Running head: VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION IN UPPER GRADE 1

CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY

MONTEREY BAY

Vocabulary Instruction in Upper Grades

CAPSTONE REPORT

Submitted in partial satisfaction of requirements of the degree of

MASTER OF SCIENCE in
Instructional Science and Technology

Karen Currie
December 11, 2018

Capstone Approvals: (At least one advisor and capstone instructor should approve)

___________________________ _____________
Advisor Name Signature Date

___________________________ _____________

Capstone Instructor Name Signature Date

VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION IN UPPER GRADES 2

Table of Contents

Executive Summary .......................................................................................................... 4

Background ....................................................................................................................... 5

Goals, Constraints, and Resources .............................................................................. 5

Analysis .............................................................................................................................. 6

Needs Assessment .......................................................................................................... 6

Data Collection and Findings....................................................................................... 7

Learner Analysis ........................................................................................................... 8

Context Analysis............................................................................................................ 8

Content Analysis ........................................................................................................... 9

Literature Review ....................................................................................................... 11

Solution Description ....................................................................................................... 12

Goals of the Project ..................................................................................................... 12

Learning Objectives .................................................................................................... 13

Learning Theories ....................................................................................................... 14

Constructivism: Key Factors ..................................................................................... 14

Strategies ...................................................................................................................... 15

Zone of Proximal Teacher Development: Key Factors ........................................... 15

Strategies ...................................................................................................................... 16

Test Instruments ......................................................................................................... 16

Media and Delivery Systems Decisions ..................................................................... 17

Instructional Principles .............................................................................................. 18

VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION IN UPPER GRADES 3

Media Components ..................................................................................................... 20

Anticipated Challenges ............................................................................................... 20

Methods and Procedures ................................................................................................ 21

List of Major Deliverables...............................................Error! Bookmark not defined.

Development ................................................................................................................ 21

Implementation ........................................................................................................... 21

Resources ......................................................................................................................... 21

Technical Skills............................................................................................................ 22

Timeline ........................................................................................................................... 22

Evaluation ........................................................................................................................ 23

Summary of Data .............................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.

User Survey.................................................................................................................. 23

Recommendations ....................................................................................................... 25

Formative ..................................................................................................................... 25

Summative ................................................................................................................... 26

Conclusion ....................................................................................................................... 27

Current Limitations .................................................................................................... 28

References ........................................................................................................................ 30

Appendices ............................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.

Appendix A .................................................................................................................. 32

Appendix B .................................................................................................................. 33

Appendix C .................................................................................................................. 35
VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION IN UPPER GRADES 4

Executive Summary

Lakewood Tech EQ, an elementary school in Sunnyvale, California has experienced an

increase in the number of second language learners that we serve in our classrooms. The addition
of students that speak many different languages has the teachers feeling the need to learn new
strategies to ensure all students have access to instruction and curriculum. While waiting for new
curriculum to be adopted at the state level to provide materials to support student learning, the
site has begun foundational level staff development in conjunction with the Santa Clara County
Office of Education. Teachers have requested additional training to build their understanding of
the plethora of strategies and materials that are available for implementation.
The goal of this Capstone project, Vocabulary in Upper Grades, is to respond to this
request through the creation of an online training program. This program will be created using
Google Classroom, and will serve as a vehicle to allow teachers the flexibility to the complete
this work from home on their own time. This project will consist of a module that requires
approximately one hour to complete. The focus will be on providing teachers one strategy that
can be easily utilized in any subject area to support vocabulary acquisition, a need that was
identified during the needs assessment analysis phase of the project. The module will incorporate
input in the form of a short reading through Google Docs and videos created by the instructional
coach using Camtasia and published in YouTube.
Formative and summative measures will be used to assess the effectiveness of this
training. Learners will be observed by an instructional coach from time to time to see if the new
strategy is being used correctly in the upper grade classrooms during their math instructional
block. Learners will also complete two quizzes in Google Forms while participating in the first
portion of the training, then later complete a Google Sheet to show how they applied the new
information when creating math lessons for their students.
Once this initial module is completed, the long-term scope of this work is to create
additional training modules. The other training modules will include the use of many other
vocabulary building strategies and resources to provide teachers with a wealth of options to
deepen their instruction, leading to an increase in student academic success and confidence.
VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION IN UPPER GRADES 5

Introduction and Background

This instructional design project provided professional development in vocabulary

development for third, fourth, and fifth grade teachers to support language development required
by the California Common Core State Standards. As the instructional coach, with an English
Language Development focus at Lakewood TechEQ Elementary School provided the training.
The target audience was primarily veteran teachers, the exception being two first-year teachers.
Five out of the eight teachers speak a second language, and understand the difficulty acquiring
language. The stakeholders were the Lakewood teachers, their students, their parents, and the
Sunnyvale Unified School District. Currently I teach two sessions of English Language
Development to the students in greatest need of this support. After teaching at this site for
fifteen years, my time now as a coach has uncovered the high number of students that were
promoted to middle school lacking a strong vocabulary base and limited English proficiency.
The site is promoting students that after six years of instruction are still not designated as fully
English proficient, this is a practice that needed to be reevaluated.

