The course of language acquisition from infancy to public primary school was followed in a sample of 56 Finnish children to examine precursors to reading at first grade. Structural equation modeling of continuity suggested effects from growth in early vocabulary to mastery of inflectional forms at preschool age. The early language directly…

This workbook offers a variety of quick language activities that develop grade 4-6 students' associative-reasoning and problem-solving skills. The activities in the workbook cover vocabulary development, classifying, sequencing, following directions, and word recognition. Sections of the workbook are Categories; Ordering; Missing Vowels; Think…

A study examined the acquisition of a reading vocabulary for abstract and concrete words in 62 second-grade children. Words had been learned as part of a basal reader program or as part of outside reading. Word recognition speed and reading accuracy were examined for abstract and concrete words using lexical decision and word naming tasks. Results…

This 96-item annotated bibliography presents annotations of all vocabulary-related work produced by the Johnson O'Connor Resource Foundation since its establishment in 1927. The bibliography also contains source listings for topics other than vocabulary. The bibliography begins with a discussion of Johnson O'Connor (director of electrical…

A study analyzed the relative effectiveness of three teaching strategies for enhancing vocabulary and reading comprehension. Sixty-eight students in three fourth-grade classrooms in a suburban southwestern public school were presented with a vocabulary lesson on weather from the reading text according to one of the following strategies: (1) basal…

It is argued that vocabulary development is too often ignored in the communicative approach to second language teaching, while a good command of language and pleasure in speaking it require access to the appropriate words. Traditionally, vocabulary development has been accomplished by two complementary techniques: reading and classroom exercises.…

This booklet discusses a procedure to assist students experiencing difficulty in learning the "Dolch Basic Sight Vocabulary of 220 Words" and rearranges a list of 220 words to make it easier for students to learn. The procedure discussed in the booklet is based on the "word family" approach, in which words like "all call,…

The design of vocabulary tests, particularly for English as a Second Language, is discussed. The discussion is intended to help language teachers with little or no knowledge of testing gain a better understanding of vocabulary testing. First, a set of principles for guiding the writing of vocabulary tests are outlined, presented in the form of…

Debaters have several poor word-choice and word-formation habits that detract from their ethos as advocates as well as from the clarity of their arguments. In many instances, debaters, to their competitive and educational detriment, employ habitual phrases, questionable redefinitions, and poorly coined new words. Many currently popular debate…

Comprehensive rules, guidelines, and examples are provided for use by ERIC indexers and lexicographers in developing and maintaining the "Thesaurus of ERIC Descriptors." Evaluation and decision criteria, research procedures, and inputting details for adding new Descriptors are documented. Instructions for modifying existing Thesaurus…

This handbook, prepared by teachers enrolled in the 1992 summer session of Reading 508 at Northeast Louisiana State University (Monroe, Louisiana) under the guidance of Dr. Harry Miller, discusses (in separate sections) reading readiness, word recognition, vocabulary development, and reading comprehension. Each section of the book also presents…

A study compared students' cognitive word knowledge of the cognates of "think" and "know" within a theoretical framework focused on hierarchical levels of meaning. Subjects were 31 fifth, 32 seventh, and 21 tenth graders attending single-gender private schools in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, and 70 college…

An extensive literature review led to the formation of a framework for vocabulary instruction that can be used to analyze the relationship between knowledge of word meanings and comprehension and to suggest more effective means of vocabulary instruction. The framework posits two types of information students hold about words--definitional and…

To test the hypothesis that aspects of one's personality are associated with expansion of his or her vocabulary, a study focused on thirteen students of various ages who constituted a vocabulary development class. Students were taught techniques for discovering meaning through context or extracting meaning through word structure. Considerable time…

Describes a method for improving vocabulary skills of disadvantaged college freshmen. (RB)