Implementation and Results

Research names vocabulary instruction as one approach, of many, to improve literacy,

specifically reading comprehension. This approach is especially important for English Language

Learners who are expected to learn grade level standards, along with acquiring English language

skills. For this Action Research project, vocabulary instruction would entail explicit instruction,

teaching a vocabulary strategy, and opportunities for review.

Phase 1

Week 1

Table 1. First Week of Vocabulary Instruction and Assessment

Date March 12, 2018 March 13, 2018 March 14, 2018 March 15, 2018 March 19, 2018
Teaching 1. Context Clues 1. Review 1. Use Context 1. Review 1. Final review
Vocabulary Vocabulary Clues with vocabulary of vocabulary
Strategy Strategy vocabulary words
2. Vocabulary 2. Review 2. Student 2. Fluency
Words Vocabulary Practice practice with
3. Introduce Words text.
Fluency form 3. Vocabulary
Activity
Assessment Initial Observation Observation Observation 1. Vocabulary
Vocabulary Test
2. Interview
students
On day one, vocabulary instruction began with an initial assessment. Twenty-three

students received a sheet with five words: manage, risks, produce, dispose, and profit. The

words were taken from the passage for their week 1 reading assessment. Students were asked to

provide a definition for all the words they knew. If they did not know a word, they were to leave

the line provided for the definition blank. Results were as follows.

Table 2. Results of Initial Vocabulary Assessment, Week 1

Number of 0-all items left blank 0-definitions attempted, 1 2

Defintions Correct but incorrect
Number of 12 3 7 1
Students
 Of the correct definitions offered, three students gave a correct definition for manage,

three students could define risk, while one defined produce. The majority appeared to be

unfamiliar with the vocabulary words.

The students were provided a worksheet where they could record the definitions, parts of

speech, sentences, and illustrations for each vocabulary word. Students were given the word,

which was spelled out for them, and definitions were provided in student friendly language.

Definitions were taken from Merriam-Webster Children’s Dictionary. Students were then

provided the text from which the vocabulary was taken.

Students received instruction about how to use context clues as a vocabulary strategy.

The students practiced the strategy by locating the vocabulary words in the passage and

underlining the context clues that could help them understanding the words. The text was read to

the students, in an effort to model fluency, and then the whole class read the text together.

Students were then timed for one minute and asked to mark the final word they read.

On day two, students were asked to practice the context clue vocabulary strategy. A

sentence, with an unknown word, was presented and students were asked to underline the word,

or words, that could help them identify the meaning. Students had the opportunity to share what

they had underlined. The students were presented with the actual definition and what they

should have underlined. Many indicated that they had underlined the same words.

To review vocabulary, students made flash cards. They wrote the vocabulary word on

one side and the definition and part of speech on the opposite side. Students were shown to pair

up to practice the words with each other. One student would hold up the card with the word

showing and the other student had to give the definition. If they were unable to, they would be

given the definition and have to repeat it.

 For the vocabulary activity, the students were asked to create sentences that included

context for others to understand the meaning of the word. These were created as whole class in

an effort to model how to include elements of a definition in sentences. This modeling also

served as support for those students who still require writing support.

On day 3, students practiced the vocabulary strategy of context clues again, with a

different sentence. As part of Student Practice, they practiced quizzing each other on the

vocabulary with their flash cards. They also practiced reading fluency by reading the passage

they had been given. Then, students were timed for a minute, marking the last word they had

stopped at. As this was part of their homework, students indicated (by raising their hand) they

had improved the number of words they could read per minute.

Day 4 entailed reviewing the vocabulary words. The students read over their worksheet

where they had recorded the definitions, parts of speech, sentences, and illustrations. They

worked with the flash cards as well. The vocabulary period ended with more fluency practice.

This time, students offered each other a retell. They had to share, with each other, what they had

read, trying to name the main idea and a couple of details.

