Vocabulary Is Comprehension

An author, teacher, coach, and speaker, LAURA ROBB has spent the last four decades in middle school education. What teachers appreciate most about Laura is her deep commitment to children and adolescents, and her ability to show what best-practice instruction looks like day by day; a survey conducted by Instructor magazine named Laura as one of the nation's top twenty educators. Currently, in addition to her speaking and consulting, she works part time in grades K-8. She was named NCTE's recipient of the 2016 Richard W. Halle Award for Outstanding Middle Level Educator.

Foreword by Kathy Ganske Acknowledgments Chapter 1. How the Common Core Has Changed the Rules of the Game Forever (Even If the Standards Go Away) Big Ambition: Vocabulary in the Context of All the ELA Standards Vocabulary in the Context of Complex Text Reading Research Highlights The Lesson Structure: 10 to 15 Minutes a Day The Big 10 Approach to Reading Words Closely The Big 10 and the Common Core Vocabulary Standards Collaborate and Learn Chapter 2. Ten Short Lessons for the Big 10 Which Words Do I Teach? Laying Out the Lessons for the Big 10 Elements of the Lesson Lesson 1: Understanding Descriptive Words to Visualize Lesson 2: Decode and Define Multisyllable Words Lesson 3: Understanding Personification Lesson 4: Write to Show Understanding of Words Lesson 5: Synonyms, Antonyms, and Multiple Meanings Lesson 6: Connecting Words to a Text's Concepts Lesson 7: Understanding Denotative and Connotative Meanings Lesson 8: Showing Word Knowledge via Twitter Lesson 9: Four Words to Respond to Texts Lesson 10: Multiple Forms, Multiple Meanings Collaborate and Learn Chapter 3. Figurative Language Helping Students Not to Be Cowed by Figurative Language Guidelines for Reading Poetry Lesson 1: Alliteration Lesson 2: Metaphor Lesson 3: Onomatopoeia Lesson 4: Repetition Lesson 5: Simile Lesson 6: Symbols and Symbolism Lesson 7: Idioms Using Discussions to Interpret Figurative Language Three Reproducibles for Discussing and Writing About Poems Discussions on Class Blogs Collaborate and Learn Chapter 4. Getting to the Root of Words What the Common Core State Standards Have to Say Review Lessons on Prefixes and Suffixes Lesson 1: Prefixes Lesson 2: Suffixes A Five-Day Routine for Teaching Roots Lesson 3: Expand Vocabulary With Roots, Prefixes, and Suffixes Lesson 4: Make Words With Prefixes, Suffixes, and Roots How to Link the Lessons to Students' Reading More Strategies That Use Roots, Prefixes, and Suffixes Lesson 5: Prefix Brainstorm Lesson 6: Denotation-Connotation Map Collaborate and Learn Chapter 5. General Academic and Domain-Specific Vocabulary The CCR Anchor Standards for Reading Quick Recap: How the Lessons in This Book Address the Anchor Standards Four Categories of Academic Vocabulary The Best Use of Word Lists Why General Academic Vocabulary Is Key Basic Elements of General Academic Vocabulary Lessons Lessons for Teaching General Academic Words Lesson 1: Rate Your Word Knowledge Lesson 2: ABC List and Link Lesson 3: Concept Map and Writing Lesson 4: Words in the World Lesson 5: Making Analogies on a Class Wiki or Blog Lesson 6: Tweeting for Word Learning Collaborate and Learn Chapter 6. Assessing Vocabulary So How Are They Reading Complex Texts? Informative Assessment and Responsive Teaching Why Final Tests Are Problematic Gathering Data Throughout the Lessons Making Instructional Decisions and Modifications Introducing Lessons: The First Day Practicing the Lessons: Second and Possibly Third Days Applying the Lessons: Completing Written Work Self-Evaluation How to Scaffold and Reteach Collaborate and Learn Concluding Thoughts on Vocabulary Instruction Ten Ways Students Can Expand Their Vocabularies References Index

"Although the importance of vocabulary knowledge for reading and learning is widely recognized, it isn't every day that a book makes the connection between word savvy and engaged text reading so transparent and lively. . . . Laura Robb's Vocabulary Is Comprehension is truly a book for the times and for the time-conscious middle-grades teacher. It's one I look forward to having in my toolbox." -- KATHY GANSKE, Author of Word Journeys, Second Edition "Laura Robb has this remarkable way of lassoing the galloping, impossible-to-meet mandates out there and wrestling them to the ground so they actually work in classrooms. In Vocabulary Is Comprehension, she shows teachers how to teach systematic, daily vocabulary in the context of authentic reading and a vital curriculum . . . making us grateful once again for Laura Robb and her efforts to help us all be better teachers." -- JIM BURKE, Author of The Common Core Companion "The research is clear: the size of a student's vocabulary at the end of twelfth grade is not only a strong indicator of whether college is attainable, but also a predictor of future income and success. Fortunately, Vocabulary Is Comprehension provides teachers with effective and practical ideas on how to strengthen our students' knowledge of words. This is an essential book for helping students overcome word deficit and attain the greater freedom and power that comes with possessing a strong and sophisticated vocabulary." -- KELLY GALLAGHER, Author of Deeper Reading "Opening Laura Robb's book is like unwrapping a gift box where you discover many other wondrous presents inside. Expertly aligned to the Common Core and to research-based practices, Laura provides teachers with what they've long needed: a simple set of principles for understanding all of the individual components of vocabulary along with practical tools for teaching vocabulary. . . . Lots of lessons. Lots of texts. Lots of reproducibles. Lots to love!" -- NANCY BOYLES, Author of Closer Reading, Grades 3-6 "Laura Robb hasn't just shown the best means for employing the most effective instructional strategy for improving word knowledge, she has also thought of every dimension of masterful classroom management to meet the needs of every child along the way. . . .This is a book that will have teachers excited for tomorrow's vocabulary instruction and marveling at how fast students grow in their reading ability when they have tools to employ rather than just rote memorization." -- JAMES BLASINGAME, Coauthor of Teaching Writing in Middle and Secondary Schools