Course 4: Vocabulary for Paraprofessionals
Course 4: Vocabulary for Paraprofessionals
You play an important role in teaching vocabulary. In many ways, you're already helping students grow their vocabulary every day in the classroom, through rich conversations and read-alouds.
In this course, we'll take what you're already doing to the next level. We'll share practical ways to build word knowledge through oral language, word relationships, and engaging activities you can use right away.
-
Course Type
Free and Self-Paced
-
Grade Level
K-3 Paraprofessionals
-
Duration
2 Hours
-
Certificate
Available upon successful completion for registered users
A Sneak Peek
Vocabulary instruction can happen throughout the day! Watch how Ashton Smith plays a word detective game with her kindergarten students during a phonics lesson. This helps them focus on the meaning of the new words they're learning to read.
Hide Video Transcript
Show Video Transcript
Ashton Smith: Who wants to be a word detective? What's a detective? They help you find things, right?
Student: A person that can find ... solve mysteries.
Ashton Smith: Okay, well, this is gonna be a mystery then, yes.
Narrator: The students in Ashton Smith's kindergarten class just finished reading words and phrases that include the glued sounds /an/ and /am/. Now Ms. Smith layers vocabulary into her lesson.
Ashton Smith: I'm gonna describe a word, and as soon as you know what word I'm talking about, I want you to find it on your clipboard and put your finger on it as fast as you can. Okay? I want you to find the word on the first row that is an insect. Put your finger on that word when you find it. All right? Read that word for me.
Students: Ant ...
Ashton Smith: Ant. Detective goggles. Ooh, row three. If you are a winner or if you're in first place, see who can find that word and put your finger on it. Quinson, what word did you pick?
Quinson: Champ ...
Ashton Smith: Champ. Very good. Kiss your brain.
Narrator: Because the students have already decoded these words and practiced reading them fluently, they have the brain space to focus on the meaning of the words.
Ashton Smith: Find for me a word that means just a little bit wet. Do you know that word? Lou, what word do we have?
Lou: Damp ...
Ashton Smith: What?
Lou: Damp ...
Ashton Smith: Damp. Everybody say damp ...
Students: Damp ...
Ashton Smith: This word right here is "damp." Let's read it together. Ready? Damp ... Let's read it.
Ms. Smith and students: Damp ...
Ashton Smith: Damp means that it's just a little bit wet. So if you have a sponge or something or a washcloth and you just stick it under the water real quick, get a little bit of water on it, it's damp. That means it's not really, really wet. Let me see who's got their goggles on. Lemme see who the best detective is. Find for me on the second row, a word that is a name. The word that's a name. Lou's got it. Carter's got it. Trinity's got it. Nalah's got it. Hugo, what word did you choose?
Hugo: Sam ...
Ashton Smith: Sam. And how did you know it was a name?
Hugo: Because it has an uppercase letter.
Ashton Smith: Because it has an uppercase letter. And all names have an uppercase letter because you're important, so they have to start with uppercase letters. Give it a round ...
[Applause]
Student: Reading. Universe is made possible by generous support from Jim & Donna Barksdale, the Hastings/Quillen Fund, an advised fund of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, the AFT, The Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation, and anonymous donors. Special thanks to Hope-Hill Elementary. Reading Is Essential for All People, and Atlanta Public Schools. If you enjoyed this video, please subscribe to our YouTube channel @RUTeaching. Reading Universe is a service of WETA, Washington, D.C., the Barksdale Reading Institute, and First Book.
Ashton Smith: My name is Ashton Smith and this is Reading Universe.
Vocabulary for Paraprofessionals Course Overview
What You Will Learn
-
1
How students learn new words
-
2
Which teaching strategies are most effective for helping students learn new vocabulary
-
3
Why it’s important to develop students' listening and speaking skills when working on new vocabulary words
-
4
How to provide feedback and scaffolding based on the needs of your students
-
5
How to integrate vocabulary learning throughout the school day
Course Preview
Recommended for
-
Meet the Author Deborah Glaser, Ed.D.
Dr. Glaser’s Full BioDr. Deborah Glaser is a consultant, author, and teacher-educator beloved for enriching teachers' knowledge of reading and for her proven instructional methods. Following her teaching career, she directed the educational arm of a nonprofit dyslexia learning center, Lee Pesky Learning Center, where she developed programs to teach teachers and students.
Produced by Reading Universe, a partnership of WETA, Barksdale Reading Institute, and First Book Hide Video Transcript Show Video Transcript
Hi, I'm Dr. Deb Glaser. I've been an educator for my whole adult life. First, as a classroom teacher and learning disability specialist, and now as a writer, researcher, and creator of professional development material. Throughout my career, I've had the chance to work closely with paraprofessionals and to see how devoted you are to helping our students succeed. Now, I've joined forces with Reading Universe to develop these courses for paraeducators. In each course, we highlight the best teaching strategies. We demonstrate how to use those strategies in your classroom, and then we give you a chance to develop your own teaching practice. This course focuses on helping every student to develop a bigger and richer vocabulary.
Questions About This Course
-
Are there any prerequisites for taking this course?
You'll get the most out of this Vocabulary for Paraprofessionals course by taking all five courses in the ParaReading series in order — beginning with Course 1: Phoneme Awareness for Paraprofessionals. That's because the content of each course builds on concepts and skills presented in earlier courses in the series.
-
Do I need to purchase specific textbooks or other supplies to take this course?
You don't need to purchase specific textbooks or other supplies to complete this course. All course activities only require basic, on-hand items — like paper and a pencil. Some activities have printable resources that can also be re-drawn on paper if a printer isn't available.
-
Do I need to work with other people while taking this course?
This course can be completed entirely on your own. That said, there are several practice activities — like role plays — that encourage you to work with a colleague, friend, or family member. None of these activities are graded, and you can decide whether or not to do the activity on your own or with a partner.
-
What grade do I need to pass the class and earn my certificate?
You need to achieve an 80% or higher on the end-of-course quiz to earn a certificate of completion.
-
Where do I access my certificate?
You can find and download your certificate on your Reading Universe profile dashboard. It shows up automatically after you pass the end-of-course quiz with a grade of 80% or higher.
-
Do I get a certificate if I don't sign in?
No. To get the certificate, you must register for an account and be signed in to your account when you take the end-of-course quiz.
-
Can I receive professional development credit for taking this course?
Reading Universe offers a certificate of completion for three hours of training time. You will need to check with your school district administrators to find out what credit, if any, is available to you for completing this course.
-
Do you have other courses for teaching reading for paraprofessionals?
Yes! This course is one of a collection of five courses on teaching reading that are specifically written for paraprofessionals. Other courses cover phoneme awareness, phonics, fluency, and reading comprehension. Learn more about these courses.
