When and where did I find the word: Conceptual Density was the one of the text features discussed in the Friendly Texts and Text-Friendly Teachers article that was assigned this week. (Dreher & Singer 2001)
Dreher, M. J. & Singer, H. (1989). Friendly text and text-friendly teachers. Theory Into Practice, 28(2), 98-105.
What it means: According to Dreher and Singer (1989) conceptual density refers to the rate at which new ideas and vocabulary are introduced.
Level of Familiarity: I have never heard of the term conceptual density; however, I have always wondered what to call books that feel extremely difficult to read and have many terms and ideas packed into one chapter or one paragraph. I think Dreher and Singer (1989) would refer to those texts as conceptually dense.
Do I want to know this word well and tell why? I want to know this word well and how to help students identify, organize and clarify their understanding when this feature is presented in a text book.
Do I think others should know this word well....if so who and why? Teachers need to evaluate how a textbook spaces the presentation of new concepts and whether the new concepts receive sufficient elaboration to make them understandable (Dreher & Singer 2001, 100)
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