Word Meaning:
DAR Mastery Levels 3–6
Introduction:
The TTS for Word Meaning at Levels 3–6 assess whether a student finds it easiest to
learn new vocabulary by having word meanings explained, by learning the meanings of word parts,
or by learning to use semantic clues found in some sentences.
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Strategy: Word Meaning Instruction
Materials Needed:
TTS-WM-DAR 3-6-Meaning.pdf
Say: I’m going to teach you the meanings of some new words. When I’m done, I’ll
ask you to tell me what the words mean.
The first word is rigid. Can you tell me what rigid means?
On the Student Record Form, record the student’s response.
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If the student does not know the meaning of rigid,
Say: Rigid means stiff, not flexible. When something is rigid it can’t be bent. A
thick piece of wood is rigid. You can’t make it move when you try to bend it.
Can you think of some things that are rigid?
On the Student Record Form, record the student’s response.
If the student is unable to respond, provide some examples (e.g., doors, very thick ice). |
Say: The next word is drab. Can you tell me what drab means?
On the Student Record Form, record the student’s response.
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If the student does not know the meaning of drab,
Say: Drab means plain, not having much color. Clothes that get washed many
times often become drab—they get faded and lose their color. Can you think
of some things that are drab?
On the Student Record Form, record the student’s response.
If the student is unable to respond, provide some examples (e.g., rainy days, areas with a
lot of cement). |
Say: The next word is leisure. Can you tell me what leisure means?
On the Student Record Form, record the student’s response.
If the student does not know the meaning of leisure,
Say: Leisure means free time, time when you can relax. The weekend is a time of
leisure for many people—it is a time when people can do what they enjoy.
Can you think of some examples of leisure?
On the Student Record Form, record the student’s response.
If the student is unable to respond, provide some examples (e.g., school holidays, summer
vacation). |
Say: Let’s review the words we’ve been working with.
- Can you tell me the meaning of rigid?
- Can you tell me the meaning of drab?
- Can you tell me the meaning of leisure?
On the Student Record Form, record the student’s responses.
Then go on to the next strategy, Word Parts Instruction.
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Strategy: Word Parts Instruction
Materials Needed:
TTS-WM-DAR 3-6-Parts.pdf
Say: I’m going to teach you how the meanings of words can be based on their
word parts. When I’m done, I’ll ask you to tell me what the words mean.
The first word is recur. Can you tell me what recur means?
On the Student Record Form, record the student’s response.
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If the student does not know the meaning of recur,
Say: Recur is made up of two parts. The first part—re—means “again.” The
second part—cur—means “run.” Recur means to happen again. If an event is recurring, it means that the event is happening over and over again. The
event is running again. |
Say: The next word is concur. Can you tell me what concur means?
On the Student Record Form, record the student’s response.
|
If the student does not know the meaning of concur,
Say: Concur is made up of two parts. The first part—con—means “with.” The
second part—cur—we just heard. It means “run.” Concur means to agree. If
you concur with people, it means you have the same ideas that they do. Your
ideas run with theirs. |
Say: The next word is concede. Can you tell me what concede means?
On the Student Record Form, record the student’s response.
|
If the student does not know the meaning of concede,
Say: Concede is made up of two parts. The first part—con—we just heard. It
means “with.” The second part—cede—means “go.” Concede means to
accept something. When losing candidates concede elections, they accept the
will of the voters to elect someone else. They go with the voters’ choice. |
Say: Let’s review the words we’ve been working with.
- Can you tell me the meaning of recur?
- Can you tell me the meaning of concur?
- Can you tell me the meaning of concede?
On the Student Record Form, record the student’s responses.
Then go on to the next strategy, Semantic Clue Instruction.
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Strategy: Semantic Clue Instruction
Materials Needed:
TTS-WM-DAR 3-6-Clue.pdf
Say: I’m going to teach you how to figure out the meanings of some words based
on clues that the author gives you. When I’m done, I’ll ask you to tell me
what the words mean.
The first word is vocation. Can you tell me what vocation means?
On the Student Record Form, record the student’s response.
If the student does not know the meaning of vocation, Say: Look at the following sentence and see if it helps you understand what
vocation means: After she visited the hospital, she knew that her vocation, her life’s work,
would be in medicine. What words in that sentence tell you what vocation means? On the Student Record Form, record the student’s response. If the response is incorrect, Say: The author tells us the meaning of vocation by restating what it means. A
vocation is someone’s life work, his or her career or profession. |
Say: The next word is vitality. Can you tell me what vitality means?
On the Student Record Form, record the student’s response.
If the student does not know the meaning of vitality, Say: Look at the following sentence and see if it helps you understand what vitality
means:
Maria’s vitality was in sharp contrast to her coworkers’ lack of energy. What words in the sentence tell you what vitality means? On the Student Record Form, record the student’s response. If the response is incorrect, Say: The author tells us the meaning of vitality by contrasting it with its opposite.
Vitality means having energy. |
Say: The next word is conspicuous. Can you tell me what conspicuous means?
On the Student Record Form, record the student’s response.
If the student does not know the meaning of conspicuous,
Say: Look at the following sentences and see if they help you understand what
conspicuous means: Robert’s absence at the party was conspicuous. In fact, it was so noticeable
that his friend decided to call him. What words tell you what conspicuous means? On the Student Record Form, record the student’s response. If the response is incorrect, Say: The author tells us the meaning of conspicuous by substituting another word
for it in the second sentence. Conspicuous means noticeable, obvious. |
Say: Let’s review the words we’ve been working with.
- Can you tell me the meaning of vocation?
- Can you tell me the meaning of vitality?
- Can you tell me the meaning of conspicuous?
On the Student Record Form, record the student’s responses.
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Interpreting and Using TTS Results:
Research and experience show all three approaches are valuable for improving students’
vocabulary. Regardless of approach employed, use direct and explicit instruction. Explain
to the student what is being learned, show how the new knowledge applies, and give the
student opportunities to apply the knowledge. Teach word meanings at a level above the
student’s listening vocabulary. Provide multiple opportunities to experience the meanings
in a variety of contexts. Encourage incidental learning of vocabulary via wide and varied
reading.
