Comprehending texts in content areas can be challenging for students with learning disabilities (LD) because they may lack the necessary background and vocabulary knowledge needed to construct meaning from text. As more students with LD are educated in the general education classroom, it is necessary for teachers to implement strategies to…

While mathematics and reading instruction share an emphasis on vocabulary, strategies may seem in conflict. Use the strategies presented here for connecting new learning to previous knowledge and experiences and providing meaningful paths for students' vocabulary development in the mathematics classroom.

More and more students with learning disabilities and other diverse learners are placed for instruction in general education classrooms, which often leaves teachers grappling to design successful peer interactions and literacy activities to meet the needs of all learners in their classrooms. As the shift is made to align literacy instruction to…

A common, long-held belief of teachers and parents is that "the more you read, the better you read." Because many students either did not choose to read at home or did not have books at home, schools began to provide independent reading time in the classroom. As the years progressed, more and more requirements were added into English…

Because acquisition of vocabulary has been shown to affect reading comprehension and verbal capacity, one initiative that has gained momentum in elementary schools is the promotion of sophisticated words across grade levels. Music teachers, like other educators, should provide a vocabulary-rich environment to encourage the use of academic language…

Vocabulary is the basis for all content area learning, including physical education. This article presents several easily implemented vocabulary strategies that support content learning within the cognitive domain of physical education by reinforcing conceptual understanding and relationships. These strategies include: concept circles,…

As with all learners, English learners (ELs) require more than basic reading and writing skills to successfully engage with rigorous academic content, progress through school, and be fully prepared for postsecondary education and careers. ELs must be able to access grade-level content while simultaneously developing proficiency and autonomy in…

This article explores how Ms. Ford, a first-grade teacher, integrated literary tools to engage students in higher-level thinking and meaning making. Through the use of teacher talk, eliciting responses, asking for clarity, and expanding on student responses, she utilized discourse to support students in making meaning. Ms. Ford's first-grade…

Recent research on disciplinary literacy has called for a paradigm shift among secondary content teachers from perceiving themselves as disciplinary content transmitters to disciplinary literacy teachers who model and engage students in reading, writing, inquiring, and doing like experts within each discipline. How do content teachers incorporate…

At the intersection of social studies and world language curricula are opportunities to explore students' prior learning with vocabulary-rich content designed to support language acquisition goals. "Funds of knowledge" is defined as socio-cultural, economic, and historical knowledge from home and community settings. The instructional…

This Teaching Tip is based on a vocabulary study conducted at Thetford Elementary in Thetford, Vermont. It explores the positive effects of utilizing paired conversational response and teaching of associative connections within read aloud. Teachers who scaffold student understanding during read aloud using the Four C's: compare and contrast…

This article highlights how English language learners' (ELLs) prior knowledge can be used to help learn science vocabulary. The article explains that the concept of prior knowledge needs to encompass the ELL student's native language, previous science learning, native literacy skills, and native cultural knowledge and life experiences.…

Existing reading assessments have increasingly been criticized by researchers, educators, and policy makers, especially regarding their coverage, utility, and authenticity (e.g., Magliano, Millis, Ozuru, & McNamara, 2007; Pellegrino, Chudowsky, & Glaser, 2001; Rupp, Ferne, & Choi, 2006). Specifically, there is concern that current…

It's one of those assumptions of the English teaching game that students must learn and store up vocabulary as a precondition of tackling literature or history or any of those fields that feature big words. How, some ask, could a child read a challenging passage if he or she didn't understand those key, usually multisyllabic, words often sprinkled…

Students enter the middle grades with varying amounts of background knowledge. Teachers must assess student background knowledge for gaps or misconceptions and then provide instruction to build on that base. This article discusses effective strategies for assessing and developing students' background knowledge so they can become independent…