Goals, Constraints, and Resources

The objective of the instructional design was to create a training module to provide an
engaging and motivating professional development for teachers, to ensure students were
receiving high quality vocabulary lessons. (California Common Core State Standards, 2013,
Language,p. 38). The secondary learners were the Lakewood TechEQ upper-grade students.
The ethical considerations were ensuring the course design meets the needs of the teachers and
they are able to transfer their knowledge when they design their own lessons. The major
perceived constraint was motivating teachers to complete the module on their own time. The
general timeline for this project was approximately three months in order to properly develop the
module. Implementation took place between November 13 and November 27, 2018. The final
self-evaluation was conducted over the first week of December. E-learning was the primary
delivery model which allowed teachers to complete it at times that best fit their schedules.
Coaching was available as well for those interested in the support. This support provided by the
VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION IN UPPER GRADES 6

site based instructional coach that is assigned to working with the upper-grade staff.
Additionally, there was access to subject matter materials that were comprised of short reading
passages and interactive videos with embedded questions to process the material. Google Forms
and Sheets were used as the tool for assessing the learning. A self-evaluation was completed at
the end of this module to reflect on the impact it has made in the classroom. A subject matter
expert was available as one final resource. This expert served as the coordinator of multilingual
services from the county office of education that has been contracted to support ELD instruction
in the district.

Analysis

Needs Assessment

Elementary school teachers at Lakewood Tech EQ serve approximately 465 students a

year, 40 % of these students are second language learners. This group is our second largest
cohort, the biggest being socio-economically disadvantaged at 64%. Many of our students fall
into both groups, creating a significant number of children that need urgent support. My
experience spans fifteen years at my site, ten as a classroom teacher and five years as an
instructional coach. This position created a more global view of the needs of the school, as well
as an increased sense urgency to address the needs of our students. When coaching cycles were
conducted with our upper-grade staff their dedication to continuous professional development
was evident, even with each new “focus” that was added to their plate. Last year the question
was asked, “When will our plates be too full to add any more?” By identifying high leverage
signature practices, implemented across content areas, this issue is currently being addressed
while simply improving on current implementation.
Vocabulary and reading were identified as a need in each content area, to ensure this was
a worthy focus, teachers were interviewed using a set of nine interview questions (Appendix A)
and allowed their responses to be recorded. I conducted the interviews of five upper grade
teachers, with varying years of teaching experience, ages, gender, and areas of strength. One
additional interview of our principal was conducted to see how closely her responses matched
those of our teaching staff. The one–on-one interviews took place over three days in their
classrooms. The ten questions started very open ended, then moved to a more direct approach.
VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION IN UPPER GRADES 7

One question that used the Likert scale, asked them to share their level of understanding on
several vocabulary strategies that are successfully implemented at other sites.

Data Collection and Findings

In order to verify the validity of this training, one on one interviews were conducted with
all upper grade teachers at Lakewood Tech EQ. The optional interviews were conducted at
school during lunch time or afterschool. Five teachers participated, and answered a total of nine
questions. They began with open ended questions and concluded with determining which
vocabulary strategies teachers had experience with.
The teachers interviewed all had a very positive feeling about their language arts
instruction. They were all able to self identify their unique strengths and for the most part, pin
point their areas of need. Most of them mentioned the need for improved vocabulary
development. These findings echoed Stahls’ work, highlighting that there is a strong connection
between high levels of vocabulary and deep reading comprehension (Fountas & Pinell, 2009).
The teachers recognized the need for improvement, and many shared a lack of understanding of
how to successfully build student vocabulary banks.
To summarize, data and staff interviews both indicate that not only is vocabulary
instruction an immediate need, it is also something that teachers are motivated to work on. Due
to the high costs of using substitute teachers to allow for teachers to be released for training,
using a virtual classroom the method of delivery mitigates that expense. Giving flexibility,
having videos at their fingertips, and allowing one structure at a time are all additional
advantages of using the virtual classroom over a release day for face to face training. These short
modules will be appropriately portioned and intentionally sequenced to increase the likelihood of
it going into the learner long term memory (Stolovitch & Keeps, 2011).
As teachers begin to go through the training modules, informal and formal observations
can be done to see their progress in classrooms. There will also be optional coaching cycles to
provide support for those that request it. Data supports the notion that this training approach will
remedy the instructional ineffectiveness we see today, leading to transformed lessons with
engaging methods.
VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION IN UPPER GRADES 8

Learner Analysis

The learners were eight upper-grade teachers at Lakewood TECH EQ. This group was
comprised of fully credentialed teachers, two had Bilingual CLAD (Crosscultural, Language, and
Academic Development) certification, and all had master’s degrees in a variety of topics.
Regular participation in voluntary professional development during the school year and over the
summer was common in this group. One teacher was currently pursuing her National Board
Certification, and completed it just two weeks ago. Six out of the eight also served on various
leadership committees in our district, bringing a wealth of expertise to this project. The learners
had a strong collaboration within grade level teams as well as in an upper-grade cohort. Similar
in age and stage of life, most were married with children, and they shared there were family
obligations outside of the school day. There was common prep time at each grade level that
facilitated teamwork and high levels of efficiency. They were highly motivated and fueled by
student success through observation and data points.
The site was in year three of a professional development contract with the county office
of education focused on English Language Development (ELD) instruction. Because of the focus
on ELD, looking at vocabulary instruction went hand in hand with the professional development
plan. It supported the work they are already dedicated to. They were all Google Certified
Educators and used Google Classroom with their students. The high level of technology
experience they possessed made them especially capable of engaging in this asynchronous
learning module.

