Getting Into Words: Vocabulary Instruction That Strengthens Comprehension

Vocabulary deficits are a major factor contributing to children's poor reading and comprehension skills. Children with poor vocabulary skills often find it hard to comprehend text and, as a result, they are less motivated to read. Limited time spent reading results in less practice with vocabulary words, which causes these students to fall behind their peers. These vocabulary limitations are an important factor in the achievement gap, particularly for children at risk. Based on their experience in the classroom and reviews of recent research, the authors have developed this book as a guide for elementary and middle school teachers who want to improve the vocabulary of their students. Traditional vocabulary instruction, such as instructing children to look up words in a dictionary, memorize word lists, or use words in sentences, is not effective for many students. Instead, the activities in the book are designed to improve students' independent word learning skills, rath