The Missouri Reader Vol. 33, Issue 2 | Page 12

different categories by looking for shared features among their meanings” (p. 279). There are two types of word sorts to choose from, a closed word sort and an open word sort. A closed word sort is when the categories have been given to the students. An open word sort allows students to use inquiry and make their own headings and connections with the words given to them. A strategy which provided multiple connections and examples for unknown words was a concept circle. A concept circle is a circle divided into fourths with a different synonym, example, or definition in each fourth. Students are then asked to provide the vocabulary term or concept that is described by the examples, synonyms, and definitions in the circle. The List-Group-Label strategy requires the least amount of preparation as most of the work is done by the student. Students are asked to brainstorm a list of words relating to a topic or concept for about one minute. Once the students have made their lists they can pair up with a fellow student and categorize and classify their lists into headings relating to the vocabulary words and concepts highlighted in the lesson (Vacca & Vacca, 2005). Results of my Study The purpose of the study was to determine the impact the use of vocabulary concept strategies embedded in science instruction had on third grade students’ comprehension of content and their perceptions of the effectiveness of the strategies. It was hypothesized that there is a significant difference in third grade students’ science unit test scores when vocabulary concept strategies are utilized as part of instruction and when they are not. Quantitative Analysis. Table 1 shows the means and standard deviations for both chapter tests with strategies and chapter tests taught without strategies. The use of vocabulary strategies for the food chain chapter test yielded improved mean scores when compared to the food chain chapter test without strategies. The difference between each of these mean scores was 29.82 percentage points. The energy chapter test that included embedded strategies in classroom instruction showed scores higher than the energy test without the use of strategies by a difference of 6.04 percentage points. Overall, the use of vocabulary strategies embedded in instruction indicated increased achievement mean scores by 18.2 percentage points. It is interesting to note that the mean scores for the chapter test about food chains with strategies scored higher than the chapter test about energy with strategies. Conversely, the chapter about food chains without strategies scored lower than the chapter taught without strategies about energy. Table 1. Means and Standard Deviation ______________________________________________________________________________ Chapter Tests M S.D. ________________________________________________________________________ With Strategies Overall 78.30 18.32 Food Chains 87.35 14.83 Energy 69.25 21.81 Without Strategies Overall 60.10 21.11 Food Chains 57.53 24.09 12