Context Analysis

This module was designed to be completed in the environment that each learner
preferred. This allowed flexibility for the learner to determine the time and place they felt they
could be the most productive. For those with small children at home, accomplishing the training
after hours at school was a favorite option, where others found they had more quiet space at
home. The teachers all used school provided MacBooks and Ipads in order to complete this
training. There were many advantages of this learning program. First, the self-paced design
allowed teachers to move at a speed that fit their classroom need and teaching style. Second is
the use of Google Classroom was reported to be a viable option. All of the teachers completed
VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION IN UPPER GRADES 9

Google Certification using online learning, so they were familiar with how this project worked.
Next, the sequence of assignments was ordered to maximize prior knowledge and build on each
other. Each assignment was intended to deepen knowledge and application as they work through
the series. The last factor was the timing, implementing this training in the fall was intentional.
It allowed teachers enough time to get to know their students, but still have a long stretch of the
school year left to see the effects if any. The last advantage of this project was that the
instructional coach was assigned to the site full time and was available to support teachers as
needed.
There were a few constraints that have been addressed in the design of this training. The
school day was already impacted with required minutes of instruction in many content areas.
The strategies being introduced in training was applied directly to what is already being taught,
so it did not require additional time to include. There was however, an increased need for
planning to ensure that the vocabulary word selection could be applied across content areas. This
planning was most effectively done as a grade level team. To support facilitating this group
planning time, teachers were encouraged to designate thirty minutes each week to meet and
determine the words that will be selected. The teachers that participated in this module were all
teaching in classrooms located in the upper grade wing of the elementary school. This level of
proximity supported teacher collaboration during the school day and for any after school time
they dedicated to this work.

Content Analysis

The content developed for this training was to improve vocabulary strategy instruction in
upper-grade classrooms at Lakewood Tech EQ. Data from state Smarter Balanced Assessment
and STAR Literacy benchmark assessment both showed the need for this instruction. After
conducting the needs assessment, teachers and the site administrator all agreed there was a need
for professional development for the teachers and they were eager to learn new ways to support
students. This training introduced one research-based method that has shown strong success
rates when implemented in schools with similar student demographics. Teachers were
responsible for understanding how to use the method effectively. Furthermore, teachers
developed a foundational understanding of tier two and tier three vocabulary words. Having a
mastery level of understanding the differences between the two was critical when it was time for
VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION IN UPPER GRADES 10

them to begin selecting words for their instruction. The second component of the training was
for teachers to apply what they learned in the first session to their own classroom lessons. They l
focused on their own materials and content to complete implementation of the new strategies.
Module 1 Understanding Content:
● CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.4
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and
phrases based on Grade 4 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of
strategies. Teachers will watch a short video of the Frayer model being used in a
classroom, then do a short reading and complete a graphic organizer to
demonstrate understanding. From memory, teachers should be able to label the
graphic organizer with correct headings and complete the organizer with a
provided word and score 90% or higher to show mastery of the content.
● Teachers will learn the three tiers of academic vocabulary words. There will be an
explicit focus on tier two and tier three words. For this module, teachers will read,
watch, and complete a sorting activity to practice the skill. They will take a short
quiz to show mastery of this concept. Our ELD standards tell us that to show
proficiency in metalinguistic awareness students should know “how to
intentionally and purposefully use both everyday vocabulary and a range of
general academic and domain specific vocabulary in English related to familiar
and new topics”
Module 2 Instructional Planning:
● Teachers will compile a list that contains one tier-two word in each subject (ELA,
Math, Social Studies) and five tier-three words that can be infused throughout the
day for the upcoming week. This should be a total of eight words that instruction
will be based on.
● Teachers will add their selections in a Google Sheet for others to see and make
comments on.
● Teachers will prepare their Frayer Model graphic organizers either through
Google Classroom or via paper copies.
VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION IN UPPER GRADES 11

When the modules were completed the expectation was that teachers utilize their new
knowledge about academic vocabulary and implement the Frayer Model in their classrooms on a
consistent basis. Grade level collaboration greatly increased the effectiveness of this process as
teachers switched kids for certain activities. Having grade level determined words ensured that
students were being held accountable for their meaning and inclusion in their language
production.

Literature Review

This literature review analyzed several sources that addressed vocabulary strategies in
order to support English Language Learners (ELLs). With the large influx of ELLs joining our
classrooms today, it was critical that teachers used explicit strategies to support building
vocabulary. This dedicated focus provided access for all students to engage in standards based
instruction that required mastery in order to be successful in school. While day-to-day language
was acquired incidentally, by listening to instruction and through peer interactions, there still was
a definitive need to intentionally plan and employ a variety of strategies that were directed at
academic language acquisition.
Experts in the education world all agree that vocabulary is one of the largest components
that lead to academic success. (Stahl & Fairbanks,1986), (Schuth, Kchne, &Weinert, 2016),
(Fisher & Frey, 2014). The Iceberg Model was introduced by Cummins (1984), compared
vocabulary competencies to an iceberg. The tip of the iceberg, the part can be seen, is the general
vocabulary students use routinely throughout the day. In general, many students present as
fluent speakers that participate fully in class. Teachers often missed the part of the iceberg that
lies below the surface, the academic language. This far too often went unaddressed due to its
hidden nature. Focusing on implementing academic vocabulary strategies with fidelity went
deeper than surface level and greatly improved the school experience for students as they move
towards higher education.
While subject matter experts strongly advocate for dedicated instruction, they do not all
agree on the methods or strategies to meet that need. There were three overarching themes that
were repeated throughout all articles that were selected for my review.
The first theme was ensuring the method provides examples in differing contexts. Stahl
and Fairbanks (1986) noted this decontextualization provides students with deeper knowledge of
VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION IN UPPER GRADES 12

