Frayer Model
Level of Expertise: 4
What is the instructional strategy?
The instructional Strategy that I will use with my students to help them develop their vocabulary knowledge is the Frayer Model. A powerful portion of the Frayer Model is that it will help my students comprehend a term in a more manageable way because students will be able to list characteristics of the term as well as other examples determined by the teacher. The Frayer model is a word categorization chart that helps students analyze important attributes and characteristics of a definition and the non-examples as well. In the center of the Frayer Model, students select or are assigned a concept to be summarized. The Frayer Model can be used at the beginning of a unit to go over several major concepts or can be used throughout the unit in individual lessons to focus in closer on more broad concepts. The individual needs of a class will determine how often and when one can or should use the Frayer Model.
A term that many of my students may struggle with is the term guerrilla warfare (Applyby & Brinkley, 2006, pp. 180). When most of my students here the term guerilla, they usually laugh and have a hard time comprehending such an unfamiliar type of military tactic. The double meaning of the word guerilla often trips up students. If a student knows little about war or about the quick retreats that go along with this style of fighting, students will be quit confused.
Based upon my own students needs, I will introduce students to the concept of guerrilla warfare using the Frayer Model during an introductory lesson on battles of The American Revolution. My students will benefit from studying the characteristics and I will also modify the Frayer Model to allow for an area for students to draw a representation of the vocabulary word guerilla warfare. Many of my students benefit from having visual representations and this strategy will help make such an abstract idea more concrete.
Why does the strategy work?
My students are bombarded with many vocabulary terms throughout each unit. Just writing down a vocabulary term and definition is just not enough for many of my students to comprehend the terms. I also find that sometimes students will just mindlessly copy down definitions without even reading the definition. The use of the Frayer Model allows for students to think more in depth about the terms they are learning about.
First, the Frayer Model strategy works with my students because of the repetition it affords my students The strategy allows students to create their own characteristics, draw an image, write examples, and non-examples which takes time and allows the student to repeatedly create meaningful examples about the term or concept. Repetition also occurs when students share out their examples and students are exposed to the term several times during the class period. Second, the Frayer Model also provides students with a scaffolled approach to learning a new concept as the students build upon the term or definition to show their understanding through examples. Third, the Frayer Model works because it gives students with different learning styles an opportunity to have different ways to learn a concept, through pictures, characteristics, and examples. Not every student can learning from just writing a definition, some students benefit from seeing visual aids, while others benefit from the examples or non-examples.
The Frayer Model will work with my students because they often need to be provided with more details than just a definition to comprehend a new concept. Students must demonstrate that they have read and know the definition because they will need to provide examples, pictures, characteristics, etc. Students will be held accountable for learning new vocabulary concepts as this worksheet can be graded or shared out to the rest of the class to show the student understands the newly acquired terms. As the teacher, I will be able to quickly assess my students understanding of important vocabulary terms such as guerilla warfare. This scaffolded approach to learning vocabulary will help students comprehend but also analyze the term and create memory cues to help them remember the information well into the future.
How does it work?
- First, I will need to select vocabulary terms that I feel students will need to understand from the unit. One specific concept students will need to understand is the idea of guerilla warfare.
- I will need to select a good time for students to learn the vocabulary term (beginning, middle, or end of the unit). In this case, the students will learn the term as I teach an introduction lesson on the battles of The American Revolution.
- I will need to clearly explain the directions and what I expect to be filled out in each of the boxes.
- Next, I will have students fill in a box for definition, characteristics, examples, non-examples, and visual(s).
- Students may either work individually or in pairs to complete the Frayer Model.
- When students complete the chart, I will have them share out with the rest of the class so that I can quickly assess students understanding of key vocabulary concepts. Students can also learn from each others definitions or pictures to remember the term guerilla warfare.
- Students can continue to add to their Frayer Model’s as new information is learned and can be used as a quick reference sheet or study guide.
Sources:
Appleby, J., & Brinkley, A. (2006). The American Journey. Columbus , Ohio
Billmeyer, R., & Barton, M.L.(1998). Teaching reading in the content areas: If not me than who? Alexandria , VA
What It Looks Like:
Frayer Model
Directions: As you read page 180 in the textbook, please complete the following graphic organizer for the term Guerrilla Warfare.
During Reading
