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SERIES INTRODUCTION Welcome to National Geographic Learning's new
Reading and Vocabulary Focus series. The series delivers memorable
reading experiences, develops essential reading skills, and
showcases a wide variety of high-utility vocabulary. The passages
take readers to exciting new places where they can apply the skills
of successful academic readers. While engaged with the content,
readers encounter target vocabulary that is ample, diverse, and
presented with a fresh, pragmatic view of what the term vocabulary
item truly means. Great reading classes depend on top-of-the-line
content. That's why we've taken such great care in selecting
content for Reading and Vocabulary Focus . Through all four levels
(high beginning to low advanced), Reading and Vocabulary Focus
draws from the vast resources of National Geographic. High-interest
reading content written by some of the world's most authoritative
and thought-provoking reporters and explorers is presented in
level-appropriate language and used to build reading skills and to
promote vocabulary learning. Skill building is of course important,
but not for its own sake. Our goal is always, first and foremost,
for students to enjoy working with readings that are truly
interesting and worth reading. A BROADBAND APPROACH TO VOCABULARY A
distinctive feature of Focus is its broadband approach to
vocabulary. For each reading passage, three groups of vocabulary
are called out: 1) 10-12 topic-related vocabulary items to consider
in pre-reading activities 2) 6-8 academic words-single word items
essential to building an academic vocabulary 3) 6-8 multiword
vocabulary items useful in academic reading A systematic focus on
multiword vocabulary sets Reading and Vocabulary Focus apart from
most reading/vocabulary texts. Increasingly, more and more teachers
and many textbooks recognize that some vocabulary items consist of
more than one word, especially phrasal/prepositional verbs (hurry
up, take on) and compound nouns (glass ceiling, weather station).
However, the amount of effort and text space devoted to expanding
students' multiword repertoires is typically minimal and the
approach haphazard. Our thinking in the Reading and Vocabulary
Focus series has been influenced by numerous researchers who have
examined the great importance to native speakers of
conventionalized multi-word units, whether those units are called
"chunks," "strings," or something else. Schmitt and Carter settle
on the term formulaic sequences and point out a helpful description
by Wray, that formulaic sequences "are stored and retrieved whole
from memory at the time of use rather than being subject to
generation and analysis at the time of use by the language
grammar." (Schmitt & Carter, 2012, 13) It is not always easy to
decide whether a group of words constitutes a unit so tight and
useful that it should be taught as a discrete vocabulary item. In
our item selection for Focus, we applied the criterion of "stored
and retrieved whole." An item could make the cut if, in the expert
judgment of our authors and editors, it was probably treated
cognitively as a whole thing. In this way, we were able to judge
that such diverse language as pay attention to, on the whole, an
invasion of privacy, and be the first to admit are formulaic
sequences that learners should study and learn as whole units. We
checked our judgment against as many sources as possible, including
corpora such as the Bank of English (part of the Collins COBUILD
corpus) and the online version of the Corpus of Contemporary
American English (COCA). UNIT STRUCTURE Each unit of Reading and
Vocabulary Focus begins with a high-impact photograph related to
the unit theme to capture the students' imaginations and allow for
pre-reading discussion. The unit theme encourages inquiry and
exploration and offers opportunities for synthesis of information.
Two reading passages, related to each other thematically, form the
heart of the unit. Each reading is followed by stages of
comprehension work, reading skill practice, formative vocabulary
exercises, and discussion. Finally the unit ends with a
comprehensive vocabulary review section and critical thinking
synthesizing tasks. Pre-Reading and Reading For each reading
passage, pre-reading activities include a task that activates
content schemata and a vocabulary exercise that provides a set of
clues to the content that the reader will encounter while reading.
Each reading has been chosen for high-interest and conceptual
challenge and is presented in the company of some of the world's
most stimulating photography and other graphics. Comprehension and
Vocabulary Development Comprehension exercises after each reading
start out with a focus on main ideas ("Big Picture") and move to
details ("Close-Up"). Then a concise treatment of a high-utility
reading skill leads into practice of the skill applied to the
reading passage. The vocabulary section after each reading proceeds
from the broadband approach mentioned earlier. First come exercises
in recognizing academic words and placing them in context. Many of
the items in this section are from the Academic Word List (AWL);
whether from the AWL or not, every "academic word" is important in
academic discourse. Then comes a section of multiword vocabulary,
focusing on formulaic sequences as described earlier in this
introduction. Discussion After studying the vocabulary, students
are prompted to use it in discussion activities. Finally, Think and
Discuss questions at the end of each reading prompt learners to
discuss their opinions on the topic of the reading while making
connections to their own lives. Unit Review The Unit Review
consists of two parts: Vocabulary Review and Connect the Readings.
The first section of the vocabulary review draws together
vocabulary of all types into a richly contextualized exercise.
Learners then encounter and practice the vocabulary from the unit,
strengthening semantic networks and integrating a wide variety of
items into their repertoires. The second section of the unit
review, Connect the Readings, takes students' critical-thinking
skills to a very high level as they analyze both readings and
discover similarities/differences, agreement/disagreement, and
other concept relationships. Reading and Vocabulary Focus has been
conceived to respect the wide-ranging curiosity and
critical-thinking power of contemporary students. Every day these
readers encounter a flood of information. They face unprecedented
demands to sort the significant from the trivial and to synthesize
information. We are delighted to help them do this by offering
great readings, engaging skills development, and top-tier
vocabulary learning all in an inviting, visually striking form.
