[senco-forum] teaching vocabulary

Speach and language, receptive and expressive is variable but generally
poor.  Most of the girls are second and third generation so their parents
were born and grew up in the area.  As a rule most didn't start speaking
English until nursery age.  However there progress is way below
expected(CALP)for EAL pupils.

richard

-----Original Message-----
From: senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk
[mailto:senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk]On Behalf Of Maggie
Downie
Sent: 06 February 2007 22:01
To: Senco Forum
Subject: Re: [senco-forum] teaching vocabulary - help please

What is their spoken vocabulary like?

I'll be interested in the replies to this, because my native North
Easterners have much the same problem!  Decoding greatly improved, but
haven't a clue what half the words mean!  But their oral vocabularies are
very poor, too.

Maggie

Richard Cook <richard_cook at blueyonder.co.uk> wrote: Dear all

Having taught 'reading' using synthetic phonics my pupils can read with
increasing accuracy, speed and intonation.  Staff comment on how they read
aloud in class with increasing confidence.  I hear them reading aloud able
to decode unfamiliar words using context and phonics - but they don't
understand what they've read!

Given a comprehension reading test they can't select the right word because
they don't appear to have the vocabulary.  I tested a group of delightful
girls (asian bi-lingual) this afternoon (NFER Group form D).  Highest score
22 out of 45 (RA around 9 years from memory) despite 6 months intensive
help.  Many of them scored lower then nine months ago (form A).

Suggestions as to how to raise vocabulary and engage in the text trather
than decoding.  Inferencing is poor.

Richard

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