Over a 12-week period, this naturalistic cross-case ethnographic and exploratory study examined how a continuum of teacher characteristics impacted students' use and understanding of a subset of basic concept words called conceptual relational words (CRWs). Four carefully bound inclusive preschool classrooms were purposefully selected to explore…

Readers read for different purposes and the texts they read vary in topic and difficulty. These situational factors influence standards of coherence--how much understanding a reader aims to have for a given text. Three studies examined whether individual differences in reader-based standards of coherence influenced off-line and on-line…

Students with Learning Disabilities (LDs) have less extensive vocabularies than their typically developing peers (Simmons & Kameenui, 1990). This is a critical problem, as the importance of vocabulary knowledge in relation to reading comprehension is widely documented in the literature (Pearson & Gallagher, 1983; Stahl, 1983) and has been…

The purpose of this study was to investigate to what extent bi-modal input improves the word segmentation ability of L2 learners of Japanese. Accurately identifying words in continuous speech is a fundamental process for comprehending the overall message, but studies show that second language (L2) learners often find this task difficult, even when…

This article examined longitudinal relations among socioeconomic risk, maternal language input, child vocabulary, and child executive function in a large sample (N =1,009) recruited for a prospective longitudinal study. Two measures of maternal language input derived from a parent- child picture book task, vocabulary diversity and language…

This article examined longitudinal relations among socioeconomic risk, maternal language input, child vocabulary, and child executive function (EF) in a large sample (N = 1,009) recruited for a prospective longitudinal study. Two measures of maternal language input derived from a parent-child picture book task, vocabulary diversity (VOCD), and…

This systematic review examines 22 studies (2024-2025) on the use of generative AI, primarily ChatGPT, for providing feedback in English writing instruction for language learners. It identifies the types of feedback AI offers, its effectiveness relative to teacher and peer feedback, and perceptions from students and teachers. Findings show AI…

This paper is a quantitative study about learners' engagement and self-efficacy within a Virtual Reality (VR) learning environment while studying vocabulary in English in a classroom implementing a Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) approach. VR was used as a tool for students to learn and better understand specific concepts studied…

From foremost authorities, this needed work demonstrates the importance of a science of literacy perspective for teaching and learning beyond the primary grades. Contributors present cutting-edge research on reading and writing development in grades 3-8 and review evidence-based classroom practices and professional learning frameworks. The…

Children's understanding of the quantities represented by number words (i.e., cardinality) is a surprisingly protracted but foundational step in their learning of formal mathematics. The development of cardinal knowledge is related to one or two core, inherent systems--the approximate number system (ANS) and the object tracking system (OTS)--but…

Although the relationship between sound and meaning in language is assumed to be largely arbitrary, reliable correspondences between sound and meaning in natural language appear to facilitate word learning. Using a set of independently normed pseudoword and shape stimuli, we examined the real-time effects of sound-to-shape correspondences at…

Vocabulary instruction is a critical component of language and literacy lessons, yet few studies have examined the nature and extent of vocabulary activities in early elementary classrooms. We explored vocabulary activities during reading lessons using video observations in a sample of 2ndand 3rd-grade students (n = 228) and their teachers (n =…

The acquisition of language involves the functional specialization of several cortical regions. Connectivity between these brain regions may also change with the development of language. Various studies have demonstrated that the arcuate fasciculus was essential for language function. Vocabulary learning is one of the most important skills in…

Developing young students' language and vocabulary is critical in laying the foundation for learning to read. Asking open-ended questions, which require more than a one-word response, is an effective strategy that teachers can use to elicit students' comments and engage students in extended conversations. However, to facilitate students'…

In this study, the authors examined the impact of a vocabulary intervention designed to support vocabulary depth, or the building of semantic networks, in preschool children (n = 30). The authors further investigated the effect of specific instructional strategies on growth in vocabulary depth. The intervention employed shared book reading and…