RM Winter 2016 FLIP

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Reading Matters
Teaching Matters
| 50| Reading Matters | Volume 16 • Winter 2016 |
The Frayer Model
The Frayer Model, developed by Frayer, Frederick, and
Klausmeier (1969), is a visual word map that teachers and students
create to better understand content vocabulary. This strategy uses
a graphic organizer to define
words and concepts. This
model is divided into five
parts - four large squares
with one circle in the
middle. The Frayer Model
asks students to organize
their thinking about a word
in four ways: a definition,
characteristics, examples,
and non-examples. With
the vocabularly word in the
center circle, each of these
descriptions is placed in
one of four surrounding
squares on the graphic
organizer. Students then
have a visual representation
of a sophisticated vocabulary term they can reference.
First students must analyze the word or concept to create
definitions and characteristics; next, students synthesize
information to find examples and non-examples. Allowing
students to differentiate between what the meaning of
the term is and is not allows for greater understanding of
the term, which leads to language arts skills like finding
synonyms, antonyms, and comparing and contrasting.
The Frayer Model activates prior knowledge and helps
students build connections to other concepts.
The Frayer Model in the classroom.
As Spring approached, Mr. Stevens was about to begin a new
science unit on plants and soil. His second graders were going to
be exposed to a host of new vocabulary in this unit. He planned
to begin the unit by reading Different Kinds of Soil by Molly Aloian,
an informational text in the Everybody Digs Soil series, with his
students. In this text, he has already determined that students
will need to know and understand some key words: soil, topsoil,
humus, and bedrock. On four pieces of chart paper, Mr. Stevens
drew the Frayer Model outline, labeling each section according
to the vocabulary concept. While reading aloud Different Kinds
of Soil, Mr. Stevens allowed his students to help him create the
concept word map. To modify this strategy to meet the needs
of his young learners, Mr. Stevens decided his map should
include a student-friendly definition, an illustration, and a few
examples and non-examples. This modifies the Frayer Model’s
original intentions just slightly to better serve his students.
The first word the students encountered in the text was soil.
Mr. Stevens reread the page and asked students for help creating
a definition of soil. Together, the students decided that soil should
be defined as ‘a layer of dirt where plants grow.’Mr. Stevens showed
his students where to write the definition. He then asked his
students to explain how they thought soil could best be depicted
in a drawing. After gathering several ideas, Mr. Stevens drew a
picture of soil in the next square. The class then created a list of
different soils, such as dirt, clay, and sand. In the last square, the
class decided on some non-examples of soils such as plastic and
water. After clearly modeling
the process for students,
Mr. Stevens allowed his
class to work together
in groups to create word
maps for the remaining
three vocabulary words. Mr.
Stevens allowed each group
to display their completed
Frayer Models around the
room for reference during
the rest of the unit (see
Figure 3).Fig. 3. An example
of the Frayer Model used in
a second grade classroom.
Conclusion
Students learn vocabulary as members of a learning community
through interactions with others (Scott, Nagy, & Flinspach, 2008).
Simply exposing children to sophisticated words, then, is not
enough for them to completely understand the meaning of
content-specific vocabulary. Instead, students must be immersed
in a language- and word-rich environment that promotes both
incidental and intentional word learning (Blachowicz, Fisher,
Figure 2. An example of the Listen Sketch Label strategy is a first grade classroom.
Listen and Sketch Label Listen Sketch Label Strategy
(used with“Some Like It Hot”)
• Introduce vocabulary terms to
students and provide them with the
Listen Sketch Label template. Allow
students time to turn-and-talk with a
partner to discuss any ideas around
the meaning of the word.
• Read aloud “Some Like It Hot”from
“Penguin Power. Reading the section
in small chunks and stopping in
pertinent points so students can
listen to the vocabulary used in
context. Read this portion twice.
• Students visualize their interpretation
of the term in their mind, and then
sketch that image on their template
in the correct section. (Optional:
Students add words, phrases, or
sentences for clarification.)
• After reading aloud the section,
students turn-and-talk to a partner
to share their interpretation of the
terms.
• Together the class discusses the
words and comes to a consensus on
their meaning. (Optional: Students
revise their sketch to indicate a
correct understanding of the term.
• With this new understanding, “Some
Like It Hot” is read-aloud again.
glacier
survivor
burrow
Figure 3. An example of the Frayer Model used in a second grade classroom.
Definition
a layer of dirt where plants grow
Illustration
Examples
dirt
clay
sand
Non-Examples
plastic
water
soil