[00:01] SPEAKER_01:
Welcome to Principal Center Radio, bringing you the best in professional practice.
[00:06] Announcer:
Here's your host, Director of the Principal Center and Champion of High Performance Instructional Leadership, Justin Bader. Welcome everyone to Principal Center Radio.
[00:15] SPEAKER_00:
I'm your host, Justin Bader, and I'm honored to be joined today by Dr. Kimberly Tyson. Dr. Tyson is a former teacher, administrator, and literacy consultant, and is currently an education specialist with Solution Tree. And she's the co-author with Dr. Angela Peary of Blended Vocabulary for K-12 Classrooms, Harnessing the Power of Digital Tools and Direct Instruction.
[00:38] Announcer:
And now, our feature presentation.
[00:40] SPEAKER_00:
Dr. Tyson, welcome to Principal Center Radio.
[00:42] SPEAKER_02:
Thank you. Let me just take this opportunity to say thank you for having me talk a little bit about our co-authored book, Blended Vocabulary. Thank you.
[00:51] SPEAKER_00:
Yeah, I'm excited to speak with you because I think vocabulary is one of those things that is easy to kind of put away in the corner of K-12 education, so to speak. So I wonder if we could start by kind of framing the importance of vocabulary and what specifically blended vocabulary means. How do you think about vocabulary instruction and what is blended vocabulary?
[01:11] SPEAKER_02:
Sure. So in terms of vocabulary, I really like to keep the definition very simple. And in its simplest form, when we speak about vocabulary, we're really referring to the words that we use to communicate effectively when we listen, speak, read, and write. So it's listening, speaking, reading, and writing vocabulary. And our book takes the view of blending vocabulary instruction with with digital tools and apps that support both instruction and practice. So technology has always been an interest of mine.
[01:49]
And I found when I was working with teachers, particularly in recent years, that there were more and more apps that really supported that independent practice and games. Marzano talks a lot about the game component of vocabulary learning when he talks about the six step process. Games is an important piece of that word learning. So I just began integrating digital tools and apps more and more when I was working with teachers around improving vocabulary instruction and, of course, student learning. And our book, you know, we found when we were looking at many other there's many, many good vocabulary books out there that it was usually maybe a list in an appendix. And we really wanted to integrate the tools that made sense for elementary students, secondary students, and students with special needs.
[02:48]
So we integrated that throughout the book as well as what digital tools and apps, if you're doing a school-wide or district-wide emphasis on vocabulary instruction or literacy, you know, what are the digital tools and apps that you can use as a school or a district to to share resources and lessons and things like that around vocabulary. So we have tools embedded throughout the book.
[03:13] SPEAKER_00:
Yeah, and I think technology is such an important component when it comes to vocabulary because in the traditional, you know, kind of paper and pencil, whole class instruction kind of mindset, there's a huge inefficiency to teaching vocabulary, right? I think a lot of us grew up with a vocabulary list for the week and we had to define the words and use them in a sentence and write them a few times and things like that, which is an enormous waste of time if you already know some of the words, you know, and if you don't, you might have other words that you need to learn first. So I feel like there's such a huge opportunity that we didn't have when we were kids to now differentiate to the exact degree that our students need using technology. So I mean, is differentiation and efficiency kind of a part of this? Or where do you see those fitting in?
[03:59] SPEAKER_02:
Yeah, absolutely. Differentiation definitely plays a role. And particularly in you know, as we think about moving to secondary students that are taking specific academic courses, that that differentiation becomes even more important. And the interesting thing, Justin, is one of the things that you said about how we learned vocabulary is, you know, teachers often sometimes do what they saw. And one of the things that is persistent within vocabulary instruction is that even though there is a body of research that specifically dating back to about the 60s when vocabulary studies, actually, you know, controlled studies started to be done, that even though we know a lot about what makes effective vocabulary instruction, what that looks like in a classroom, is it really hasn't translated down into practice.
[04:58]
So many students still receive sort of these overwhelming lists of words. and are told to look them up and write them in a sentence. And actually what we know about effective instruction is that we often move to having students use those words in sentences specifically in writing well before they're ready to do that. So we really place an emphasis on, you know, using words in context in classrooms, playing with those words, using them many times over. I mean, Marzano addresses how many times students need to hear words in many different contexts before they're ready to use them when they write and when they speak. And so tying in the digital tools is a way to practice with those words and differentiate.
[05:48]
helping students make word lists. Teachers can easily make their own word lists within many digital apps and have students practice those on their own, playing with those words, using them in real context, not real context, playing games with them, which can help just have many different ways of learning those words in different settings. But it's interesting that you began with how we learned, which is unfortunately how many students still learn or don't learn vocabulary. So we really try to bridge that gap of what are the effective strategies that work at different levels, and then what are the tools that support that within classrooms for different needs, you know, in terms of, you know, academically rich classes that have many different vocabulary words and increasing complex words, if you will.
