Becoming Word Detectives: Learning Morphological Word Inquiry Strategies in Dyad Tutoring Sessions

• In Event: Poster Session 5
  In Poster Session: Vocabulary Research and Instruction

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the process of developing morphological word inquiry strategies in two elementary-aged children. Video recordings of the ten dyad tutoring sessions (30-50 minutes) were analysed and coded with variables of engagement and response accuracy. The participants improved in their understanding of the material, and the most gains occurred when the students were engaged. We suspect that engagement predicted accuracy because the complexity and unfamiliarity of the material taxed the participants’ working memory. The word inquiry method follows a natural progression of gradually-fading prompts so that students are able to work more independently. Tools such as word matrices and word sum appear to support learning when the learning was too complex.

Authors

• Jeffrey W. H. MacCormack, Queen's University - Kingston

• John R. Kirby, Queen's University

• Peter Bowers