how to apply words in a larger range of situations. Beck, McKeown,& Kucan (2002) agreed with
this stating that instruction of these high leverage words adds a layer of productivity and directly
contributes to the academic proficiency of learners.
The next strategy honed in on the importance of interactive practice and ensuring a high
number of exposures to the word. Creating time for students to participate in collaborative
settings with peers to safely try out the new language is one way to support independence. This
key component is also addressed in the California English Development Standards, specifically
the collaborative standard Part A,1 “Exchanging information and ideas via oral communication
and Conversations”
The final common theme was modeling word solving, and developing that skill in
students. Fisher and Frey (2014) found that specifically teaching how to use context clues,
solving with word parts and using 21st century skills and employing the use of technology for
support was instrumental in setting up students for success while removing scaffolds that have
been put in place. Technology had the power to increase the input our ELLs receive, Silverman
and Hines (2009) studied the effects multimedia had on students. Their findings indicated that
while multimedia had no direct effect on English only students, there were significant advantages
for ELLs. Studying the effects on academic vocabulary instruction has been scarce. Schuth,
Kohne, and Weiner (2016) recently studied this topic in German primary schools. They closely
examined the language that was required in school tasks, then reduced the extensive list down to
the 118 most impactful. After examining classrooms that ranged from three minutes of
instruction to twenty- four minutes they were able to determine that without a doubt academic
vocabulary instruction effected school success as early as fourth grade. The largest subject
affected by a lack of instruction was social studies as it has such heavy language demands. This
initial study supported the work being implemented in our schools today.

Solution Description

Goals of the Project

Lack of preparation to support ELL’s (English Language Learners) was obvious when
reviewing data from the needs analysis. While possessing multiple strategies and models to
support this group of students is required, to meet the scope of this project identifying one high
VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION IN UPPER GRADES 13

leverage model was necessary. Working hand in hand with the subject matter expert, Mathew
Espinosa, after analyzing several options that were applicable for integrated English language
development, the Frayer Model was selected. This was a concept that teachers were aware of,
giving them buy in to this training. They also had zero to limited experience with it, so it
provided a large opportunity for learning.

Learning Objectives

Teachers worked to meet two terminal objectives. These objectives were both examples
of the cognitive domain and the affective domain. The first terminal objective pulled primarily
from the cognitive domain, requiring comprehension, synthesis, application, and knowledge.
Teachers will comprehend new information through the reading and the videos, synthesizing
both parts of the learning, then relying on their new knowledge to apply it to their curriculum and
classroom setting. The second terminal objective relied more on the affective domain, using
organization, receiving, and responding. Teachers will organize their lessons and curriculum in a
manner that supports the new knowledge acquired in module one as they go through the process
of academic word selection. They will be receiving information from grade level partners that
are working to collaborate as a team, then responding to each other through Google Sheets to
provide feedback in order to refine original plans. There will additionally be two enabling
objectives to support the first terminal objective and three enabling objectives to support the
second terminal objective.
Module One Objectives:
● Terminal Objective: From memory teachers will be able to accurately describe the
difference between tier two and tier three words and can apply the words to the Frayer
Model graphic organizer.
o Enabling Objective: Teachers will be able to sort a provided list of words into two
categories, tier-two and tier-three with 100% accuracy.
o Enabling Objective: Teachers will be able to apply one of the provided words to
the Frayer Model graphic organizer and complete all four sections with 100%
accuracy.
Module Two Objectives:
VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION IN UPPER GRADES 14

● Terminal Objective: Teachers will be able to review district provided math curriculum
and independently select one tier two and 5 tier three words for instruction in their
classrooms using the Frayer Model.
o Enabling Objective: Using district provided resources, teachers will be able to
identify one tier-two words, one from an upcoming lesson in the math program.
o Enabling Objective: Using district provided resources, teachers will be able to
identify five tier-two words that they can apply to multiple subjects throughout
the day.
o Enabling Objective: Independently teachers will apply the selected words to the
instruction that takes place in their classrooms 100% of the school days in March
as measured by teacher self tracking using Google Sheets.

Learning Theories

There were two learning theories that best aligned with the course being created to
complete this capstone project. The two selected were Constructivism and Zone of Proximal
Teacher Development. These two theories were chosen due to the intended audience of this
scope of work.

