Research on Teaching Vocbulary
 

ü       Marzano (2004) has demonstrated that vocabulary knowledge and background knowledge are for all practical purposes synonymous.  Nagy and Herman (1984) found a consistent difference in vocabulary knowledge between students at different family income levels. 

ü       The relationship between vocabulary knowledge and academic achievement is also well established; districts should commit to enhance students' academic background knowledge through direct instruction in specific academic terms.

ü       These terms are conceptual in nature. It is recommended that about 30 terms are identified for each grade level for each subject area. Teachers will have time to teach other terms of their own choosing.

ü       Students are expected to master the meaning of the word at the specific grade level in the columns below.  Teachers in earlier grades are encouraged to introduce and use the words, but “ownership” of the word is expected at the grade level in which it appears.

ü       Some words may show up in more than one grade level.  “Genre,” for example, and “punctuation” show up multiple times.  These words are cumulative; that is, specific examples of genre and punctuation will appear in different years.  Similarly, a word like “tone” will become increasingly more sophisticated as students move through the language arts curriculum.