Running head: THE EFFECTIVENESS OF NARRATIVE INPUT CHARTS 1 The Effectiveness of Using a Narrative Input Chart on Learning Advanced Vocabulary Student Name EDGR 601 Instructor: Instructor Name A Literature Survey Presented to The Graduate Program in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Masters in Education Concordia University - Portland May, 2012 THE EFFECTIVENESS OF NARRATIVE INPUT CHARTS 2 Literature Review This literature review was undertaken in an effort to investigate the question: how does the use of narrative input charts improve the understanding of advanced science vocabulary among seventh grade science students? In order for students to be ready for entry level college coursework they must have excellent reading comprehension skills. The relationship between vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension is herein considered. Additionally, ineffective and effective vocabulary instruction strategies are described. In 2005, ACT college admissions test results showed that high school students in the United States do not have the reading comprehension skills needed for entry level college coursework (ACT, Inc. 2006). According to the 2005 ACT-scores for high school graduates, 51% were ready for college level reading (ACT, Inc. 2006). The percentage of college readiness was even lower for some groups. It is known that 49% of male students demonstrated readiness and 33% of students with family incomes less than $30, 000/year demonstrated readiness. Minority student’s scores were low as well. The results showed that 21% African American, 33% Hispanic, and 36% Native American students met the readiness benchmark for reading (ACT, Inc. 2006). ACT further reports that since 1996 scores have steadily declined resulting in the 51% being the lowest in the past twelve years (ACT, Inc. 2006). The Relationship between Vocabulary Knowledge and Reading Comprehension In this literature review the relationship between the acquisition of academic vocabulary and improved reading comprehension is examined. The purpose of learning new words is to improve reading comprehension (Beck, McKowen & Kucan, 2008). Many research studies THE EFFECTIVENESS OF NARRATIVE INPUT CHARTS 3 conducted over the course of many years have concluded that acquiring rich and varied vocabulary is critical in improving student reading comprehension (National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, Council of Chief State School Officers, 2010). Harmon, Hedrick and Wood (2005) report that student difficulty in understanding their textbooks results from a lack of vocabulary knowledge. It has been shown that students that received high scores on vocabulary tests also scored high on reading comprehension tests. It is also known that early vocabulary knowledge can predict reading comprehension skills well into high school (Beck et al., 2008). Of g ...

1. Running head: THE EFFECTIVENESS OF NARRATIVE
INPUT CHARTS 1
The Effectiveness of Using a Narrative Input Chart on Learning
Advanced Vocabulary
Student Name
EDGR 601
Instructor: Instructor Name
A Literature Survey Presented to
The Graduate Program in Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements

2. For the Degree of Masters in Education
Concordia University - Portland
May, 2012
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF NARRATIVE INPUT CHARTS 2
Literature Review
This literature review was undertaken in an effort to investigate
the question: how does
the use of narrative input charts improve the understanding of
advanced science vocabulary
among seventh grade science students? In order for students to
be ready for entry level college
coursework they must have excellent reading comprehension
skills. The relationship between
vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension is herein
considered. Additionally, ineffective
and effective vocabulary instruction strategies are described.
In 2005, ACT college admissions test results showed that high
school students in the

3. United States do not have the reading comprehension skills
needed for entry level college
coursework (ACT, Inc. 2006). According to the 2005 ACT-
scores for high school graduates,
51% were ready for college level reading (ACT, Inc. 2006). The
percentage of college readiness
was even lower for some groups. It is known that 49% of male
students demonstrated readiness
and 33% of students with family incomes less than $30,
000/year demonstrated readiness.
Minority student’s scores were low as well. The results showed
that 21% African American,
33% Hispanic, and 36% Native American students met the
readiness benchmark for reading
(ACT, Inc. 2006). ACT further reports that since 1996 scores
have steadily declined resulting in
the 51% being the lowest in the past twelve years (ACT, Inc.
2006).
The Relationship between Vocabulary Knowledge and Reading
Comprehension
In this literature review the relationship between the acquisition
of academic vocabulary
and improved reading comprehension is examined. The purpose
of learning new words is to

4. improve reading comprehension (Beck, McKowen & Kucan,
2008). Many research studies
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF NARRATIVE INPUT CHARTS 3
conducted over the course of many years have concluded that
acquiring rich and varied
vocabulary is critical in improving student reading
comprehension (National Governors
Association Center for Best Practices, Council of Chief State
School Officers, 2010). Harmon,
Hedrick and Wood (2005) report that student difficulty in
understanding their textbooks results
from a lack of vocabulary knowledge. It has been shown that
students that received high scores
on vocabulary tests also scored high on reading comprehension
tests. It is also known that early
vocabulary knowledge can predict reading comprehension skills
well into high school (Beck et
al., 2008). Of great concern to educators is the huge vocabulary
knowledge gap between
children from disadvantaged homes and children from
advantaged homes (Rozzelle & Scearce,
2009).

