Presents examples of a method that teaches vocabulary as a prereading activity using selected quotes so that students can use word parts and context clues such as transitions, connotation, and parallel syntactic structure. (RS)

Finds significant incidental learning of word meanings in 447 American and Chinese children in third and fifth grades. Notes that, in each country, incidental word learning appeared on both easy and difficult test questions and among children of all levels of ability. Suggests that incidental acquisition of word meanings while reading is a…

Describes an alternative, holistic vocabulary strategy for students with limited English proficiency that draws high-frequency words from a variety of literary publications, then recycles that vocabulary in reading, writing, listening, and speaking activities. (SR)

Study of 3 and 7 year olds and adults examined role that changes in continuity, direction, instrument, and causative agent play in children's and adults' initial assumptions about meaning of novel motion verbs and events. Subjects made similar initial assumptions, but children generalized more conservatively than adults to all change types in…

Twenty-five preschool children with specific language impairment and 25 controls were evaluated on generalization of trained bound morphemes to untrained vocabulary stems, in 2 training conditions: explicit, trainer verbalization of the affixation "rule" and an "implicit rule" condition. Findings indicated that explicit presentation of…

Evaluation of the validity of the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventory: Words and Sentences with 44 children with Down syndrome and 48 typically developing children established the validity of this parental measure of vocabulary development for children with Down syndrome and confirmed its validity for typically developing children.…

Acquisition of the novel name-nameless category (N3C) principle by 22 toddlers with Down syndrome was studied. Results indicated that the ability to fast map a new word to a category is not available at the start of lexical acquisition. Children who used the N3C principle had larger productive vocabularies than others and had begun to acquire new…

Children ages five, seven, and nine years named objects with multiple names in a neutral context and in a biased context. Children selected names in accord with nonlinguistic constraints, but at the cost of longer naming times. Both name selection success and associated cost were more evident in older children than in younger children. (TJQ)

Uses the medium of descriptions of TV movies to describe how thematic teaching can be achieved in the different academic disciplines. Presents specific theme ideas. Discusses how an actual activity of TV movie summary descriptions emphasizes vocabulary development and reading comprehension. Describes specific reading skills promoted by this…

In three experiments, adults and 30-month-old children (1) selected a novel object as the referent for a novel term; (2) extended the new word to another exemplar; and (3) allowed the new word to preempt another novel label from applying to the just-named object. (BC)

Examines whether content textbook selections could be rewritten to enhance elementary students' comprehension of unfamiliar vocabulary. Finds that elementary students' vocabulary learning was enhanced when the texts were revised to be more considerate to the reader with attention to completeness, explicitness, proximity, and clarity of context…

Describes a variety of activities for improving students' social studies vocabulary. Groups the activities under the principles of LURE: (1) Linking the new word to a known word or words; (2) Using the new word in speaking and writing; (3) Revisiting new words immediately and often; and (4) Enjoying the fun and power of knowing new words. (SG)

The poet Skelton's reputation as a neologist is shown to be exaggerated. The claims of Disraeli and others are reviewed and refuted, based on an analysis of a computer-generated concordance of Skelton's complete English works. Nearly 20 percent of the 1,500 words and senses attributed to Skelton existed prior to his use of them. (18 references)…

Four activities for the French language classroom are described. These include helping students discover comparative expressions by using advertisements; using horoscopes for teaching vocabulary; using a missing persons report as a source for intermediate to advanced level discussion, collective writing, and questions; and a video designed to…

Describes (and offers an example of) a vocabulary spelling activity which uses a crossword puzzle format to help middle school through high school students study the spelling/meaning connection in English orthography. (SR)