Literacy Matters Vol. 23 Winter 2023

instruction, and does the approach differ within the language arts classroom as opposed to the content-area classroom?

TERM

TIER 1 TIER 2 TIER 3

Adaptations

0 4 0 1

6

18

Attract

19 17 18

1 7 5 1 0 0 0 3 2

As Bear (2021) noted, explicit vocabulary instruction related to content-area texts should focus on a limited number of words. This idea of the number of terms and careful selection of terms using the understanding of tiered vocabulary is further examined in multiple sources related to effective vocabulary instruction (Beck & McKeown, 2013; Beck et al., 2020). To gauge preservice teachers’ understanding and ability to decipher among tiers, I conducted a classification of terms exit ticket following multiple class sessions focused on vocabulary development in content-area lessons. Undergraduate Course Data and Discussion In preparing undergraduate preservice teachers to teach vocabulary effectively, I designated course readings, out of-class assignments, and instructional time/activities to the topic of vocabulary development and instruction. In reviewing the research on effective vocabulary instruction, I decided to start with the discussion of the tiered system for sorting terms. The reading, class activities, and student data set shared are from coursework from a content-area literacy course taken by undergraduate teaching majors at a state university in the southeastern region of the US. After obtaining IRB approval and signed consent forms, there were 24 students whose work was collected for data analysis. After students read about and practiced sorting terms by tiers, students individually completed an exit slip with the terms in the table below. Students were instructed to put a 1, 2, or 3 beside each word on their exit slip to designate the vocabulary tier in which they felt this word would be classified. Table 1 shows the number of marks per tier for each word on the exit slip. The 26 words within the exit ticket were taken from first grade resource materials provided by the state of South Carolina (SC Office of Standards and Learning, 2014). Based on Table 1, there were many words with which students agreed on their tiered classification. Examples of these words include fruit, germination, and leaves. The words with the most agreement typically fell into either tier 1 or 3. Many words included classifications split between tiers. In looking at the words without clear classification, those with split classifications between tier 1 and tier 2 were simpler and included words such as seeds and soil. Many terms with split answers between these two levels were one-syllable words. Terms split between tier 2, and tier 3 classification seemed more complex and included terms such as nutrients and seedling, many of which were two-syllable words. To gain more insight into the struggle for differentiating between tiers, individual student conferences could be completed to better understand students’ thought processes in classifying terms.

Development

Environment

Flowers

22 23

1 1 0

Fruit

Germination

0

24

Growth

11 21

13

Leaves

3

Mature

1 2 1 4 2 1 6 0

20 20 13 20 12 19 12

Measurement

Nutrients

10

Literacy Matters General Articles

Observe

0

Pollen

10

Produce

4 6

Roots

Seedling

7 7 7

17

Seeds

13 15 10

4 2 0 6 6 2 5

Soil

Space

14 10 14 18

Sprout

0 4 0

14

Stem

Structures

Sunlight

14

8

Survive

4

15

Water

24 0 Table 1 Preservice Teachers’ Classification Results for Tiered Content-Area Term 0

In reflecting on this student data, I recognized that students needed more knowledge and practice in classifying terms. As I analyzed the words causing confusion, the words seed and seedling stood out based on their common root word. I looked at seeds which was identified as a tier 1 word by thirteen students. The other students were split between this term being tier 2 or tier 3. The word seedling was identified as a tier 1 word by zero students but was split between being classified as a tier 2 or tier 3 term. In considering instruction to teach these terms at the elementary level, I think back to my experience of planning, teaching, and assessing students in the elementary classroom and cannot imagine the instruction of these terms without visual aids. Using diagrams of plant parts and growth stages seems a logical part of the learning and assessment process related to these terms. This is likely because effective vocabulary instruction should include building associations among terms and ideas. These associations are necessary for connecting

Literacy Matters | Volume 22 • Winter 2023 | 33 |

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