Action and Assessment Plan

Introduction

English Language Learners must learn how to read while they are learning a second

language (Paul and Vehabovic, 2018). Essential to mastering English, or any second language,

is learning vocabulary (Schmitt, 2008). This Action Research Project aims to identify the best

practices for improving the literacy skills of English Language Learners by focusing on effective

ways to learn new vocabulary. While there are myriad ways to address teaching new words to

any student, the focus will be on strategies that present new words and allow for practice over a

period of time. Hopefully, students will develop both an understanding of the meaning and usage

of these new words, with the goal of applying this new word knowledge to reading and

experiencing greater comprehension.

Action Plan

For any student, but especially the English Language Learner, there are innumerable

opportunities to learn new words in every subject. Based on the findings from the Literature

Review, vocabulary instruction is best delivered via a multipronged approach that includes the

presentation of new words, explicit instruction of the meaning and usage of them, and

opportunities for practice. For increased student achievement in literacy, these strategies must be

employed throughout every instructional opportunity. However, for the purposes of this Action

Research project, vocabulary instructional strategies, observation of students, and assessment

will occur during the English Language Development period. This instructional focus, during

this time period, will hopefully facilitate the acquisition of a larger vocabulary, which is essential

for increasing student literacy (Newton, Ferris, Goh, Grade, Stoller, and Vandergrift, 2018).
 Teaching students to use vocabulary strategies to determine the meaning of new words is

an explicit instructional activity is key. These include teaching students to find contextual clues,

word analysis, cognates, and how to use a dictionary (Carlo, August, McLaughlin, Snow,

Dressler, Lippman, and White, 2009). Each strategy will be taught so that students can apply

them in text, practicing with new words presented at the start of a week.

Knowing that incorporating realia and visuals can help to reinforce new word meaning

(Goldenberg, 2008), students will have an opportunity to integrate these strategies with writing

the definition and part of speech. This practice produces work that can be maintained as a

student produced dictionary which can be reviewed by the students, as needed.

Opportunities to practice the new word meanings is also essential. One strategy involves

students practicing new words with already acquired words. Students have to provide the

definition and a sentence. If they miss the word, they are provided the definition, asked to repeat

it and attempt to use it correctly in a sentence (Petersen-Brown and Burns, 2011).

Assessment and Data Collection

To assess the efficacy of the vocabulary strategies implemented with students, various

means of data collection will be utilized. Student work samples, consisting of vocabulary work,

which includes definitions and illustrations, will be collected and assessed for accuracy.

Students will be observed during group and partner discussions to see if they are using new

vocabulary correctly. Interviews will be conducted with the students chosen to elaborate on their

feelings about reading during the initial phase of this Action Research Project. Formative

assessments will be used to inform instruction. An initial quiz, where targeted vocabulary

knowledge is assessed, will be used to provide a baseline measure. This will be used to ascertain

the effectiveness of implemented vocabulary strategies, by comparing the scores on the initial
quiz to the end of the week test. These results will help shape subsequent teaching cycles. A

summative assessment will be used at the end of a vocabulary cycle. This measure will be

essential to determine if certain vocabulary practices were helpful in learning new words.

Triangulation is achieved through observation, work samples, and assessments.

Timeline

Over three weeks, I will be utilizing several instructional strategies and assessing their

efficacy. Day 1 of each week will begin with an initial assessment of the five vocabulary words I

will present for the week. Then, I will teach a vocabulary strategy. I will present the words and

provide both a definition and part of speech. Day 2 will consist of beginning the practice cycle.

I will review the vocabulary strategy and the definitions for the vocabulary presented on Day 1.

In addition, on Day 2, students will create a four-part vocabulary activity where they write the

definition, part of speech, a sentence, and an illustration. On Day 3, the words will be identified

within a text and the vocabulary strategy will be practiced with the text. Students will practice

the definitions using flash cards with a partner. Day 4 will serve as a review day. Students will

have time to practice the vocabulary words by quizzing each other and in the context of a text,

working on fluency and retelling what they have just read. Day 5 is assessment day. All students

will take a traditional vocabulary test.

At week’s end, scores from the end of the week vocabulary test will be compared to the

initial quiz. If 70% of the students have shown that they have learned 3 of 5 words, as

demonstrated by providing the correct definition for the words, the second week will continue

the same cycle of instruction, save for a different vocabulary strategy to be presented on Day 1.

If this threshold of progress is not met, the Literature Review will be revisited to choose another

vocabulary strategy to employ.

 Table 1. Three Week Vocabulary Action and Assessment Plan

Date March 12, 2018 March 13, 2018 March 14, 2018 March 15, 2018 March 16, 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
Date March 19, 2018 March 20, 2018 March 21, 2018 March 22, 2018 March 23, 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
2. Vocabulary Vocabulary Practice practice with
Words Words text.
3. Introduce 3. Vocabulary
Fluency form Activity
Assessment Initial Observation Observation Observation 1. Vocabulary
Vocabulary Test
2. Interview
students
Spring Break
Date April 3, 2018 April 4, 2018 April 5, 2018 April 6, 2018 April 9, 2018
Teaching 1. Apposition 1. Review 1. Use 1. Review 1. Final review
and Cognates Vocabulary Apposition and vocabulary of vocabulary
Vocabulary Strategy Cognates with words
Strategy 2. Review vocabulary 2. Fluency
2. Vocabulary Vocabulary 2. Student practice with
Words Words Practice text.
3. Introduce 3. Vocabulary
Fluency form Activity
Assessment Initial Observation Observation Observation 1. Vocabulary
Vocabulary Test
2. Interview
students
 References

Carlo, M. S., August, D., McLaughlin, B., Snow, C., Dressler, C., Lippman, D., and White, C. E.

(2009). Closing the gap: addressing the vocabulary needs of english-language learners in

bilingual and mainstream classrooms. Journal of Education, 189(1-2), 57-76.

Goldenberg, Claude, (2008). "Teaching english language learners: what the research does - and

does not - say". ESED 5234 - Master List. 27. Retrieved from

http://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/esed5234-master/27

Newton, J. M., Ferris, D. R., Goh, C. C., Grabe, W., Stoller, F. L., and Vandergrift, L.

(2018). Teaching english to second language learners in academic contexts: reading,

writing, listening, and speaking. Routledge.

Paul, C. M., & Vehabovic, N. (2018). Lost in comprehension: addressing english language

learners' reading needs in the elementary classroom. Optimizing Elementary Education

for English Language Learners (pp. 270-288). IGI Global.

Petersen-Brown, S. and Burns, M.K., (2011, September 1). Adding a vocabulary component to

incremental rehearsal to enhance retention and generalization. School Psychology

Quarterly, 26 (3),245-255.

Schmitt, N. (2008). Instructed second language vocabulary learning. Language Teaching

Research, 12(3).