On day 5, students had a final opportunity to review the vocabulary words before the

vocabulary assessment. They were to review the worksheet and then quiz each other with flash

cards. For the assessment, I was not able to choose between having students write in the

vocabulary word to complete a sentence with context clues or just indicate the correct word for a

definition. I opted to test the students both ways. I was not able to administer the assessment

during the same week, having to wait until the following Monday to test the students. The results

were as follows:
 Table 3. Results of Week 1 Final Vocabulary Assessment

Number of 0 1 2 5 6 8 10
Items Correct
Number of 2 3 1 1 3 5 8
Students

Four of the students who failed the exam receive Special Education services. I decided to

offer the test orally, knowing that they struggle with reading. I read the meanings of each word

and asked them to tell me the word they believed to be the word being defined. In reviewing

their IEPs, to look for their eligibility, the four have auditory processing problems that affect

their learning.

I interviewed my focus group of students about the first week’s vocabulary procedures

and their test results.

Table 4. Week 1 Focus Group Responses

Student Were you happy about your test score? How did you prepare for the test?
F1 “I got 100%. I am very happy.” “We worked on the words in class and I
practiced a lot at home. My big sister
quizzed me with the cards.”
M1 “I got all of them right. I was happy.” “I paid attention in class and worked with
E-, my partner. We did the cards a lot. I
took the vocabulary sheet home and
practiced too. I read it a lot.”
F2 “Yes. I got 100% right.” “I practiced with my partner in class. I
read the vocabulary sheet too.”
M2 “I’m really happy because I got all of “Me and my partner did the flash cards all
them all right.” the time. We did them at breakfast and
when we finished math. I took my paper
home and read it a lot. My dad quizzed
me too.”
F3 “No. I only got 5 right. I wanted to get “I did the cards with my partner and used
them all right, but I didn’t.” the vocabulary sheet. My big sister
helped me too. I made cards at home and
she tested me.”
 With 57% of the students passing the test, I focused on the scores of the remaining

students. In reviewing their assessments, I did not find a huge difference in scores between the

fill-in the sentence part of the test, as opposed to the choosing the word defined. Initially, I

thought that the sentences might have been the area with the most errors. It appeared that the

most commonly missed words in the choosing the word were produce, profit, and dispose.

I decided that there probably needed to be more opportunities for practice, possibly of a

different type. I also wondered if there was an impact to not completing the lesson cycle and

assessment during the same week. Day 4 was delayed due to preparations for Open House. This

delay would be affecting the second week of the Vocabulary Action and Assessment Plan due to

Spring Break.

Week 2

Table 5. Second Week of Vocabulary Instruction and Assessment

Date March 20, 2018 March 21, 2018 March 22, 2018 April 3, 2018 April 4, 2018
Teaching 1. Word 1. Review 1. Use Word 1. Review 1. Final review
Structure Vocabulary Structure with vocabulary of vocabulary
Vocabulary Strategy vocabulary words
Strategy 2. Review 2. Student 2. Fluency
Vocabulary
2. Vocabulary Words: add game
Practice practice with
Words for practice text.
3. Introduce 3. Vocabulary
Fluency form Activity
Assessment Initial Observation Observation Observation 1. Vocabulary
Vocabulary Test
2. Interview
students

The second week would entail many of the same practices from week one, with the

addition of a game-like practice for reviewing vocabulary. Unfortunately, a drawback to this

second week of vocabulary instruction was the interruption by the Spring Break.

On day one, vocabulary instruction began with an initial assessment. The students were

asked to define the following words: quality, pollute, hybrids, environment, and support. The
students who offered correct meanings, defined either pollute or environment. One student

offered correct definitions for quality, pollute, environment, and support. She recently tested

gifted.

Table 6. Results of Initial Vocabulary Assessment, Week 2

Number of 0-all items left 0-definitions 1 2 4

Defintions Correct blank attempted, but
incorrect
Number of 14 2 3 3 1
Students

Again, the students were given the vocabulary worksheet to record the definitions, parts

of speech, sentences, and illustrations for each vocabulary word. The same procedures for the

first week were followed. The vocabulary strategy taught this week was how to use word

structure to derive the meaning of new words. The students practiced the strategy by providing

the meanings of prefixes or suffixes with root, or base, words they were familiar with. The

students received the passage from the second week’s assessment.