[06:41] SPEAKER_00:
Well, again, thinking about our own experience as learners, picking up vocabulary, you know, I would say a lot of my vocabulary came from reading. And I don't have a ton of fond memories of direct instruction of vocabulary. And, you know, I do remember a lot of those, you know, use it in a sentence, write the definition in a lot of cases for words that I already knew or at least thought I knew. And I know kind of ideally we would have students read. learn vocabulary organically, but we know there's a research base behind directly and explicitly teaching vocabulary. And I wonder if we could talk about that direct instruction idea.
[07:15]
What does some of the research say about purposefully teaching vocabulary as part of our curriculum?
[07:20] SPEAKER_02:
Justin, one of the things that you mentioned was you, you know, learned many words through reading. And that's a really important point to remember is that actually students and individuals with broader vocabularies are students who read more independently. And sometimes with the rigor and standards that we have and feeling pressured to teach all those standards, we've pulled back on having students have time in the school day to independently read. And yet, we know that those students who read more independently, both in school and out of school, build a broader, richer vocabulary, which also plays out in terms of increasing student achievement.
[08:08] SPEAKER_00:
Right. So, I mean, it seems like we get this chicken and egg problem pretty quickly where, you know, the haves and the have-nots have a growing divide because it's easier to read if you have a good vocabulary and you get a vocabulary by reading. And I think when it comes to the technical vocabulary of a subject area, you know, I was a science teacher, you know, and I would deliberately and explicitly teach the vocabulary for each unit because I wouldn't expect students to know what mitochondria are and what the nucleus of the cell, you know... If we're teaching vocabulary as content, that's one thing.
[08:40]
But I'm thinking about that divide that emerges simply because of the difference in how much students have been exposed to through reading. At the secondary level, especially if we are not in the habit of teaching vocabulary outside of those technical contexts, just for students' background knowledge, for students' ability to comprehend grade-level text, apart from the content of whatever specifically they're learning, what are some ways that schools are effectively building that kind of background vocabulary that students need to succeed in secondary education, post-secondary education, and life as adults?
[09:17] SPEAKER_02:
I think one of the most effective strategies, if you will, is when the Common Core State Standards emerged, there was emphasis in there around tiered vocabulary. And that, again, comes from Isabel Beck. Tier two vocabulary are those cross-curricular words that tend to be in many, many different subject areas, many different content areas or academic disciplines. Tier two vocabulary...
[09:47]
You know, it could be a word that you'd use in English as well as in science, as well as in history. When they have identified tier two words that cross disciplines that students need to know. And I've seen them do things like interactive word walls. I've seen them identify those words and sometimes put them in hallways and then have students do sort of a non-linguistic representation, which comes from Marzano. When they've identified those words, and it may only be 50 words, it may be 25 words, it may be 60 words, identify those words. And every teacher in the school makes a concerted effort to use those words, talk about those words, keep them in the forefront of students' minds.
[10:36]
It helps address words that students may not have learned within their community, within their sphere. and yet will really pay off again because they appear in their reading, in their textbooks, in their courses, in their academic classes, in many different areas. So really, I think identifying words as tier one, tier two, and tier three, tier three being very academic, discipline-specific words or vocabulary, identifying words in tiers and then addressing them in those ways has been very effective because again, when we look at tier one words, we often assume students come in knowing words like, you know, lavatory, restroom, cafeteria, and many other words that often we know that our English language learners may not be familiar with and still need work with some of our very basic general vocabulary.
[11:41]
It helps us sort of identify vocabulary and help support and differentiate students where they need support. And again, then when you look at digital tools that support that work, we can help sort of steer students to games like Free Rice, which has many different levels of words. So we can steer students to apps and tools that help support where they are, as well as focus our instruction where it makes best sense.
[12:12] SPEAKER_00:
And let's talk more about some of those specific technology tools, because we may have an English language learner program that helps students develop that kind of tier one and possibly tier two vocabulary. But it seems to me that there's a big opportunity in every school to use technology to help students close those gaps with a little bit of independent practice. My daughter is in first grade now, and I remember when she was in kindergarten just using an app like Lexia that would use games to directly teach vocabulary. I mean, it made a huge, huge difference for her. And I wonder what you're seeing as successful, particularly as students get beyond those primary years. What's happening in technology?
[12:53]
What apps are schools using to help build that vocabulary?
[12:55] SPEAKER_02:
Sure. Thinking about English language learners, you know, two of my favorite that I'm thinking about right off the bat are Lexipedia. So Lexipedia.com and Lingro.com. So both of those support English learners because particularly Lingro uses complex online text with the visual component.
[13:18]
And Lexipedia does the same thing. So Lexipedia, you type in a word. And when you enter that word, you'll see many different images that can help support learning that word. And then Lingo combines it with complex online text. So they can read the word within context and see those visual images. So that's one of my favorite to support English learners.
