Ellen C. Agnello

This video shows teachers how they can prompt ChatGPT, to assist with screening texts for Tier 2 and 3 vocabulary words.

Exploring the Potential of ChatGPT

As an elementary school teacher, deciding which vocabulary are essential to teach can be a daunting task. However, picking the right words and teaching them across disciplines can be a game-changer. Watch the latest video to discover how ChatGPT can elevate your teaching experience by curating Tier 1 and Tier 2 vocabulary lists from texts.

Challenges to Vocabulary Instruction

• Some estimate that there are roughly one million words in the English language.
• There are thousands of Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary words.
• Tier 2 words might escape teachers who may assume students already know them (See below for Tier definitions).
• Many argue that context-based vocabulary learning is a more effective approach than definition-based learning because “By learning words in context, the learner acquires not only linguistic knowledge of a word, such as phonetic, syntactic and semantic rules, but also the knowledge of how to use the word properly in a context.”
• However, when there are so many words to choose from in a given text, how can teachers decide which to target?

Understanding Tiered Vocabulary

According to the Center for Professional Education of Teachers, the tiered vocabulary concept developed by Dr. Isabel Beck can help teachers identify vocabulary words that need to be explicitly taught. The tiers are outlined, below:

Tier 1 Words: Words that are used frequently in text and oral language. These are words that most students already know unless English is not their first language.

Tier 2 Words: “Sophisticated words” or words that are rarely used in oral language but appear in written texts. These are the words that need additional attention in the classroom. They are commonly used in texts across the disciplines – and not just informational or expository texts. Even picture books, with rich language, use many of these words. See Dr. Beck’s example of “reluctant” in the children’s picture book Corduroy in the video below.

Tier 3 Words: These are discipline-specific vocabulary words. Many of them will need to be taught explicitly, but they don’t have the same transfer power as Tier 2 words because they live in disciplinary silos.

Prompting ChatGPT to Identify Tier 2 and 3 Words

After settling on a text, like this one, go to ChatGPT and type the following prompt into the message bar. Then hit the send message button.

You are a fifth grade teacher. Screen this text and identify words within that qualify as Tier 2, and Tier 3 vocabulary. Tier 2 vocabulary words are “Sophisticated words” or words that are rarely used in oral language but appear in written texts. Tier 3 vocabulary words are disciplinary-specific.

Click below to watch the video now.

Reviewing the Output

ChatGPT compiled two lists of vocabulary words from the article. The lists are pasted below:

Tier 2 Vocabulary Words:

1. Adorned: Decorated or embellished, often with stickers in this context.
2. Mitigate: To lessen or reduce the severity or risk of something.
3. Priority: A thing that is regarded as more important than others; precedence.
4. Extensive: Covering a large area; in this context, it refers to thorough and comprehensive training.
5. Maneuver: To move or guide skillfully, often in a difficult situation.
6. Forecasters: Individuals who predict or estimate future events, especially weather conditions.
7. Coordinate: To organize or arrange in a proper order or harmonious way.
8. Decorated: Having markings or embellishments added for ornamentation.

Tier 3 Vocabulary Words:

1. Lockheed WP-3D Orion: Specific type of aircraft used by hurricane hunters.
2. Eyewall: The region of a hurricane surrounding the eye, often characterized by intense winds and heavy rainfall.
3. Meteorologist: A scientist who studies and predicts the weather.
4. Storm Surge: A rise in sea level caused by a storm, often resulting in coastal flooding.
5. Hurricane Hunters: Individuals or crews who fly into hurricanes for research and data collection.
6. Aviation Management: The study and administration of activities related to the operation of aircraft.
7. Coastal Studies: Academic field focusing on the scientific study of coastal environments.
8. Twin Otters: Specific type of smaller planes used for scientific research.

These identified words encompass a range of complexity, with Tier 2 words being more sophisticated and suitable for written texts, while Tier 3 words are discipline-specific, especially relevant to the field of meteorology and aviation.

Next Steps

Teachers should check all ChatGPT output before incorporating it into instruction. Are these words actually used in the text or are they hallucinations? Which words are essential to understanding the article and which have the best potential for cross disciplinary instruction and reinforcement?