On day two, students used a worksheet to practice the word structure vocabulary

strategy. They also made their flash cards. In addition, students were given blank cards and

asked to write the vocabulary word on one side, leaving the other side blank. A game was

introduced to students to use with the flash cards and the one-sided cards. Students were

instructed to choose one member of the table group (three tables have five members, while two

have four members) who would choose one of five one-sided cards, without looking at the word,

and holding up to other students. The students used the flash cards to help them provide clues

for the displayed word’s meaning. The person holding the card has to guess the word based on

the definitions offered.

 The rest of the lesson cycle continued as the previous week. However, the big difference

was that Spring Break interrupted the five-day lesson cycle. Upon the students’ return from the

break, there was a re-teaching of the word structure vocabulary strategy and a class review of the

vocabulary. On the last day of the lesson cycle, students were assessed.

Table 7. Results of Week 2 Final Vocabulary Assessment

Number of 0 1 2 3 5 6 7 8 10
Items
Correct
Number of 2 1 2 3 1 2 2 1 9
Students

Evaluations

Considering the days off for the Spring Break, the results were expected to be much

lower than the 5% difference. At the end of the first week, 57% of the students passed the

vocabulary with a score of 7, or more, correct out of ten. At the end of the second week, 52%

passed. In looking at the results, there were similarities. Most of the students earned the same

score as they had in the first week. The majority of students earned the same score or did show

some improvement, whether they passed, or not.

Table 8. Week 1 v. Week 2 Differences

Improvement Improvement Same Score Same Score No No

Passing Not Passing Passing Not Passing Improvement Improvement
Passing Not Passing
Number of 2 5 8 3 2 3
Students

It is hard to determine whether the vacation changed the results. Initially, a third week of a

similar lesson cycle was planned, however, due to time constraints, this was abandoned in favor

of evaluating the first two weeks and making modifications.

 Table 9. Week 2 Focus Group Responses

Student Were you happy about your test score? Do you think the vocabulary game
helped? Explain why.
F1 “I got 100%. I am very happy.” “I think so. My table likes doing the game
more than just reading the vocabulary
paper. That helps, but doing the game is
more fun.”
M1 “I passed, but I got three wrong. I “It was fun. I think it helped, but I didn’t
wanted 100%.” get 100%. The words were kind of hard
for me.”
F2 “Yes. I got 100% right.” “Yes. It was funny when we had to tell
the definition but not the word. I think we
practiced the definition a lot.”
M2 “I’m really happy because I got all of “Yes. It was a fun way to practice. I liked
them all right.” it better of the flash cards.”
F3 “Kinda. I got six right. It was better than “Maybe, yes. I got a better score, so yes.
the other test. I didn’t pass, but I was It was like a game to practice and more
better.” funner.”

The responses would help determine if the game should continue to be included. The students

expressed that the game was fun and four of them thought the game was helpful. Four of the five

students passed the vocabulary test, while the student who didn’t improved her score by one. So,

it would appear that the game should remain as part of the practicing for the learning cycle of

vocabulary words.

I also looked at how the students scored when considering their English Language

Development levels. Of the twenty-three students participating in this research project, those

who did not pass were students who demonstrate English language acquisition at the Emerging

and Expanding stages, or levels 2 and 3 (except one student who is at level 4, but she has reading

difficulties). It can be concluded that students in the expanding stage (level 3) of English

language acquisition scored higher than those still at the level of expanding (level 2) because

they demonstrate more academic language acquisition. The five students at level 5 and identified

as RFEPs scored as one would hope, passing the assessment, demonstrating grade level skills.
 Table 10. English Language Development Scores and Meaning

Level 1 2 3 4 5 RFEP
Meaning Emerging- Emerging Expanding- Bridging- Bridging- Student
beginning to and skills go communication communication satisfied all
communicate Expanding- beyond evolves to is sufficient requirements
in English using English basic skills reach different and to be
to to academic audiences and approximates a reclassified.
communicate content use in various native English
basic skills. contexts. speakers.
Passed 1 4 2 1 4
Assessment
Did Not 6 4 1
Pass
Assessment

On the opposite end, the six students, who did not pass the assessment, are all recognized as

having struggles with reading. Four of them receive Special Education services for literacy. It

could be argued that the difficulties with reading might be negatively impacting the students’

acquisition of new vocabulary words.