Rationale for Systematic Vocabulary Development: Antidote for State Mandates

Abstract

The authors assert that vocabulary development is one of the most important things teachers can promote for students—cognitively, culturally, socially, and in preparation for standardized tests. A broad‐based review of the literature reveals solid reasons for using systematic vocabulary instruction, which is especially helpful with youngsters from second‐language or disenfranchised backgrounds. Yet, in U.S. schools, systematic instruction in vocabulary has been cyclical rather than sustained. The authors note that learners from Latin‐language backgrounds likely have an unappreciated advantage in learning difficult words. The specialized, Latin‐derivative terms that occur infrequently in common usage tend to occur frequently on standardized tests. Several research‐supported ways to improve vocabulary acquisition are highlighted, including one that uses a variation on signing. The authors offer a “community of language” approach and show how wide reading can be amplified by intentional, frequent, day‐to‐day use of specific terms by school faculty and staff.

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