This article presents findings from an intervention across sixth and seventh grades to teach academic words to middle school students. The goals included investigating a progression of outcomes from word knowledge to comprehension and investigating the processes students use in establishing word meaning. Participants in Year 1 were two sixth-grade…

How can we supplement the limited time available for vocabulary instruction while motivating students to attend to the words they are learning? As a part of an academic word vocabulary intervention, we challenged sixth-grade students to find their words in the world around them. This activity, In the Media, garnered responses from 51 of the 61…

This article reports on 2 studies with kindergarten and first-grade children from a low-achieving elementary school that provided vocabulary instruction by the students' regular classroom teacher of sophisticated words (advanced vocabulary words) from children's trade books that are typically read aloud. Study 1 compared the number of…

Explains the "Questioning the Author" approach to reading comprehension, which is designed to get students to build understanding of text ideas by becoming actively involved as they read. Suggestions are given for constructing meaning by going back and forth between the text and discussing the ideas. Some examples illustrate the process.…

Describes how pre-kindergarten through elementary teachers can enhance the vocabulary development of young children, focusing on teaching words from texts that are read aloud to children rather than read by children. Examines sequenced activities for teaching words to young children and activities that encourage children to interact with words,…

Research has uncovered the underlying processes of reading. Research on three of these processes is reviewed: (1) elucidating a general model of reading; (2) developing word recognition accuracy and efficiency; and (3) improving comprehension through the training of text processing and through enhancement of vocabulary and background knowledge.…

Presents an approach to vocabulary instruction that serves to increase knowledge of word definitions, to provide semantic links to words, and to promote greater facility in using words. Reviews studies associated with the "fertile vocabulary" instructional plan and discusses program results and benefits. (ML)

Outlines a program of vocabulary development that contains cognitive, affective, and physical elements. Points to test results showing that the program has been effective with fourth grade students. (FL)

Examines instructional procedures found in the preparation and questioning components of directed reading lessons to assist teachers in evaluating these procedures. Background knowledge and vocabulary development were examined in the preparation component; the story map in the questioning component. (Author/NH)

Offers suggestions for improving existing instructional materials found in widely used basal programs and a variety of strategies and engaging activities that teachers can use to help children master the alphabetic code. The authors argue against use of the drill method in reading instruction. (GR)

A vocabulary instruction program for intermediate grades is described. The program improves comprehension through use of such features as multiple exposures to words in various contexts and engaging students in active thinking about word meanings. This method of instruction is compared with instruction that offers only definitional information.…

Considers what the research literature suggests about the kinds of texts and kinds of talk that are most beneficial for read-aloud experiences. Provides an overview of Text Talk, an approach to read-alouds directed toward enhancing young children's ability to construct meaning. Includes examples of teacher/student interaction and suggests aspects…