Question

Read the scenario below and then respond to the two tasks in the answer sheet booklet.

Scenario
A fourth-grade teacher plans to have students read an informational article about animals that live in the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. In preparing for instruction, the teacher recognizes that students may not have previously encountered a variety of the multisyllabic, domain-specific words in the text and plans to provide instruction in strategies to decode and determine the meaning of the new vocabulary. The teacher's plan also includes providing instruction in the features of text students will encounter to support students' comprehension of the material as they read.
Tasks
Identify and describe TWO word-learning skills for which the teacher can provide explicit instruction to help students decode and determine the meaning of unfamiliar multisyllabic, domain-specific vocabulary.


List two text features students may encounter that the teacher can introduce before students read the informational article. Briefly explain the purpose of each text feature listed.

Answer 1

To enhance fourth-grade students' understanding of multisyllabic, domain-specific vocabulary in articles about Serengeti wildlife, teachers can teach morphemic and contextual analysis. Additionally, introducing text features like headings and captions will aid comprehension.

Step-by-step explanation:

Word-Learning Strategies for Decoding Unfamiliar Vocabulary

To help fourth-grade students decode and determine the meaning of unfamiliar multisyllabic, domain-specific vocabulary related to Tanzania and its wildlife, a teacher could provide explicit instruction in the following skills:

Morphemic Analysis: Instruction can involve teaching students to identify and break down the roots, prefixes, and suffixes within multisyllabic words to infer their meanings.

Contextual Analysis: Teaching students to use context clues from the surrounding text to discern the meaning of unfamiliar words.

Introduction to Text Features

Before reading an informational article, students may encounter these text features:

Headings and Subheadings: Introduce these to students to help them understand how to navigate through sections of the text and grasp the main topics of discussion.

Captions and Photographs: Explain that captions provide descriptions or explanations of photographs and graphics, giving additional information about the content.