Explores the role of vocabulary in reading development and suggests some classroom-tested approaches for nurturing students' vocabulary development and interest. Discusses vocabulary growth, vocabulary and concept development, and active processing of vocabulary. Discusses applications and examples of active-process vocabulary instruction,…

Outlines a vocabulary strategy that transforms students into "word detectives," while immersing them in reading and encouraging them to find out the meaning of unknown words. Describes how "lead detectives" use graphic organizers, briefings on word "suspects," and notes several extensions to this activity. (SR)

In two experiments, the use of mutual exclusivity in the naming of whole objects was examined in monolingual and bilingual 3- and 6-year-olds. Once an object has a known name, then via principles of mutual exclusivity it is often assumed that a new name given to the object must refer to some part, substance, or other property of the object.…

This action research paper depicts the teacher-developed instructional strategies to enhance vocabulary instruction among school-age students in the public school setting. The selected population spans across three school districts and includes a third grade classroom, a fifth grade classroom, as well as a select fourth and fifth grade students…

This study investigated relationships between teacher talk exposure in preschool and school and children's second language vocabulary acquisition. Teacher talk exposure and vocabulary acquisition in Turkish-speaking children learning Norwegian and attending various classrooms were assessed yearly from when the children were in their next-to-last…

Because of the substantial impact on outcomes for children, states and school districts across the country are addressing issues surrounding early learning opportunities and school readiness for young children. Full-day kindergarten plays an important role in both. Colorado has made significant investments in full-day kindergarten as a means of…

Shedding light on the current debate on the nature of the relationship between vocabulary instruction and reading comprehension, a study investigated student perceptions of the present state of vocabulary instruction. Subjects, 20 students from each of three grade levels (first, fifth, and eighth), from two schools in suburban Maryland, were…

A study investigated the effectiveness of semantic mapping as a technique to improve recall of word meaning versus the traditional method of teaching vocabulary. Eight intermediate-level students from grades 4, 5, and 6, five of whom were identified as learning disabled students, were subjects. They were tested using vocabulary subtests of the…

A study of 180 seventh grade students was conducted to discover the relative value of teaching vocabulary by teaching whole words contrasted with teaching prefixes. Two experimental groups and a control group were formed of equal numbers of high, middle, and low ability students based on their scores on the Nelson Reading Test. One experimental…

Describes principled, research-based ways to consider vocabulary instruction. Focuses on the relationship between vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension, the role of direct instruction, and definitional, contextual, and conceptual methods of vocabulary instruction. (SKC)

This collection of palindromes, pangrams, acrostics, word squares and word ladders, visual and numerical puzzles, silly names, and much more is designed to delight, surprise, and challenge both the novice and the expert player of word games. It uses the metaphor of a busy, cosmopolitan city to showcase three facets of words: forms of letters,…

Research supported in part with funds from the U.S. Office of Education. (DS)

Explains several techniques for improving students' vocabulary through increasing their interest in and sensitivity to language. (JL)