This preliminary study investigated the potential of using a dynamic approach to assessing expressive word mapping. Because measuring word mapping with productive language responses is much more difficult than measuring receptive word mapping, incorporating a dynamic measure allowed us to tap partial mapping and provided useful information on word…

The authors, one a teacher-researcher and the other a literacy researcher, take on the daunting task of vocabulary instruction in a school with a socioeconomically diverse population. They have designed a literacy program that emphasizes vocabulary development and uses personal choice (for motivation) and scaffolded literacy strategies (for…

Math is not the only topic that will be discussed when young children are asked to care for and count "mealworms," a type of insect larvae (just as caterpillars are the babies of butterflies, these larvae are babies of beetles). The following activity can take place over two months as the beetles undergo metamorphosis from larvae to adults. As the…

A yearlong formative experiment explored the impact of a comprehensive vocabulary instruction program in a diverse, fifth-grade classroom. The classroom teacher and two university collaborators: (1) provided rich language experiences; (2) taught individual words; (3) taught word-learning strategies; and (4) promoted word conscientiousness. Results…

Words associated with perceptually salient, highly imageable concepts are learned earlier in life, more accurately recalled, and more rapidly named than abstract words (R. W. Brown, 1976; Walker & Hulme, 1999). Theories accounting for this concreteness effect have focused exclusively on semantic properties of word referents. A novel possibility is…

Purpose: The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the variability and predictors of expressive vocabulary development in children with autism and very delayed language. Method: This study involved 35 children with autism whose initial chronological ages were between 20 and 71 months and whose initial expressive vocabularies were less…

The Louisiana Striving Readers evaluation assessed the implementation and effectiveness of the Voyager "Passport Reading Journeys" (PRJ), a widely used supplemental literacy intervention for struggling adolescent readers that reflects the research-based practices recommended by the National Reading Panel (2000) and other more recent…

The present study, by use of questionnaire and vocabulary tests, has investigated the foreign language vocabulary learning situation of 481 undergraduates in terms of their perspective of vocabulary learning, strategy use and vocabulary size. Based on the questionnaire investigation and vocabulary level tests, the characteristics of the subjects'…

The study started as a critical response to a new sheltered science content course introduced by the school district where I teach ESOL students. Although the course was a bold and timely initiative, it was not supported by a well-built curriculum, realistic educational goals, and appropriate instructional materials. As I was unsatisfied with what…

This popular guide offers a wealth of innovative, research-based strategies for making K-12 classrooms the best learning environments they can be. Easy-to-implement best practices are presented for establishing a classroom management plan, organizing procedures and materials, building a respectful community, fostering peer collaboration, and…

"Reading Mastery," one of several curriculum components that constitute the "Direct Instruction" curriculum from SRA/McGraw-Hill, is designed to provide systematic instruction in reading to students in grades K-6. "Reading Mastery," which can be used as an intervention program for struggling readers, as a supplement…

The present study examined the merits of different methods of introducing rehearsal techniques. (Author)

Components of word analysis and synthesis that are important for vocabulary development instruction are word structure and morphemes. Morpheme study includes bases, prefixes, suffixes, epenthetic elements, and affixation processes. Word structure includes capitalization, abbreviations, contractions, number, possessives, and affixed words.…

This report summarizes information presented in a technical report concerning the role of vocabulary knowledge in reading comprehension and is designed to be read by educators not directly involved in research themselves. It states that while an assessment of the number of meanings a reader knows enables a remarkably accurate prediction of an…