The authors develop the concept of teaching vocabulary for application (TVA) as a component of comprehensive vocabulary instruction. TVA is instruction that focuses on students' skillful application of small sets of words within academic tasks, such as text analysis and writing. The authors discuss how this instruction, with its extended focus on high-value words and its explicit goal of improving students' oral and written language, represents an effective balance to common vocabulary instruction focused on teaching individual word meanings. The authors then illustrate the nature and potential of TVA instruction by describing activities for teaching connectives and character trait vocabulary. These descriptions document the benefits of the activities, including the enhancement of student writing, the stimulation of rich discussion, and the heightening of students' awareness of words throughout the school day.