Constructivism: Key Factors

The constructivist learning theory believes that humans create their core understandings
based on their experiences. (Harasim, 2017) When learners are faced with new information or
are put in new situations, they actively create a fresh perspective. Teaching, like many twenty
first century careers changes at a rapid pace. What is considered best teaching practice today,
could very well be off “the list” the next. Teaching is however very different from other careers
due to the fact that the kids also change, not only year to year, but minute to minute, hour to
hour, and day to day. As the students adapt to the instruction, curriculum, and their classroom
community the teacher must adapt just as quickly.
Piaget, perhaps best known for his creation of the stages of development, looked closely
at the way learners move through the stages to raise their cognitive development, however never
addressed a specific stage for adult learning directly. Piaget did list out the process for what
VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION IN UPPER GRADES 15

learners go through while they make sense of new information. These stages are: assimilation,
accommodation, and finally, equilibration /disequilibration. (Harasim, 2017)

Strategies

The participants in this capstone project were teachers with at least one year of teaching
experience. These teachers had not undergone any formal training in vocabulary acquisition
strategies. Their lack of training results in their use of assimilation, or taking what they already
knew and applying it to their own classroom instruction. Many of the teachers relied on outdated
methods that their own instructors used years ago. When this was found unsuccessful, lacking
the results they were striving for, they moved on to the accommodation stage. The teachers
started trying to adapt current practices to become more relevant for the students filling the seats
today. In this capstone module, their current practices were challenged, which led to the
disequilibration stage. The new strategies were introduced to elicit a deeper understanding to
instruction to achieve the desired end result. The Frayer Model was the focus tied to work that
was previously completed with a subject matter expert, allowing participants to make
connections to what they knew and apply these foundational understandings to a new
application.

Zone of Proximal Teacher Development: Key Factors

Zone of Proximal developed by Vygotsky describes the process that learners go through
to move from their current level of understanding to a higher achieving plain. Vygotsky
developed this theory in an effort to show the futileness of direct instruction that limits learners
to what is being presented in front of them. When applying this theory to educators, the Zone of
Proximal Teacher Development is a better match. The ZPDT (Zone of Proximal Teacher
Development) examines what a teacher is already doing independently in their current practice
and what they could attain with strategic, systematic instruction and support from experts.
(Warfold, 2011) At the initial stage of the ZPTD, Self assistance, teachers reflect on their own
experiences, practices, and preconceived notions. This step is critical to ensure they are selecting
their pathway and needs moving forward to phase two. Teacher selection is critical, according to
Lempert Shepell(1995), “the teacher must be given an opportunity to construct his or her own
frame of reference and professional action in a situation of cultural self-determination.” In the
VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION IN UPPER GRADES 16

second stage of ZPTD, “Expert, other assistance”, an expert or veteran teacher is brought in to
facilitate targeted discussions. These discussions ccould be based on videos of lessons being
taught, demonstrations of best teaching practices, or observations that take place in the field.
This expert could potentially also perform role playing exercises or simulations based on real
situations that occur or could potentially arise. Journaling is one final option for this stage,
providing teachers with quiet reflective time to record thoughts or how their ideas are changing
through the process. Stage three, Internalization, continues the work of journaling and capturing
micro lessons on video with the purpose of documenting the growth of the teacher. Teachers
were encouraged to produce statements capturing their beliefs about teaching practices. These
statements could be analyzed to show progress and development. The final stage, Recurrence,
puts “theory into practice”. (Warford, 2011) The teacher finally showcased their new skills and
advanced practices that are produced a higher level of effectiveness in the classroom.

Strategies

By utilizing this strategy, the optional coaching support was tailored to each individual
teacher that reached out for support and maximized potential growth using an outside source.
After doing both formal and informal observations of the participants, level of support and
frequency of sessions were tailored to meet the needs of each participant. While the created
module allowed for maximum flexibility, coaching cycles were a regular practice that all
teachers engaged in throughout the year. This dedicated time to use this reflective four stage
model was be particularly applicable to a structured coaching cycle. The use of video was also
an excellent match out our Tech EQ school model that relies heavily on the use of our Padcasters
in classrooms. By completing journaling exercises our teachers began a reflective self-dialogue
to record their feelings about the process and engage in practices there were asked of the students
in our social emotional learning units.

Test Instruments

This module included a variety of assessments created through the Google suite of
applications that worked fluidly with Google Classroom. The pre and post tests were created
through Google Forms. These forms utilized three question formats, multiple choice, short
VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION IN UPPER GRADES 17

answer, and check boxes with more than one correct choice. This assessment self scored
multiple choice and check box responses, but relied on the test creator to score the short answer.
Informal assessment occurred as teachers completed three other assignments in this
course or through the use of their journaling time. Participants completed three activities using
the Google Draw application. They were asked to label the model, apply the model, and respond
to the sample, which provided in the moment opportunities to check understanding as they
worked through their course work.

Media and Delivery Systems Decisions

There were three major factors that were considered when determining to deliver this
course through an asynchronous e-learning platform. First, the learner analysis highlighted the
strong foundation all potential users have with this virtual environment. Each potential learner
possessed at minimum a Google Level One certification showing their competence in the
applications that were readily available at no cost for this training. Second, the learner analysis
also revealed the many time demands being placed on the learners. All full time teachers, that
serve on district level committees, have young families, and long commute times, that would
greatly benefit from flexibility of when they completed modules. Last, when reviewing the
Sunnyvale School District professional development calendar alongside the substitute calendar,
finding a date within the time window the project needed to be completed was not promising.
While this training was asynchronous, there were several embedded opportunities for
participants to collaborate through both modules. In module one, the Padlet activity allowed
users to see what others had contributed as they added their ideas. In module two, learners
contributed to a Google Sheet that all had access to, with the purpose of creating a space for
shared ideas.
The training was delivered using software and resources that all teachers were well
versed in to allow the focus of their energy to be on absorbing the content of the course. While
teachers unanimously requested this training during the one on one interviews, maintaining their
interest level was a high priority during the development of this course. By working to keep
each assignment to require fifteen minutes or less of the users time they would be able to
complete their work in small chunks and could begin to implement their learnings in the
classroom as early as assignment three.
VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION IN UPPER GRADES
Instructional Principles
In order to ensure the information is accessible to the learners and they are
motivated to stay engaged in the training for the entire session, the ARCS Model was followed.
Schumann Sherer
Model
Relevance to learners needs
Novelty
Inherent Pleasantness
Self/ social status enhancing
Integration in Training
Classroom Practice
 Training is an
extension of prior PD
 Training is being
created at teacher
request
 Strategy is new to all
members
 
