In classrooms across the country, educators are grappling with a persistent challenge: students are reading and writing well below grade level. While the pandemic may have exacerbated this issue, the truth is that stagnant literacy growth has plagued our schools for decades. One of the most powerful—and often underutilized—tools to reverse this trend is vocabulary instruction.
In a recent educator-focused Sadlier webinar, literacy leader Ellen Edmonds outlined why vocabulary instruction is so important, what vocabulary we should focus on and how to teach it effectively.
View the full webinar on-demand for additional details and supporting context and visuals.
Vocabulary isn’t just a collection of words—it’s the foundation of comprehension. Without a robust vocabulary, students struggle to access meaning in texts, express themselves clearly, and engage in academic discourse. Research shows that knowing the words in a text accounts for 70–80% of comprehension. That’s a staggering statistic, and it underscores why vocabulary instruction must be front and center in our teaching practice.
Yet despite its importance, many teachers spend only a few minutes a week on explicit vocabulary instruction, especially in middle and high school. This gap between belief and practice is one we must urgently address.
Vocabulary is an unconstrained skill—it continues to grow throughout our lives unless hindered by cognitive impairment. It’s also highly predictive of academic success. A kindergartener’s vocabulary can forecast high school graduation. In secondary education, vocabulary knowledge influences college readiness, job attainment, and even salary potential.
A kindergartener’s vocabulary can forecast high school graduation. In secondary education, vocabulary knowledge influences college readiness, job attainment, and even salary potential.
Importantly, vocabulary supports comprehension across all content areas—not just English language arts. Whether students are solving math word problems, analyzing historical texts, or interpreting scientific data, vocabulary is the key that unlocks understanding.
Not all words are created equal. While it’s tempting to teach rare or “fun” words, our instructional time is best spent on high-utility, tier two words—those academic words that appear frequently across texts, tasks, tests, and classroom talk. These words often carry nuanced meanings, play multiple grammatical roles, and are essential for academic communication.
Researchers like Isabel Beck and Elfrieda Hiebert have spent decades identifying which words matter most. Their work emphasizes the importance of teaching words students will encounter repeatedly in textbooks, trade books, and standardized assessments.
Effective vocabulary instruction isn’t about handing out a word list on Monday and testing on Friday. Students need multiple, meaningful exposures to words—ideally 8 to 12 times, and up to 20 for striving learners. Instruction should span two weeks per word, incorporating direct teaching, guided practice, and independent application.
Here’s a simplified routine inspired by Beck’s research:
Marzano’s six-step approach adds depth, including visual representations and repeated use over time. Regardless of the method, the goal is the same: deep, generative word knowledge that students can retrieve and apply automatically.
Students with limited vocabulary often struggle to connect new words to known ones. That’s why it’s crucial to help them build semantic networks—using graphic organizers, discussions, and examples that link words meaningfully.
Word consciousness is another vital component. When students notice, question, and play with words in everyday life, whether on social media, in movies, or in class, they become more engaged and empowered learners. Encouraging discourse about words, even identifying misused vocabulary in interviews or media, fosters this awareness.
Games can be excellent tools to supplement and support vocabulary instruction. Students love games because they are engaging and exciting, and teachers love games because they help students remember and use their words in new contexts.
Games can be excellent tools to supplement and support vocabulary instruction.
→ Try this: 10 Vocabulary Games for All Ages
Teaching Greek and Latin roots, affixes, and word families can support vocabulary growth, but it shouldn’t dominate instruction. While morphology has value, overemphasis can lead to missed opportunities for deeper learning. Context clues, though imperfect, remain part of a well-rounded strategy.
→ Try this: Context Clues and Word Part Strategies Kit
Assessment must go beyond weekly quizzes. We need tools that track mastery over time, showing how often students encounter words and whether they’ve truly internalized them. This helps avoid false positives, students who ace a test but forget the words weeks later and ensures ongoing support.
Vocabulary instruction isn’t optional, it’s essential. Fifteen minutes a day, three times a week, can make a measurable difference. Use engaging strategies, leverage technology for differentiation and repetition, and prioritize words students will use.
As texts become more complex and content more specialized, vocabulary demands increase. Let’s meet those demands head-on by equipping students with the language they need to thrive—not just in school, but in life.
→ Try this: The Value of Intentional Vocabulary Instruction in the Middle Grades eBook by Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey
To learn about Sadlier vocabulary programs that integrate the Science of Reading and effective classroom practice, please visit SadlierSchool.com/school/vocabulary
