ERIC Number: EJ1112270
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010
Pages: 28
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1535-0517
EISSN: N/A
Vocabulary and Content Learning in Grade 9 Earth Science: Effects of Vocabulary Preteaching, Rational Cloze Task, and Reading Comprehension Task
Lee, Siok H.
CATESOL Journal, v21 n1 p75-102 2009-2010
This study examines strategies for supporting vocabulary and content learning in 5 grade 9 Earth Science classes that are part of a SDAIE program (Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English) in an urban California high school. Students received vocabulary and content instruction during a unit on Earthquakes. One group of students performed rational cloze (gap-filling) exercises as a postinstruction activity, while a second group performed reading comprehension exercises. In immediate and delayed posttests, the 2 groups showed no differences in receptive learning of vocabulary and content. However, in delayed posttests, students in the rational cloze group performed better on paragraph summary writing using content-area vocabulary and expressing content knowledge. Their superior performance may be attributable to 2 factors: The rational cloze activity gave them opportunities for text rehearsal (i.e., reading and understanding the passages while filling gaps) and the rational cloze passages gave them discourse-level language models. In a follow-up questionnaire, students in the reading comprehension group characterized their activity as equally useful to other instructional activities. However, students in the rational cloze group characterized their activity as distinctively more useful than all other instructional activities. Thus, rational cloze activities appear to provide learners with useful scaffolding for vocabulary use and summary writing.
Descriptors: Grade 9, Earth Science, Vocabulary Development, Reading Comprehension, Cloze Procedure, Pretests Posttests, English for Academic Purposes, Second Language Learning, Second Language Instruction, Receptive Language, Content Area Reading, Writing Skills, Questionnaires, Teaching Methods
CATESOL. P.O. Box 9200-338, Fountain Valley, CA 92708. Tel: 714-907-4033; Fax: 888-832-0501; e-mail: catesoljournal@gmail.com; Web site: http://www.catesoljournal.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Tests/Questionnaires; Reports - Research
Education Level: Grade 9; Junior High Schools; Middle Schools; Secondary Education; High Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: California
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A