Vocabulary Teaching and Learning in a Seventh-Grade Literature-Based Classroom.

Abstract

and learning in a seventh-grade literature-based classroom Janis M. Harmon ■■■Vocabulary is an important area of concern for teachers, because children who know many words are more likely to be competent readers than those with limited vocabularies. As children approach the middle grades and become more proficient in decoding and recognizing known words, vocabulary acquisition focuses more on meaning than recognition (Chall, 1987). From then on, children learn new words for known concepts and new words for new concepts in various content areas and in more sophisticated literature books. The need for a rich vocabulary base becomes even more important during the ensuing middle and secondary school years. Word learning is a complex task that occurs in many settings. These settings range from incidental occurrences in oral and written contexts to direct instruction. Nagy and Anderson (1984) estimated that the average student in the middle grades and beyond must acquire approximately 3,000 new words yearly in order to stay current with each succeeding grade level. As a result, many vocabulary experts assert that learning from context plays a significant part in the student's yearly acquisition of such a large volume of words. Incidental word learning from oral and written contexts seems to occur in-

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