Sean Morrisey

“No more playing ‘who can guess what’s going on in my head’!” @smorrisey.bsky.social

Sean Morrisey shares how he’s gone from playing “who can tell me what this word means” to teaching vocabulary using an explicit approach to vocabulary instruction!! #vocabulary @researchedcanada.bsky.social

That is very nice of you to say. I don't feel like I'm a strong enough writer. Posts like this are building up my courage. I tell Ss all the time your need to give yourself more credit, you are too hard on yourself. Maybe I should start heeding my own advice.

I try to be a little more intentional every year. This has taken me a while. Now I find myself including so many words throughout the day when I talk. I also try to quickly define the words if it is one that most Ss do not know. "Let's ponder what is happening right now in the story, let's think."

about academic vocabulary. I've observed an increase in this over the past 5 years, but we have a long way to go. End/

having Ss read in the content areas? Academic vocabulary has never been a focus at the elementary level. The secondary level assumes Ss know these words. There is a breakdown through k-12 with regard to academic vocabulary. We have to begin having meaningful discussions 15/

schools Ss are reading less in the content areas. Secondary may focus more on teaching content through powerpoint. Elementary seems to focus on discovery based learning especially in science. When do Ss get to learn academic vocabulary if we aren't teaching, using, and 14/

proceed, propel, develop, regress, revert. How about words for gain/lessen. Accumulate, enhance, amass, elevate, diminish, deteriorate, subside, erode. Academic vocabulary is tricky. There is a lack of reading in content areas such as science and social studies. In many 13/

can negatively impact learning science. Words such as advantage, benefit, asset, hindrance, deterrent, and impediment are quite valuable to understand. Words for moving forward/getting better vs going back/getting worse are important to teach. Words such as advance, progress, 12/

transparent. Words meaning advantage/disadvantage can be quite important to teach. @adamboxereducation.bsky.social used the word advantage in his Teaching Secondary Science book - great read even for elementary teachers. He stated that many Ss get mixed up by general academic words, which 11/

chastise, rebuke, validate, commend, encourage, and endorse. "I have to commend the class due to your strong focus for the past hour." You can leverage words for clear/not clear quite well in teacher talk. Words such as ambiguous, vague, obscure, evident, apparent, and 10/

congregation side by side with segregation is powerful. Add in the word aggregate/aggregation which can come up in a plethora of different topic areas. I like teaching words that revolve around reprimanding and supporting, especially supporting. Words like admonish, scold, 9/

these words. How about words that share the same root. Think about words such as congregate, segregate, and aggregate. The root greg meaning flock/group is underappreciated. Teaching greg could help solidify the meanings of these words. I think teaching the words 8/

Words for support/non support come up in content areas all the time. Words such as confirm, corroborate, substantiate, validate, ratify, affirm, annul, rescind, revoke, nullify, and negate. Comprehension of material would suffer if you didn't have a decent understanding of 7/

Words that focus on thinking can be easily brought into teacher talk without even being explicitly taught are important to use. "Let's ponder, contemplate, consider, deliberate, speculate, process what happened in the story at this point in time?" 6/

Words that have similar spellings and pronunciations can be taught together. Think of words with the ci spelling pattern that are pronounced /sh/ - efficient, inefficient, sufficient, deficient, proficient. These words also contain the same root fic meaning make or do. 5/

not enough are important such as abundant, plentiful, adequate, sufficient, ample, insufficient, meager, sparse, and scarcity. Certain academic words have the same root like tain meaning to hold - obtain, maintain, sustain, contain, retain, attain, and variations of each of 4/

Words that focus on importance are vital to know. Words like crucial, essential, integral, significant, critical, notable, noteworthy, key, and pivotal are all general academic words that Ss should begin learning at the elementary level. Words for having enough of something vs 3/

Adapt, alter, convert, amend, fluctuate, evolve, innovate, modify, shift, transform, revolutionize, and vary are critical words to know. Think of amendments to the US constitution, revolutions in history, fluctuation in economics, and evolve and vary in science. 2/

While we should not just look at a general list to go by with regard to academic vocabulary, there are certainly academic words that are quite important for Ss to know. Let's get started. Take words that mean change. These words are vital for Ss to know and understand. 1/

There will also be quick word activities such as matching the word to the correct fictional place or using sentence stems etc. over the course of the unit. Each taught word will have about 10 different exposures. It is working extremely well so far this year.

I also initially teach a corresponding antonym.
Abstain & Partake
Detain & Relinquish
Maintain & Abandon

I will follow up with using a structured word inquiry lesson around the base "tain" meaning to hold.

These words will also be embedded in a fluency passage as well.

I have a 30-minute skills block which includes daily spelling, vocabulary, morphology, and reading fluency work. I try to keep initial instruction of vocabulary and spelling quick and simple. Ss use mwb for answering. I teach 3 words at a time using consistent routines.

I've just created a starter pack for Developmental Language Disorder. I am sure there will be lots of people I've missed so if you spot omissions (including yourself) then please let me know. #DevLangDis
go.bsky.app/FMV4dou

content. 3 sad, two mostly ambivalent, and 3 happy.

Students performed one today. The characters were insubordination, procrastination, intimidation, and technician. It was fun. We just finished rivers unit. Characters are different rivers discussing different characteristics about them. Fun retrieval activity as audience will have to figure out.

I'm quite excited to talk about the Science of Learning! Hopefully, we will not get another snowstorm next week.

@dtwuva.bsky.social has talked so much about the power of stories. Here are 3 stories I use for a WWII/Holocaust ELA unit. @georgetakei.bsky.social memoir in graphic novel form is outstanding. Hana's Suitcase is a wonderful book and has created a documentary based on the book as well.

Now, Ss MUST have mult/div facts mastered to get the most out of these sequences. These sequences make Ss think a LOT. I always say consider, ponder this question for a few moments BEFORE completing. Certain ways of completing a problem are much more efficient than others.

We can have Ss practice fluency by just changing mixed number into improper fraction and multiplying. Can review distributive property and practice mental math using this property. #2 - (1x4) + (1/4x4), which can easily be calculated mentally IF Ss are fluent with facts. 2/

These math sequences, based on Craig Barton's work allow students to think about the math and practice fluency. Why aren't we talking more about practice activities like this. 100% participation. Communitive Property between #1 and #2. Using mental math strategies for #7-10 1/