 Training provided by
team member
 Segmented into
attainable steps
 Boost teacher’s ability
to support all students
 Strengthen relationship
between ELL and
teacher
 Meet academic
language requirement
of college and career
18
Integration in
 Learners use familiar
math curriculum
 Provides opportunity
to apply learning to
daily routines
 Can easily be applied
to math instruction
Immediate access for
students
 Will result in students
being more successful ,
less reteaching
 Model can be easily
used in science and
social studies as well
 Learners will produce
a spreadsheet modeling
what it will look like in
their classrooms
 Academic gains are
praised and valued
VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION IN UPPER GRADES 19

readiness path

Coping Potential  Event was requested

by learners
 Bite sized information
is easy to internalize
 Outcome will
significantly improve
practices

This training was requested by the learners themselves. It was designed to build on the

foundational professional development that was provided over the past two years. By connecting

to sessions that were hugely successful the learners are eager to gain more knowledge.

1. Novelty- The high language demands of common core math standards have raised the
expectation of student production. Rather than simply complete math problems students
must use academic language to explain their thinking, convince classmates that strategies
will work, and defend their thinking. The language of these tasks requires intentional
instruction. This instruction can be provided using this new strategy that is being
introduced to all learners through this training.
2. Inherent Pleasantness- This training is being provided by the instructional coach that has
worked successfully hand in hand with all learners. Once participants are able to
integrate this strategy into their math instruction, they can bring it into science and social
studies as well. The structure is friendly with all curricular areas. Time invested early
will show results in at assessment time, which will translate to less need to reteach
concepts.
3. Self/ social status enhancing- By viewing the YouTube video of the strategy, learners will
see how the process works effectively and will serve as the main support for the group.
Coaching support will be available on an as needed basis. Learners will feel empowered
to provide a more rigorous environment, with academic gains to provide a sense of
accomplishment.
VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION IN UPPER GRADES 20

4. Coping Potential- In Module one, the bite sized segments of learning will be for learners
to internalize before moving to the next portion. In the second section of the training,
learners will select the lesson that they will apply the Frayer Model to and will have the
opportunity to determine the words that will be focused on in their classrooms.

Media Components

The asynchronous module will be created through Google Applications and shared with
the learners by adding them to my Google Classroom. The learners will begin with an
instructional video giving them an overview of the training. Next, they will be provided with a
brief reading to complete to give them a bit of background knowledge. Then, the second
instructional video will be viewed with a Google Forms quiz when it is completed to ensure the
information was understood. A final instructional video with one more Google Form will
complete the first portion of the training. The second portion will consist of a hands on
assignment where the learners take the knowledge they have acquired and apply it to a math
lesson that they will use the Frayer model as a support for English Language Learners. They will
input information in a Google Sheet to demonstrate their level of application.

Anticipated Challenges

The primary challenge anticipated in this training was the need to carve out time to
complete it. While only an hour long, this was an additional hour above and beyond the
enormous loads teachers already carry. By allowing them to complete it at home, the hope was
that it would reduce the anxiety teachers may have felt about trying to get it done during school
time. The challenge that occurred when creating each module was blending them into a cohesive
product. By utilizing several Google Apps that the learners all have vast experience with, there
should was very little difficulty accessing the materials in a meaningful way. Maintaining a level
of connectedness between the apps was a consistent focus.
VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION IN UPPER GRADES 21

Methods and Procedures

Development

A subject matter expert, a coordinator of multilingual services from the Santa Clara
County Office of Education was consulted with through the development of this training. His
guidance included sharing opinions on possible strategies to focus on, ensuring each portion of
the training was attainable for the learners, and reviewed the initial plan before it was finalized.
The instructional designer also attended the National Conference of English Teachers with the
subject matter experts and co presented on the topic of Best Practices in English Language
Development. The subject matter expert is supporting this project free of charge, but will gain
access to the training and has permission to use it once this program has been completed. The
instructional designer is paid to support English Language Development programs, as well as
provide professional development to teachers. By developing this training the designer is
simultaneously meeting the needs of the site and potentially the district at a later time, there for
there is no additional cost for the work being done.
Implementation
The designer of the module was also the “teacher” for the Google Classroom and was
available to support learners in the role of instructional coach. The first module was a self-paced
unit that included short readings that shared the success of the model being implemented.

Resources

The complete list of resources are listed below, each itemized need was readily available
at no additional cost to the instructional designer.
 Ipad and Padcaster equipped with extra mic and teleprompter
 Camtasia for video editing
 Classroom setting for video recording
 Google Apps Suite (Google Classroom, Docs, Forms, Sheets, Drive, email)
 Microsoft PowerPoint for Storyboard
 On-site daily access to beta testing instructional coach
VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION IN UPPER GRADES 22

 Math Curriculum and other math resources

Technical Skills

The designer has all necessary skills for project completion. These skills are between
proficient and advanced due to the coursework completed at CSUMB or through the Google
Certification courses the instructional designer has completed.

