemented, and evaluated the blending of computer-based games with traditional classroom instruction to provide the repetition and active processing required for students to acquire new vocabulary. The goal was to develop a blended learning design to integrate instructional design and blending design practices to support and improve learning for vocabulary acquisition of developmental readers. A mixed-method (quantitative and qualitative) approach was employed and instructional events for vocabulary lessons were designed and developed using the framework of established models. Pretests and posttest measured achievement in vocabulary gains using three methods of practice: paper-based worksheet, text-based digital game, and video-style digital game. Survey instruments were used to determine students' enjoyment of and motivation using different treatments. Results confirmed that students found digital games a motivating instructional method; however, no advantage in improving achievement was found using text-based or video-style games over the traditional paper-based worksheets method. A description of the analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation of digital games blended with traditional classroom instruction is provided to assist those interested in pursuing digital game-based learning with post-secondary developmental populations. Recommendations are also provided for future research and educational game development.

he purpose of this study was to determine the effects of one approach to vocabulary instruction on the reading and writing vocabulary of fourth grade students in an individualized reading program. The vocabulary instructional approach used student-selected vocabulary words as well as instruction in vocabulary strategies such as context clues, structural analysis, and definition strategies. The twelve week study exposed one fourth grade classroom to vocabulary instruction in a Reading Workshop setting. Major components of the program were mini-lessons, which often involved vocabulary strategies, the silent reading of self-selected books, one-on-one researcher/student interactions, and the self-selection of vocabulary words. The research design is descriptive in nature and used both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Qualitative data included student interviews, teacher interviews, student writing samples, and field note observations. Quantitative data included vocabulary test scores from two groups of students, Group A and Group B. Group A participated in the self-selected vocabulary approach and received vocabulary instruction from the researcher acting as participant observer. Group B received some vocabulary instruction from their classroom teacher, but did not participate in the same program. The test was constructed weekly from a class (Group A) generated list of ten words. Results from vocabulary tests indicate that the vocabulary instruction was effective in helping Group A learn vocabulary. Multiple exposures to words as well as use of vocabulary words in context influenced student performance on tests. Results from qualitative data indicate that students attend to vocabulary words in their print environment. In addition, students used vocabulary words in expressive language, including writing and speaking. The results of this study support opportunities for wide reading, implementation of a variety of vocabulary strategies, repeated exposures to vocabulary words, and opportunities for student choice of vocabulary, as ways to enhance vocabulary learning.

This applied dissertation was designed to describe the effects of using a computerized reading and vocabulary development program with struggling third-grade students in a low socio-economic school setting. Vocabulary knowledge is paramount to developing and understanding unknown or unfamiliar words. Many students struggle with comprehension due to their limited exposure of vocabulary words. Students who have a limited vocabulary are often poor readers and continue to be a part of the academic achievement gap. This achievement gap appears to continue throughout the student’s time in school. In an effort to lessen this achievement gap, the educational system is now incorporating computerized instructions as a means to increase student’s academic achievement. Several benefits of incorporating computerize instructions into the school’s daily curriculum can be seen in both reading comprehension and literacy skills. Computer assisted instructions or CAI are designed to fit the specific needs of students and to provide differentiated activities that will further supplement the instructions in the classrooms. Computers are being used to present activities that are more interesting thereby motivating the students to become active learners who are also actively engaged in the learning process. The computers and the computer programs that are being implemented into the school systems are beginning to become an integral part in the daily curriculum of the schools. Using technology is just another way to provide students with opportunities to improve in the areas of vocabulary, reading, writing and their listening skills.

This mixed-method study examined the effects of the use of the Vocabulary Think Chart in seventh-grade science students’ understanding of scientific vocabulary. Participants included 89 students who attended the only three regular Earth Science classes in the study site. Participants were assigned to the treatment and comparison group according to the teachers’ wish on how they wanted to participate in the study. The experimental group received one week long preparation on the use of the Vocabulary Think Chart, followed by five weeks of using the strategy independently. Results of the study did not show a significant change on students’ scientific vocabulary understanding and raised questions about vocabulary instruction in science classes. Discussion of the results revolves around the Treatment Teacher’s influence in the study, time of intervention, and number of participants.

Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) is considered innovative in foreign language teaching. However, the body of research on TBLT employment in vocabulary instruction is still modest. This study explored teachers’ beliefs and practices regarding vocabulary instruction using TBLT. This study examined such application among Vietnamese high-school EFL teachers (N = 60) using a mixed methods research design. Data were collected using online questionnaires. Data analysis showed that 53.6% of the participating teachers associated vocabulary instruction with TBLT. However, regardless of their years as instructors, they still found it challenging to implement TBLT vocabulary instruction due to numerous factors. In fact, 66.2% of the participating teachers acknowledged a variety of constraints in applying TBLT, among which, exam-oriented curricula were reported as the biggest impediment.

Word frequency seems to be unknown for many teachers’ and possibly deemed not very important for vocabulary development. We set out to investigate the importance of incorporating word frequency in the EFL classroom. The aim of the study was to conclude if teachers incorporate word frequency into their teaching, as well as how this could be done efficiently. In order to collect data for this study, we used a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. Despite a focus on teachers in years 4-6, in an effort to not only expand our potential samplegroup and to take into account the importance of transition between school forms, we reached out to teachers of English in years 4-9. This was accomplished with the help of various teacher forums on Facebook and a convenience sample. The initial results from the questionnaire showed that the majority of teachers were aware of word frequency. However, on closer inspection of the questionnaire, it became clear that several of the teachers did in fact not have sufficient knowledge of word frequency. Previous research has shown the importance of high-frequency words and that the 2,000 most frequent words are a necessary learning goal. Implications of not considering word frequency when teaching vocabulary can have a negative effect on students' progression. Our research has found a discrepancy between steering documents in Sweden, in which word frequency is not explicitly considered, and previous studies analysing the use of word frequency. This could be seen as the explanation for why teachers are not aware of word frequency.