
What is vocabulary development?
Vocabulary development is an important focus of literacy. Since vocabulary growth is an early indicator for success, knowledge of words, like their structure (morphology), use (grammar), meanings (semantics) and links to other words (semantic relationships) are foundational to literacy. It is important for our learners to develop and apply their reading (words we understand when reading), writing (words used to express), speaking (words we use to speak) and listening (words we hear) vocabulary because it is the root of expression and communication as they engage as listeners, viewers and readers. Each type of vocabulary supports literacy development, and is important for learning in other contexts.
Why is vocabulary development important?
A hearty vocabulary improves all areas of communication, comprehension and expression.
Vocabulary is critical to success.. The size of a child's vocabulary in kindergarten predicts the ability to learn to read. It is important that our learners have explicit and implicit development of word knowledge because it allows students to access academic language and discourse, and facilitates their comprehension of increasingly complex texts. Expanding word knowledge provides unlimited access to new information where our learners can become more independent with reading and writing.
Vocabulary development is an important focus of literacy. Since vocabulary growth is an early indicator for success, knowledge of words, like their structure (morphology), use (grammar), meanings (semantics) and links to other words (semantic relationships) are foundational to literacy. It is important for our learners to develop and apply their reading (words we understand when reading), writing (words used to express), speaking (words we use to speak) and listening (words we hear) vocabulary because it is the root of expression and communication as they engage as listeners, viewers and readers. Each type of vocabulary supports literacy development, and is important for learning in other contexts.
Why is vocabulary development important?
A hearty vocabulary improves all areas of communication, comprehension and expression.
Vocabulary is critical to success.. The size of a child's vocabulary in kindergarten predicts the ability to learn to read. It is important that our learners have explicit and implicit development of word knowledge because it allows students to access academic language and discourse, and facilitates their comprehension of increasingly complex texts. Expanding word knowledge provides unlimited access to new information where our learners can become more independent with reading and writing.

What can vocabulary development look like?
There are many effective ways to boost vocabulary. We can provide students with the opportunity to learn new word meanings indirectly through conversations and shared storybook reading, explicitly teach word meanings, and teach effective word-learning strategies. We can play oral or written word games as we vary the development context between writing, reading, listening and speaking. We can create opportunities for students to use new and interesting words in meaningful ways in different contexts. A few strategies for encouraging vocabulary development could be to offer student friendly definitions, define the words within context, use context clues, sketch the words, apply the target words or analyze the word parts (suffix, prefix, root). Expanding vocabulary is skill we can develop in all contexts.
There are many effective ways to boost vocabulary. We can provide students with the opportunity to learn new word meanings indirectly through conversations and shared storybook reading, explicitly teach word meanings, and teach effective word-learning strategies. We can play oral or written word games as we vary the development context between writing, reading, listening and speaking. We can create opportunities for students to use new and interesting words in meaningful ways in different contexts. A few strategies for encouraging vocabulary development could be to offer student friendly definitions, define the words within context, use context clues, sketch the words, apply the target words or analyze the word parts (suffix, prefix, root). Expanding vocabulary is skill we can develop in all contexts.
Useful Videos
Please watch these videos. They will provide some examples on how you could approach developing vocabulary throughout our literacy framework.