Timeline

Item Description Timeline

Google Doc, Forms, Sheets, Completed
Course Content 8/9/18
Video Creation Record and edit instructional videos Completed

Pilot Module Test out the module, get feedback Completed

from participants, look at assessment
data
Capstone Written project description Completed 9/4/18
Proposal
Storyboard Course outline which details media, Completed 9/24/18
Development navigation, and description of visual
images
Google Create Classroom, add users, add Completed 10/10/18
Classroom assignments and assessments
Creation
Project Share progress with advisor Completed 10/25/18
Checkpoint
Polish Project Make adjustments and updates where Completed 11/13/18
needed
Pilot Testing Learners participate in course Completed 11/27/18
VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION IN UPPER GRADES 23

Evaluation

The instruction was received remarkably well by the participants, and exceeded in
reaction than what was intended. The learners had no prior knowledge of the topic they would
be learning about, only that they would be participating in a training module that had been
created for this course. The participants quickly went from the pre test to the learning module,
and happily watched and completed the interactive sections. One participant paused the
instruction to get her notebook, to take notes on the model to use with her class the following
week. All learners sequenced through all four required items seamlessly in less than twenty
minutes. The feedback was split down the middle, half of the participants felt the module was
very intuitive to work through, where the other half said it was intuitive. All but one of the
participants agreed the length was just right.

User Survey

The learners all found the instructions clear and simple to follow. After observing them
work through the process, this seems quite accurate. While doing the observations of users
completing the the training there did seem to be some confusion at the end of the module,
however this was not reported in the user survey.
VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION IN UPPER GRADES 24

All of the participants gained confidence in their understanding of the language levels in
academic language. Two participants reported that their confidence level had significantly
increased, seven stated that their confidence level had increased.

When looking at the the length of the training one learner felt it was a bit too short. After
matching this learner to their comments I have added a recommendation for a change when
publishing the finalized module.

Additionally, two participants requested more support with the usage of the Frayer Model
graphic organizer. One requested to include a clip of the Frayer Model graphic organizer being
used in a classroom, while one asked specifically for clarification on the “characteristics”
section. The first request of classroom support was immediately responded to through model
lessons over the course of three days by the instructional coach. The second need was met at an
VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION IN UPPER GRADES 25

after school check in which took approximately thirty minutes and was conducted by the
instructional coach and the subject matter expert who happened to be on campus that afternoon.

Building on the prior knowledge the learners possessed, all were able to gain confidence
in their ability to employ this new strategy. The greatest gains were in identifying the focus of
the Frayer Model as well as the four critical components when using the model.

Recommendations

After analyzing the results of the user survey, these were the recommendations that had the
greatest impact on improvement.
1) Deepen the test questions. While 66% of learners felt the test was just right, 33% felt it
was easy. By replacing one of the entry level questions with a more challenging
substitution could raise the level of learners that felt it was just right.
2) Add scenario-based example: This is worth looking into and is absolutely possible.
Sunnyvale School District has a very clear photo and video release policy that parents are
required to complete during the registration process. By identifying which students were
allowed to participate in recorded lessons, and pulling them into a model classroom, this
can be easily accomplished.

Formative

Four instructional coaches that work out of the district office at the Sunnyvale School
District, with varying areas of expertise completed the course prior to the intended audience.
The goal of this process was to get honest feedback from educators that do not work directly
VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION IN UPPER GRADES 26

with the teachers that would complete the course. These four coaches completed the course in its
entirety, in order to provide suggestions on content, assignment order, assignment length, and
time required to complete all assignments. Coaches were not compensated for their time and
volunteered to participate in this training opportunity. One minor suggestion was made
regarding assignment order and that change was made immediately to improve the flow of the
course. The range completion time was one hour seven minutes to one hour twenty-three
minutes, confirming the process met the requirement.

Summative

A pre and post-test was completed by all course participants to analyze the success of the
training program. In order to complete a paired statistical analysis of the data, the post-test
duplicated the pre-test. The test contained five questions, including multiple choice, short
answer, and check boxes that required more than one correct response. The results of these tests
were collected through the Google Form application, then the data was entered into an Excel
sheet for statistical analysis.
Eight out of ten of the learners showed significant growth on the post test, while one
learner came in with more knowledge so did not show loss or growth. Building on the prior
knowledge the learners possessed, participants were able to gain confidence in their ability to
employ this new strategy. The greatest gains were in identifying the focus of the Frayer Model
as well as the four critical components when using the model.
The research hypothesis for the affect of this project was that the training would improve
the learners understanding language levels through the use of the Frayer Model in their
classrooms. The null hypothesis was that there would not be significant improvement in how to
use the Frayer Model in the classroom. Using the pre and post-test scores as the data, I ran a
paired two sample t-test for dependent samples. The degree of freedom was 9. I used a one-tail
results for a directional hypothesis, due to the hypothesis stated above. The t-test results are
shown in the table below. With a t-stat of 3.94 being higher than the one-tailed critical value, we
must accept the research hypothesis and reject the null hypothesis. This table clearly indicates
that there was significant improvement in the learners understanding after completing the
training.
VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION IN UPPER GRADES 27

Once users had completed the training, they were invited to take one last survey to share
their feelings about the training (Appendix D). There was 100% participation in this survey. The
information provided will be used to create additional training modules that focus on alternative
vocabulary strategies that teachers may wish to employ in their classrooms on a voluntary basis.