5. Ineffective Teaching Strategies
The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices,
Council of Chief State
School Officers (2010), authors of the Common Core State
Standards, state that vocabulary
instruction is infrequent and non-systematic in most schools.
Beck et al. (2008) agree, stating
that it is well documented that “very little attention is given to
vocabulary knowledge in school”
(p.14). Teaching strategies that have been deemed insufficient
include pre-teaching vocabulary
and drill and practice activities. Examples of drill and practice
activities are worksheet pages
with completion, matching, and writing definitions. A simple
definition of a word is considered
shallow knowledge and is not sufficient in helping improve
reading comprehension (Beck et al.,
2008). Additionally, using vocabulary workbooks where
students use a new word in a sentence
after defining the word is also ineffective because, like rote
memorization, students use the word
out of context and easily forget meanings (Rozzelle & Scearce,
2009).

6. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF NARRATIVE INPUT CHARTS 4
Effective Teaching Strategies
The articles and books reviewed for this literature review hold
many excellent strategies
for vocabulary instruction leading to improved student reading
comprehension. One of the most
important things a teacher can do is be enthusiastic about
vocabulary and engage the students so
they develop a deep appreciation for words and enjoy the use of
words. Teachers have an
obligation to help students realize the life-long value of having
a rich vocabulary (Baumann et
al., 2003). Beck et al. (2008) remind teachers that “vocabulary
knowledge needs to be deep and
rich and imparted to students in energetic ways that encourage
them to think about what they are
learning” (p.17). Students need to view themselves as word
learners as they develop their
vocabularies.
Mentioned in several articles reviewed is the recommendation

7. that teachers use direct and
interactive vocabulary instruction. In direct vocabulary
instruction teachers describe the new
word, provide explanations, and give examples. Teachers and
students focus on how the new
word is similar and different from other known words. Students
maintain a vocabulary notebook
for all subjects and record a written description, in their own
words, of a new word (Rozzelle &
Scearce, 2009). The vocabulary notebook includes graphic
organizers vocabulary trees (root
words), and plenty of room for visual representations of the new
word. The visual
representations may include hand drawn pictures or printed
images from the Internet or other
sources. Concept maps are effective additions to notebooks. The
concept map is a graphic
organizer that allows students to develop deeper meanings of a
new word and also tap into their
prior knowledge. Allowing students to share their notebooks
with peers in pairs and small groups
as well as the whole class encourages further learning (Rozzelle
& Scearce, 2009). This
interactive vocabulary instruction allows students to fully

8. participate in the learning of new
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF NARRATIVE INPUT CHARTS 5
words and demonstrate their new word knowledge (Zimmerman,
1997). Other findings show that
multiple exposures to words and students’ engagement in the
learning of the words positively
affect reading comprehension (Beck et al., 2008).
Other strategies that have been shown to be effective in
vocabulary acquisition include
the use of hands-on activities and are discussed in most articles
that are reviewed here. The
importance of the hands-on experience cannot be overstated.
Hands-on activities followed by
discussions are shown to be effective in improving
comprehension (Harmon, Hedrick & Wood
2005). Reading is a critical strategy as well. In Zimmerman’s
(1997) research on the effect of
reading and interactive vocabulary instruction of L2 students
showed that allowing students to
self select reading material while participating in interactive
vocabulary instruction helped

9. improve comprehension. Likewise, Harmon, Hedrick and Wood
(2005) report that Silent
Sustained Reading (SSR) in subject areas can improve reading
comprehension of informational
texts. Another strategy is discussing the structure of words
with students. In The Reading
Teacher’s Book of Lists (Fry & Kress 2006), teachers can find a
useful reference of common
Latin and Greek roots. Other helpful word structure lists are
available in this great resource (Fry
& Kress, 2006).
Of particular interest is a strategy called narrative input charts.
Narrative input charts,
developed by Project Glad (Guided Language Acquisition
Design), use visual representations of
high level academic vocabulary in the teaching of subject
content material (G.L.A.D n.d.).
Educators use a large paper background that is posted in the
classroom. Pictures with narrative
text attached are laminated and placed on the background as the
teacher retells a content story.
The use of narrative input charts are effective in vocabulary
acquisition and thus reading
comprehension. (G.L.A.D n.d.).

10. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF NARRATIVE INPUT CHARTS 6
Analysis
This literature review has examined recent research on the
issue of the effects of
vocabulary instruction on improved reading comprehension. The
review of the work of other
researchers’ solution strategies has greatly improved this
researcher’s understanding of how
educators can better improve reading comprehension. The
analysis of the literature showed that
there are ineffective and effective strategies for teaching
academic vocabulary. The books and
articles reviewed detail similar strategies for both effective and
ineffective instruction and critical
gaps, inconsistencies and disagreement among authors was not
seen.
This literature review identified effective strategies for
improving the understanding of
advance vocabulary in the science classroom. The researcher is
interested in implementing a
strategy that will address a specific content area and answer the

11. question: how does the use of
narrative input charts improve the understanding of advanced
science vocabulary among seventh
grade science students? In a grade seven lesson on food webs
and animal classification of the
Long Island Sound ecosystem, there are 14 organisms, and
associated terms, that students are to
study. The organisms and associated terms are: phytoplankton,
zooplankton (copepods), jellies,
clam, common periwinkle, horseshoe crab, horseshoe crab eggs,
northern lobster, mud crab,
Forbes sea star, menhaden, striped bass, osprey, human,
echinoderm, cnidarians, gastropod,
bivalve, arthropod, regenerate, producer, consumer,
decomposer, invertebrate, and vertebrate. In
addition to understanding the advanced vocabulary students are
to understand the complex food
web of the Long Island Sound ecosystem.
It is the opinion of the researcher that the effective strategies
detailed in the literature are
effective for learning just the words. For example, teacher
enthusiasm for vocabulary, direct
vocabulary instruction, use of concept maps (graphic
organizers), and collaboration between

12. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF NARRATIVE INPUT CHARTS 7
students should be used when teaching advanced vocabulary.
Although all the effective
vocabulary developing strategies described in this review, it is
the narrative input chart that may
best address, not only the organism descriptions and
classification, but the big picture that is the
complex food web of the Long Island Sound ecosystem. Instead
of students learning each new
word (organism and its classification) in and of itself as a single
vocabulary word, the narrative
input chart is used as a vivid graphic illustration that relates the
predator/prey interactions
between all the organisms in the ecosystem. The narrative input
chart is interactive, and
encompassing of the content standards and skills the lesson
aims to address.
Conclusion
It is concluded that implementing the best vocabulary
instruction strategies will result in
improved reading comprehension and thus an increase in skills

13. needed for entry level college
coursework. It was learned that schools are not effectively
teaching vocabulary and that has
resulted in 51% of high school graduates being adequately
prepared for college level reading
(ACT, Inc. 2006). Many researchers are studying how to engage
students by being enthusiastic
about vocabulary and the importance of instilling a love of
words in all students in all grades. It
was also learned that strategies used for L2, low level readers,
and students from disadvantaged
homes can be effective in teaching all students. The effective
strategies mentioned in the
literature are direct, interactive, hands-on, and fun. By
receiving direct and interactive instruction
students will be able to fully participate in and demonstrate
mastery of academic vocabulary.
Through multiple word exposure, reading, and word structure
instruction students will further
improve their reading comprehension. It is through the ongoing
research and action that all,
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF NARRATIVE INPUT CHARTS 8

14. including disadvantaged, and minority, students in the United
States will be better able to
achieve success in college.
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF NARRATIVE INPUT CHARTS 9
References
ACT, Inc. (2006). Reading between the lines: What the ACT
tells us about college readiness in
reading. (2006). Retrieved from
http://www.act.org/research/policymakers/pdf/reading_report.pd
f
Beck, I. L., McKeown, M. G., & Kucan, L. (2008). Creating
robust vocabulary: Frequently
asked questions and extended examples. New York, NY:
Guilford Press.
Fry, E.B., & Kress, J.E., (2006). The reading teacher’s book of
lists (5
th
Ed.). San Francisco, CA:
Jossey-Bass.

15. G.L.A.D. Resource Book, (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.lausd.net/Main_EL/pdf/Glad_Resource_Book.pdf
Harmon, J. M., Hendrick, W. B., & Wood, K. D. (2005).
Research on vocabulary instruction in
the content areas: Implications for struggling readers. Reading
& Writing Quarterly, 21,
261–280. DOI: 10.1080/10573560590949377.
National Governors Association Center for Best Practices,
Council of Chief State School
Officers (2010). Common core state standards for English
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history/social studies, science, and technical subjects.
Washington, D.C.
Rozzelle, J., & Scearce, C. (2009). Power tools for adolescent
literacy. Bloomington, IN:
Solution
Tree Press.
Zimmerman, C.B. (1997). Does reading and interactive
vocabulary instruction make a

16. difference? An empirical study. Tesol Quarterly, 31(1)(1), 121-
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