What is the Marzano's Six-Step Process?
The importance of vocabulary knowledge to reading and general literacy has been known for quite some time. Years of research and study has led to several theories and strategies for the instruction of vocabulary terms. A great resource for this research and content was compiled in the book, Building Background Knowledge for Academic Achievement (Marzano, 2004). To summarize, the research points to implementing instructional activities that aid in teaching new vocabulary in a direct way while promoting vocabulary recall of what they have learned for later dates. These activities are organized into six instructional steps known as the Marzano Six Step Process. These six steps can be summarized as:
1. Explain
2. Restate
3. Show
4. Discuss
5. Refine and Reflect
6. Apply in Learning Games
How is it implemented?
To go further into each of these steps helps us to realize each has an important role to not only learning new terms but promoting recall.
Step One - Explain - Provide an appropriate example of the term in the form of a description or definition.
The first priority of this process is to provide an age-appropriate example of the term for the students to refer to. It is the teachers job to build the first initial understanding of the term and there are several avenues to take when presenting it. A few solid examples a teacher could utilize would be:
- telling a story using the term
- using current events to connect to something relevant
- describe a personal mental picture of the term
- find/create pictures that illustrate the term
Using examples that utilize pictures or graphics will help reach students across the learning styles, as well as model expected examples for their own pictures or graphics in step 3.
Step Two - Restate - Ask students to reflect on the definition or example given in step one and restate it in their own words.
This step requires students to really evaluate the example given to come up with a paraphrase for the example. By asking students to restate the example, students must "own" the new term by using their own words and ideas. Having the students record these restatements in a notebook or on a worksheet for future reference.
Step Three - Show - Ask students to create a picture, symbol, or graphic representation of the term.
By require students to construct their own image as a representation of the new term, you are causing them to think in an entirely different way. This step helps shift thinking from a linguistic to a non-linguistic type of thinking. Be aware that students may need significant help with this step as they are not often asked to make picture representation of academic ideas.
Step Four - Discuss - Engage students in a discuss activity that will assist them in adding to the knowledge of the new term that they are creating.
This step will engage students in activities that require students to discuss and review the terms that are presented to them. These activities could include comparing and contrasting, create metaphors, classifying, or identifying synonyms or antonyms for the new terms.
Step Five - Refine and Reflect - Have students return to their original notebook entry or worksheet to refine their answers based on the activities from step four.
Students should use time in step five to make revision, deletions, and/or additions to the existing entries. Based on the discussions that were help with peers, these revisions should be beneficial in completing the entry for future use. This step could be conducted in pairs or small groups.
Step Six - Apply in Learning Games - Involve students in games that allow them to play with the new terms.
Many types of games can be utilized to keep the new terms at the students attention. Some suggesting setting aside a block of time on a weekly basis to review terms presented and keep students energized and guide them in review,
Image Source: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/80/65/f1/8065f108f95994ec0edbdbff30927d27.jpg
The importance of vocabulary knowledge to reading and general literacy has been known for quite some time. Years of research and study has led to several theories and strategies for the instruction of vocabulary terms. A great resource for this research and content was compiled in the book, Building Background Knowledge for Academic Achievement (Marzano, 2004). To summarize, the research points to implementing instructional activities that aid in teaching new vocabulary in a direct way while promoting vocabulary recall of what they have learned for later dates. These activities are organized into six instructional steps known as the Marzano Six Step Process. These six steps can be summarized as:
1. Explain
2. Restate
3. Show
4. Discuss
5. Refine and Reflect
6. Apply in Learning Games
How is it implemented?
To go further into each of these steps helps us to realize each has an important role to not only learning new terms but promoting recall.
Step One - Explain - Provide an appropriate example of the term in the form of a description or definition.
The first priority of this process is to provide an age-appropriate example of the term for the students to refer to. It is the teachers job to build the first initial understanding of the term and there are several avenues to take when presenting it. A few solid examples a teacher could utilize would be:
- telling a story using the term
- using current events to connect to something relevant
- describe a personal mental picture of the term
- find/create pictures that illustrate the term
Using examples that utilize pictures or graphics will help reach students across the learning styles, as well as model expected examples for their own pictures or graphics in step 3.
Step Two - Restate - Ask students to reflect on the definition or example given in step one and restate it in their own words.
This step requires students to really evaluate the example given to come up with a paraphrase for the example. By asking students to restate the example, students must "own" the new term by using their own words and ideas. Having the students record these restatements in a notebook or on a worksheet for future reference.
Step Three - Show - Ask students to create a picture, symbol, or graphic representation of the term.
By require students to construct their own image as a representation of the new term, you are causing them to think in an entirely different way. This step helps shift thinking from a linguistic to a non-linguistic type of thinking. Be aware that students may need significant help with this step as they are not often asked to make picture representation of academic ideas.
Step Four - Discuss - Engage students in a discuss activity that will assist them in adding to the knowledge of the new term that they are creating.
This step will engage students in activities that require students to discuss and review the terms that are presented to them. These activities could include comparing and contrasting, create metaphors, classifying, or identifying synonyms or antonyms for the new terms.
Step Five - Refine and Reflect - Have students return to their original notebook entry or worksheet to refine their answers based on the activities from step four.
Students should use time in step five to make revision, deletions, and/or additions to the existing entries. Based on the discussions that were help with peers, these revisions should be beneficial in completing the entry for future use. This step could be conducted in pairs or small groups.
Step Six - Apply in Learning Games - Involve students in games that allow them to play with the new terms.
Many types of games can be utilized to keep the new terms at the students attention. Some suggesting setting aside a block of time on a weekly basis to review terms presented and keep students energized and guide them in review,
Image Source: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/80/65/f1/8065f108f95994ec0edbdbff30927d27.jpg
Below is a good example of a teaching using the first few steps of Marzano's Six Step Process to engage students in new vocabulary terms for a new section of content.
Video Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9_jdDyErMM
Marzano Six-Step Process Resources:
http://www.ncresa.org/docs/PLC_Secondary/Six_Step_Process.pdf
https://esu4vocabularystrategies.wikispaces.com/Marzano+6+Step+Process
http://www.commlearnonline.com/files/Classroom-Tip-4-Marzano-Vocabulary-Game.pdf
http://education.ky.gov/curriculum/conpro/engla/Documents/MarzanosSixStepsFlipBookVocab.pdf
http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/sept09/vol67/num01/Six-Steps-to-Better-Vocabulary-Instruction.aspx
Refernces:
Marzano, R.J. (2004). Building Background Knowledge for Academic Achievement. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Marzano Six-Step Process Resources:
http://www.ncresa.org/docs/PLC_Secondary/Six_Step_Process.pdf
https://esu4vocabularystrategies.wikispaces.com/Marzano+6+Step+Process
http://www.commlearnonline.com/files/Classroom-Tip-4-Marzano-Vocabulary-Game.pdf
http://education.ky.gov/curriculum/conpro/engla/Documents/MarzanosSixStepsFlipBookVocab.pdf
http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/sept09/vol67/num01/Six-Steps-to-Better-Vocabulary-Instruction.aspx
Refernces:
Marzano, R.J. (2004). Building Background Knowledge for Academic Achievement. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.