Conclusion

After analyzing the data collected through the summative assessment tool, all goals of
this training were met. Most course participants showed significant growth between the pre-test
and post-test. By reviewing their submissions in the Google Classroom, there is evidence of
understanding in their Frayer Model graphic organizers, their notes collected through Padlet, and
in their submissions on the Google Sheets. The goal of this course was to provide teachers with
professional development that they could access at their convenience and refer to as they
implement the strategies in their classrooms. The data supports the notion that participants have
mastered the content that was presented to them. It is not critical to determine if they refer to the
course moving forward, it is recommended that they do implement this strategy into their
instructional practices.
Each year the site welcomes new English Learners to the campus, all with unique
language experiences. By providing teachers with a variety of instructional strategies to apply
across the school day, opportunities exist that will enrich the student experience and provide
VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION IN UPPER GRADES 28

scaffolding where needed. As the students progress through the grades, their ability to use these
tools will enable them to rely less on teacher provided support, and begin their path to
independence. This is a key factor when they move onto the middle school setting in sixth
grade. This training was requested by teachers and is valued by the school, as they strive to
reclassify all language learners at the elementary level.
While it is clear that teachers are prepared to use this strategy in the classroom, the next
step will be to evaluate how it affects student progress. Through classroom observations and
professional learning communities support is available for teachers throughout the remainder of
the school year. Data monitoring and evaluation will be done by the instructional coach and
principal on a monthly basis to determine any impact this work has on student outcomes.

Current Limitations

The current limitations that are anticipated at this time is supporting teachers to carefully
analyze the most impactful language that can be focused on through this model. As they are
dutifully implementing common core standards with enormous language demands, prioritizing
focus words will be a challenge. The Frayer Model is designed to provide maximum support on
words that transgress subject matters. By working in grade level teams, teachers can be aligned
in their implementation. There are many opportunities for this work to occur during common
prep time, at teacher learning days, and during release time that is provided for professional
learning community meetings.
The future for this training is currently being discussed at Lakewood and the Sunnyvale
School District level. After monitoring student growth through the remainder of the school year
there is the opportunity to open the training to teachers at other sites in the fall of 2019. Another
implication of this project is the request to complete new courses that introduce additional
strategies that will guide teachers in the most effective instructional practices. The strategies will
be determined at our district English Learner
VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION IN UPPER GRADES 29
VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION IN UPPER GRADES 30

References

Boushey, G. & Moser, J. (2009) The Café Book. Portland, Maine: Stenhouse Publisher

Echeverria, J., Richards-Tutor, C., Chinn, V., & Rateleff, P. (2011) Did they get it? The role of
fidelity in teaching english learners. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy (54) 6
doi:10.1598/JAAL.54.6.4

Fisher, D. & Frey, N. (2104) Content area vocabulary learning. The Reading Teacher, 67(8).
Retrieved from:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.library2.csumb.edu:2048/doi/10.1002/trtr.1258/full

German Reiser, R. A. & Dempsey, J.V. (Eds.) (2012), Trends and Issues in Instructional Design
and Technology. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Harasim, L. (2017). Learning theory and online technologies (2nd ed.). New York, NY:
Routledge. https://doi.org/10.1080/02680513.2013.864550

Pinnell, Gay Su & Fountas, Irene C. (2009), When Readers Struggle Teaching That Works:
Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann

Schuth, E., Kohne, J., & Weinert, S. (2017) The influence of academic vocabulary knowledge on
school performance. Learning and Instruction, (49). Retrieved from: https://www-
sciencedirectcom.library2.csumb.edu:2248/science/article/pii/S095947521730052X

Schumann, J. H., Crowell, S. E., Jones, N. E., Lee, N., Schuchert, S. A., & Wood, L. A. (2004).
Neurobiology of Learning: Perspectives From Second Language Acquisition. Mahwah, NJ:
Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
Stahl, S. & Fairbanks, M. (1986) The effects of vocabulary instruction: a model-based meta-
analysis. American Educational Research Association, 56 (1). Retrieved from:
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Stolovitch, Harold D. & Keeps, Erica J. (2011), Telling Ain’t Training, 2nd Edition. Alexandria,
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VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION IN UPPER GRADES 32

Appendix A

Vocabulary Acquisition Interviews

Teacher Information:

M/F Years experience: _______ Years at grade level: ________

1. How successful do you feel with your language arts program?

2. What do you feel are the strongest parts?
3. What area do you feel you need support in?
4. How do you incorporate vocabulary acquisition into your ELA block?
5. What structures do you currently use?
6. How do you select the focus words?
7. Are there specific things you want to learn more about to improve
your practice?
8. Have you ever heard of any of these strategies? 1-5 Knowledge
about them, one being nothing to 5 I know it well and could use it in
my classroom.
 Frayer Model
 Graffiti Vocabulary
 Making Meaning
 Word Wall Match Up
 Vocabulary Anchor
 Essential Prefix
 Wordsplash
 Interview a word
 Word Sorting
 Kahoot!
 KIM Strategy
 Vocabulary Squares
 Learning Maps

9. Is there anything you are surprised I didn’t ask you about?

VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION IN UPPER GRADES 33

Appendix B
VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION IN UPPER GRADES 34
VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION IN UPPER GRADES 35

Appendix C
VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION IN UPPER GRADES 36
VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION IN UPPER GRADES 37