Traits of Quality Writing Word Choice

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Warm-up activity… • #1: • http://quizlet.com/2349280/icebreaker-vocabulary-ii-flash-cards/ • #2: • Vocabulary Icebreaker sheet… (save until end today!!)

Reading… • Reading is important! • Reading gets better by reading (usually) • Reading sparks curiosity (Have you seen a toddler with a book?) • Reading provides knowledge base • Readingexpands our vocabulary • Reading is linked to our written ability

Literacy facts… • Average child from a welfare family hears about • 3 million words a year vs.11 million words a year for an average child from a professionally educated family. (Hart & Risley,1995). • By age 4, this gap in words heard grows to • 13 million vs.45 million (3.5 times as many!!) • Children enter school with a listening vocabulary ranging between 2500 to 5000 words. (5 YEAR OLD) • First graders from higher socio-economic status know twice as many words as lower socio-economic status children. (Grater & Slater, 1987). • Average adult has a vocabulary of between 20 000 and 25 000 words.

And, that… • Vocabulary knowledge is closely related to reading comprehension and academic achievement. (Chall, Jacobs, & Baldwin, 1990; Graves 2000). • Limited vocabulary is a major factor in the • achievement gap.(Biemiller,, 2004; Chall, Jacobs, & Baldwin, 1990; Hart & Risley, 1995). • In 1st and 2nd grade, children need to learn 800+ words per year, about 2 per day. • Children learn 2,000 to 3,000 new words each year from 3rd grade on, about 6-8 per day. • To keep up, a child needs to learn at a rate of 2000-3000words per year from third grade on. To close the gap, they need to exceed that.

What’s more important? • Spelling • or • Vocabulary?

You can understand this… • I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdnieag. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid! Aoccdrnig to a rscheearche at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? Yaeh and I awlyas thought slpeling was ipmorantt!

better than this… Chlorecyclizine hydrochloride is an antihistamine which is related structurally to cyclizine and meclizine. A combination with hydrocortisone acetate provides anti-inflammatory, antipruritic, and anesthetic properties. It blocks the actions of histamine, antagonizes allergic manifestation, and anestetizes free nerve endings that mediate pain. The combination provides dual and additive effects to combat antigen-antibody reaction. No spelling mistakes but,without vocabulary, the text becomes meaningless... We’re not doctors! (This happens with math, law, sports, etc. …anywhere we don’t know the vocabulary!)

So, vocabulary it is!! “Vocabulary knowledge is one of the most powerful predictors of reading comprehension” (McKeown, 2009).

Word choice colours our writing… • The croaking frogs from a nearby pond along with the residentchirping swallows would form a symphony of nature to which I would have a front row seat. The crunch of the crisp honey in my mouth would soon activate my taste buds and take me into a world of elation. And then, as the sun meets the moisture in the air, an array of vibrant colours would create a rainbow for the boy to see for the first time. The jubilant smile on his face would bring me to tears of joy, instead of tears of heartbreak and calamity. • Grade 9 student 2011

And makes it better… • The neglected road is dissolving into a war-zone. My precedent countrymen have now evolved into soldiers, diverting every notion they ever believed in. Even their conviction has expired alongside their families; and I’m starting to feel the same. I want to quit. I’m physically powerless to walk towards immunity; mentally nullified to be conscious much longer. Misery is sweeping through my body, producing a numbness that cannot be explained. • Grade 9 student 2011

How Important is Vocabulary? • _____ was absent yesterday because he was playing football. He was hurt in the growing area. • _____ has been absent because he had two teeth taken off his face. • _____ will not be in school cuz he has an acre in his side. • Please excuse _____ from P.E. a few days, yesterday she fell off a tree and misplaced her hip. • Please excuse _____ from school because he has very loose vowels.

The main message… Spelling seldom impacts the meaning but vocabulary often does!

Activity… Can you fill in the blanks on your copy so the passage makes sense? Nall was so _______. She was ______ to the _____ with Charkle. She would _____ a _____ _____ so she could _____ out books. Charkle _____ her _____ out the _____. “_____, Charkle,” jibbed Nall _____ly. “Now we can _____ out _____ together!” _____ Charkle _____ly.

One possibility… Nall was so excited. She was going to the library with Charkle. She would get a librarycard so she could checkout books. Charkle helped her fillout the form. “Thanks, Charkle,” jibbed Nall excitedly. “Now we can check out books together!” laughed Charkle happily.

Vocabulary and Comprehension A FlannerbyBarp for Nall Nall was so plamper. She was larping to the flannerby with Charkle. She would grunk a flannerbybarp so she could crooch out carples. Charklelanted her gib out the nep. “Parps, Charkle,” jibbed Nallplamperly. “Now we can crooch out carples together!” pifedCharkletrigly. 1. Who are the characters in the story? 2. Where were they larping? 3. Why did she want to grunk a flannerbybarp? 4. A good title for this story would be: “Nall and Charkle Together” “Larping to the Flannerby” “LantingNallGrunk a FlannerbyBarp” “Grunking a FlannerbyBarp” *Access to meaning was hindered because we didn't get the vocabulary...like a foreign language!

Follow-up Activity… Completion of Vocabulary Icebreaker sheet. (You’ll have class time to complete.)

Word Choice Word choice is the careful selection of words that fit audience, topic, and purpose. (You need to know who you are writing to, what you’re writing about, and why you are writing.) Words provide meaning, imagery, sensory detail, and terminology Choosing just the right words allows you to reach, move, persuade, or enlighten your reader.

Word Choice Strong word choice leads to: *Clarity * Vivid imagery *Persuasive Arguments *Action-filled narratives *Confident and Professional tone

Word Choice Use word choice to invite your reader inside…in other words, pull them in and make them feel comfortable . (Do not assume they know or understand!!) Example:A Hole (see handout)

Word Choice • A Hole, in the sense applicable to river-running…is essentially a whirlpool laid on its side, with its axis of rotation perpendicular to the main current. It’s a cylinder of water and froth that recirculates constantly, in position, like one of those giant spinning brushes at an automatic car wash. For a rough approximation of how it feels to drop into one, you could take a pass through the car wash on your bicycle. Some kayakers know the same sort of feature under other terms: sousehole, reversal, hydraulic. Reversal is especially apt because, stuck in the grip of a hole, you’ll feel like you’ve suffered one.

Word Choice Use word choice to establish credibility…in other words, use balanced, controlled language. Balance means you avoid using overly simplistic (too easy), inflated (too hard), or inflammatory (offensive) word choice. Knowing your audience and writing to their level will give you credibility. Example: Which one is balanced? (see handout) A Little Obscure Fun (see handout) Which one is balanced? (see handout)

Traits of Quality Writing Word Choice