The use of digital tools for second and foreign language lexical learning is increasingly popular and research in this area is constantly expanding. However, little has been written about specific criteria that could be used to identify tools with high-quality lexical input, as available checklists and frameworks for digital media tend to neglect…

Despite the substantial expansion in vocabulary research since the 1980s, we still know very little about how vocabulary develops over time and what factors influence this development. This methodological overview discusses key issues and considerations in vocabulary breadth growth assessment to help advance research in this area. The report…

Developing young children's vocabulary is essential for later reading success; thus, early childhood classrooms require a comprehensive vocabulary approach that teaches academic vocabulary. Yet even providing young children with child-friendly definitions of sophisticated words can be a challenge. First, the authors outline the components of a…

Over the past several decades, applied linguistics and second language (L2) acquisition and teaching have been areas of prolific research and have undergone continual development. The purpose of this article is to identify essential themes in the field of applied linguistics, focusing more intensely on teaching and learning second languages in a…

This article provides suggestions for teachers and practitioners on vocabulary activities that can help kindergarteners attain the vocabulary standards proposed by the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The activities and examples included in the paper stem from an efficacy study I recently conducted with Dr. Michael Coyne and colleagues with…

The implementation of effective instructional materials, such as a core reading program, by a qualified teacher is an important part of improving students' reading achievement. But selecting those instructional materials can be time-consuming. Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Southeast created this rubric for evaluating reading/language arts…

In 2000, the National Reading Panel report identified five essential components of effective reading instruction: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Yet a new study of university-based teacher preparation programs finds that few cover these components, leaving teachers without research-based expertise. (Contains 2…

The College and Career Ready Standards of the CCSS articulate a range of expectations regarding what students should be able to do with regards to academic vocabulary: (1) Interpret technical, connotative, and figurative meanings of words and phrases; (2) Analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone; (3) Determine or clarify the meaning…

Describes short-form versions of the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventories (CDIs) and their development, summarizes newly available normative data and psychometric properties of the instruments, and discusses research and clinical applications. (Author/VWL)

This guide begins with a story about the parents of twin kindergartners. The story models ways in which the parents of Mike and Chris help them learn to read, such as reading the newspaper together with them and asking them questions about the books they are reading. Included is another short story parents can read with their child, and a list of…

Parents are the child's first and most important teacher. This booklet begins with a story about the parent of a first grade reader. The parent in the story models methods which a real life parent could employ to help a child learn to read such as finding words that begin with the first letter of a child's name, or taking turns with the child…

Reviews the literature on the characteristics of the good language learner and language teacher, showing those traits contributing to effective language learning as well as literature outlining practices and activities contributing to the development of a good language teacher. Includes an activity performance checklist. (14 references) (Author/CK)