What is Word Mapping?
The word mapping strategy helps older students predict the meaning of words that they are unfamiliar with. To accomplish this, students learn to identify parts of words, such as prefixes, suffixes, and roots, to predict the meaning of a word.
What have the studies shown?
Word mapping is a strong strategy that enables learners to learn and predict new vocabulary without intensive prompting or pre-teaching. In a study of 230 high school students, students were randomly assigned to receive instruction in three different vocabulary building strategies, including word mapping by making predictions. The study showed that students who where taught the word mapping strategy can learn the meaning of words by using word mapping and can predict the meaning of significantly more words than students taught differing vocabulary strategies. The study went on to provide a post test to all participating students. This test required predicting the meaning of unknown words. The results showed Word Mapping students earning an average of 61 percent compared to an average of 24 percent earned by the other two groups. (Harris, Schumaker, Deshler, 2008)
What this shows, is that students are much more successful at learning vocabulary but have the added benefit of higher success at learning new words without intentional, intensive instruction. The ability to break apart words and make predictions based on those separate parts serves students well because they can continue to learn new words later on in life, without direct instruction.
A high school science teacher uses this prediction strategy to assist her classes in finding challenging words in their science text and learning what they mean before instruction so greater retention of materials can occur. Click on the link below to watch the video and observe the strategy in action.
https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/strategy-to-build-student-vocabulary
The word mapping strategy helps older students predict the meaning of words that they are unfamiliar with. To accomplish this, students learn to identify parts of words, such as prefixes, suffixes, and roots, to predict the meaning of a word.
What have the studies shown?
Word mapping is a strong strategy that enables learners to learn and predict new vocabulary without intensive prompting or pre-teaching. In a study of 230 high school students, students were randomly assigned to receive instruction in three different vocabulary building strategies, including word mapping by making predictions. The study showed that students who where taught the word mapping strategy can learn the meaning of words by using word mapping and can predict the meaning of significantly more words than students taught differing vocabulary strategies. The study went on to provide a post test to all participating students. This test required predicting the meaning of unknown words. The results showed Word Mapping students earning an average of 61 percent compared to an average of 24 percent earned by the other two groups. (Harris, Schumaker, Deshler, 2008)
What this shows, is that students are much more successful at learning vocabulary but have the added benefit of higher success at learning new words without intentional, intensive instruction. The ability to break apart words and make predictions based on those separate parts serves students well because they can continue to learn new words later on in life, without direct instruction.
A high school science teacher uses this prediction strategy to assist her classes in finding challenging words in their science text and learning what they mean before instruction so greater retention of materials can occur. Click on the link below to watch the video and observe the strategy in action.
https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/strategy-to-build-student-vocabulary
Variations of Word Mapping
Word Mapping Strategy can also refer to a visual organizer the promotes vocabulary development by making students think of terms and concepts in several different ways. A majority of word map organizers require students to create a definition, synonym, antonym, and a picture for a given vocabulary word.
Visual word maps are useful in several ways, including helping students develop an understanding of given words.
They also help students think of terms in several different ways. Students are often encouraged to ask themselves several different questions, such as:
Visual word maps also help students build on prior knowledge and visually represent new ideas.
Word Mapping Strategy can also refer to a visual organizer the promotes vocabulary development by making students think of terms and concepts in several different ways. A majority of word map organizers require students to create a definition, synonym, antonym, and a picture for a given vocabulary word.
Visual word maps are useful in several ways, including helping students develop an understanding of given words.
They also help students think of terms in several different ways. Students are often encouraged to ask themselves several different questions, such as:
- "What is it?"
- "What is if like?"
- "What are some examples?"
Visual word maps also help students build on prior knowledge and visually represent new ideas.
Video Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipqmdH-LxUQ
Differentiation
According to Reading Rockets, word mapping offers several options for differentiation. By giving students that need extra help the opportunity to work with a partner, you are giving those students a greater opportunity for success. This strategy also allows students to use pictures and illustrations to learn. By adjusting the number of words students need to map, you can challenge the strong students while modifying for the lower achieving students. Reading Rockets also suggests providing students with sentences that contain target words. By making sure these sentences contain strong context clues you enable students to complete an accurate word map. Finally, you can instruct your advanced students to refer to book resources such as dictionaries or encyclopedias to help complete their word maps and compare definitions. (Reading Rockets inc., 2015)
Word Mapping Resources:
http://www.ldonline.org/article/61474/
http://powerupwhatworks.org/strategy-guide/semantic-mapping
http://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/word_maps
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/graphicorganizers/vocab/
http://www.narragansett.k12.ri.us/nhs/literacy/toolkit/wordmap.pdf
References:
Harris, M., Schumaker, J., & Deshler, D. (2008). Word Mapping Strategy. Retrieved May 27, 2015, from http://sim.kucrl.org/products/details/word-mapping-strategy
Differentiation
According to Reading Rockets, word mapping offers several options for differentiation. By giving students that need extra help the opportunity to work with a partner, you are giving those students a greater opportunity for success. This strategy also allows students to use pictures and illustrations to learn. By adjusting the number of words students need to map, you can challenge the strong students while modifying for the lower achieving students. Reading Rockets also suggests providing students with sentences that contain target words. By making sure these sentences contain strong context clues you enable students to complete an accurate word map. Finally, you can instruct your advanced students to refer to book resources such as dictionaries or encyclopedias to help complete their word maps and compare definitions. (Reading Rockets inc., 2015)
Word Mapping Resources:
http://www.ldonline.org/article/61474/
http://powerupwhatworks.org/strategy-guide/semantic-mapping
http://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/word_maps
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/graphicorganizers/vocab/
http://www.narragansett.k12.ri.us/nhs/literacy/toolkit/wordmap.pdf
References:
Harris, M., Schumaker, J., & Deshler, D. (2008). Word Mapping Strategy. Retrieved May 27, 2015, from http://sim.kucrl.org/products/details/word-mapping-strategy