Lawrence J. Zwier Series Consultant
SERIES INTRODUCTION Welcome to National Geographic Learning's new
Reading and Vocabulary Focus series. The series delivers memorable
reading experiences, develops essential reading skills, and
showcases a wide variety of high-utility vocabulary. The passages
take readers to exciting new places where they can apply the skills
of successful academic readers. While engaged with the content,
readers encounter target vocabulary that is ample, diverse, and
presented with a fresh, pragmatic view of what the term vocabulary
item truly means. Great reading classes depend on top-of-the-line
content. That's why we've taken such great care in selecting
content for Reading and Vocabulary Focus . Through all four levels
(high beginning to low advanced), Reading and Vocabulary Focus
draws from the vast resources of National Geographic. High-interest
reading content written by some of the world's most authoritative
and thought-provoking reporters and explorers is presented in
level-appropriate language and used to build reading skills and to
promote vocabulary learning. Skill building is of course important,
but not for its own sake. Our goal is always, first and foremost,
for students to enjoy working with readings that are truly
interesting and worth reading. A BROADBAND APPROACH TO VOCABULARY A
distinctive feature of Focus is its broadband approach to
vocabulary. For each reading passage, three groups of vocabulary
are called out: 1) 10-12 topic-related vocabulary items to consider
in pre-reading activities 2) 6-8 academic words-single word items
essential to building an academic vocabulary 3) 6-8 multiword
vocabulary items useful in academic reading A systematic focus on
multiword vocabulary sets Reading and Vocabulary Focus apart from
most reading/vocabulary texts. Increasingly, more and more teachers
and many textbooks recognize that some vocabulary items consist of
more than one word, especially phrasal/prepositional verbs (hurry
up, take on) and compound nouns (glass ceiling, weather station).
However, the amount of effort and text space devoted to expanding
students' multiword repertoires is typically minimal and the
approach haphazard. Our thinking in the Reading and Vocabulary
Focus series has been influenced by numerous researchers who have
examined the great importance to native speakers of
conventionalized multi-word units, whether those units are called
"chunks," "strings," or something else. Schmitt and Carter settle
on the term formulaic sequences and point out a helpful description
by Wray, that formulaic sequences "are stored and retrieved whole
from memory at the time of use rather than being subject to
generation and analysis at the time of use by the language
grammar." (Schmitt & Carter, 2012, 13) It is not always easy to
decide whether a group of words constitutes a unit so tight and
useful that it should be taught as a discrete vocabulary item. In
our item selection for Focus, we applied the criterion of "stored
and retrieved whole." An item could make the cut if, in the expert
judgment of our authors and editors, it was probably treated
cognitively as a whole thing. In this way, we were able to judge
that such diverse language as pay attention to, on the whole, an
invasion of privacy, and be the first to admit are formulaic
sequences that learners should study and learn as whole units. We
checked our judgment against as many sources as possible, including
corpora such as the Bank of English (part of the Collins COBUILD
corpus) and the online version of the Corpus of Contemporary
American English (COCA). UNIT STRUCTURE Each unit of Reading and
Vocabulary Focus begins with a high-impact photograph related to
the unit theme to capture the students' imaginations and allow for
pre-reading discussion. The unit theme encourages inquiry and
exploration and offers opportunities for synthesis of information.
Two reading passages, related to each other thematically, form the
heart of the unit. Each reading is followed by stages of
comprehension work, reading skill practice, formative vocabulary
exercises, and discussion. Finally the unit ends with a
comprehensive vocabulary review section and critical thinking
synthesizing tasks. Pre-Reading and Reading For each reading
passage, pre-reading activities include a task that activates
content schemata and a vocabulary exercise that provides a set of
clues to the content that the reader will encounter while reading.
Each reading has been chosen for high-interest and conceptual
challenge and is presented in the company of some of the world's
most stimulating photography and other graphics. Comprehension and
Vocabulary Development Comprehension exercises after each reading
start out with a focus on main ideas ("Big Picture") and move to
details ("Close-Up"). Then a concise treatment of a high-utility
reading skill leads into practice of the skill applied to the
reading passage. The vocabulary section after each reading proceeds
from the broadband approach mentioned earlier. First come exercises
in recognizing academic words and placing them in context. Many of
the items in this section are from the Academic Word List (AWL);
whether from the AWL or not, every "academic word" is important in
academic discourse. Then comes a section of multiword vocabulary,
focusing on formulaic sequences as described earlier in this
introduction. Discussion After studying the vocabulary, students
are prompted to use it in discussion activities. Finally, Think and
Discuss questions at the end of each reading prompt learners to
discuss their opinions on the topic of the reading while making
connections to their own lives. Unit Review The Unit Review
consists of two parts: Vocabulary Review and Connect the Readings.
The first section of the vocabulary review draws together
vocabulary of all types into a richly contextualized exercise.
Learners then encounter and practice the vocabulary from the unit,
strengthening semantic networks and integrating a wide variety of
items into their repertoires. The second section of the unit
review, Connect the Readings, takes students' critical-thinking
skills to a very high level as they analyze both readings and
discover similarities/differences, agreement/disagreement, and
other concept relationships. Reading and Vocabulary Focus has been
conceived to respect the wide-ranging curiosity and
critical-thinking power of contemporary students. Every day these
readers encounter a flood of information. They face unprecedented
demands to sort the significant from the trivial and to synthesize
information. We are delighted to help them do this by offering
great readings, engaging skills development, and top-tier
vocabulary learning all in an inviting, visually striking form.
Lawrence J. Zwier Series Consultant
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