[13:43]
So something else that I think can be helpful is like Padlet. So Padlet is a digital word wall. So that word wall can be done during class. Students can see it on their laptops or their handheld device. It can build and grow as the vocabulary changes within that chapter or unit of study. Another digital word wall that I like or sort of a digital word wall is Poplet.
[14:11]
So it's a concept mapping tool that, again, you can add images to. You can have words. You can have the definitions of words. So I really like, at the secondary level, those tools that students can use and build themselves. You could attach them to your online class tool, whatever you're using for your course or whatever you use as a district or a school. even your own personal website for the class.
[14:44]
So things that students can use themselves that can build as a class and can support the unit of study are some of my favorite tools, uh, that I've seen teachers use that can build and grow, um, and support word learning. And thing link is another one that is, uh, you know, you can put images with key vocabulary, um, can support presentations and projects. And it's a really way for students to show that they're understanding the, you know, the vocabulary in a specific class. Another very simple one for secondary is just flashcard stash. So that's one where the teachers can build a vocabulary list for students because we do know they have to become fluent, right? In many of the words you taught science, they have to become fluent and know those words quickly, what they mean.
[15:35]
Flashcard Stash is just an online tool that mimics our old paper flashcards.
[15:42] SPEAKER_00:
Great. We'll put all of those in the show notes and make sure that people have access to the links to all of those resources. Well, let me then ask, Kimberly, if you could wave a magic wand and get our listening audience of school administrators to, across the board, do something to make a difference when it comes to students' vocabulary, what would that be? What would you have us do if you could wave your magic wand?
[16:05] SPEAKER_02:
Sure. If I could wave my magic wand based on my experience, the schools and districts that I have seen who have improved literacy learning as measured by both statewide test scores and even achievement as measured in other ways within that school, formally and informally, is when schools and districts really create a culture of word learning. And we actually begin our book with a chapter on creating a culture of word learning where everyone in the school from, you know, administrative assistants to counselors, to cafeteria workers, to classroom teachers, to bus drivers, all take responsibility to make sure that we consider word learning a priority in that school.
[17:02]
So that creates a language of literacy in every classroom that draws attention to sort of the wonder and the magic and the importance of word learning and using advanced vocabulary and appropriate vocabulary when we speak and interact and write within that school. So that would be my magic wand that every school would consider creating that culture around word learning that supports students at every level within their classroom and their academic courses. to achieve to the highest level that they can. And we know that vocabulary is the foundation to do that.
[17:49] SPEAKER_00:
Well, Kimberly, it's been a pleasure to speak with you today about your book. And if people want to learn more or get in touch with you or Dr. Peary about your work, where's the best place for them to find you online?
[18:00] SPEAKER_02:
For me, you can just enter KimberlyTyson.com and that will take you to my blog and actually many resources on there that support word learning and literacy in general. So KimberlyTyson.com. I'm also on Twitter at TysonKimberly. Angela Perry's on Twitter as well.
[18:22]
We're both active. Angela is at DrAngelaPerry, P-E-R-Y. And Angela also has a website as well. And I think it's DrAngelaPerry.com.
[18:37] SPEAKER_00:
Well, Kimberly, thanks so much for joining me on Principal Center Radio.
[18:39] SPEAKER_02:
Thank you, Justin. Again, we appreciate talking more about the importance of vocabulary and word learning in our classrooms. Thanks for having us.
[18:48] SPEAKER_01:
And now, Justin Bader on high-performance instructional leadership.
[18:53] SPEAKER_00:
So high-performance instructional leaders, what did you take away from my conversation with Dr. Tyson? I think as schools who are responsible for serving the students we have, not the students that we think we should have, I think we really need to get serious about teaching the vocabulary that our students need. need us to teach them. And what I mean by that is often we judge our students that we have in our school against our own educational experience. And we think about what we got as kids and what we needed as kids.
[19:24]
And we, I think, naturally think that if the students in our school are not succeeding under the same circumstances that we succeeded, that that's on them. And I don't think that's something we would say out loud. And if we really put it in such stark terms, I think we would realize we don't actually believe that. But I think our actions speak louder than words. I think our actions are governed by our past experience, unless we make the decision as leaders to say, you know what? The way that I learned is not necessarily what's best for our students today.
[19:57]
I might have learned in different ways. I might have learned using techniques that we now no longer use. I might have learned because of factors in my home life. But if our students need us to teach vocabulary in a certain way, if our students need access to technology that will help them master the vocabulary that they will need to succeed in middle school and high school and college, then that's on us. That is our job to teach that vocabulary, to make sure that they have what they need for success. So again, the book is Blended Vocabulary for K-12 Classrooms, Harnessing the Power of Digital Tools and Direct Instruction by Dr. Kimberly Tyson and Dr. Angela Peary.
[20:38] Announcer:
Thanks for listening to Principal Center Radio. For more great episodes, subscribe on our website at principalcenter.com slash radio.
