Reading Audit Research Hub Vocabulary

Find reports and links to best-practice in relation to vocabulary below:

• National Reading Panel – Teaching Children To Read
  Book reviewed in this article:Teaching children to read: An evidence-based assessment of the scientific research literature on reading and its implications for reading instruction. By The National Reading Panel. 2000.
  

  Cunningham, James. (2001). The National Reading Panel Report. Reading Research Quarterly – READ RES QUART. 36. 326-335. 10.1598/RRQ.36.3.5.

• Language as a child wellbeing indicator Early language acquisition impacts on all aspects of young children’s non-physical development. It contributes to their ability to manage emotions and communicate feelings, to establish and maintain relationships, to think symbolically, and to learn to read and write.
  

  EIF report: Language as a child wellbeing indicator. September 2017. Prof James Law, Jenna Charlton, Dr Kirsten Asmussen

• The Effects of Vocabulary Instruction: A Model-Based Meta-Analysis
  This paper reports a meta-analysis of studies concerned with the effects of vocabulary instruction on the learning of word meanings and on comprehension. This analysis was used to examine two questions: Does vocabulary instruction have a significant effect on children’s comprehension of text? What types of vocabulary instruction are most effective? In response to the first question, a mean effect size of .97 could be attributed to vocabulary instruction for comprehension of passages containing taught words and of .30 for global measures of comprehension, both of which are significantly different from zero. For the second question, it was suggested that the most effective vocabulary teaching methods included both definitional and contextual information in their programs, involved the students in deeper processing, and gave the students more than one or two exposures to the to-be-learned words. In addition, the mnemonic keyword method was found to have reliable effects on recall of definitions and sentence comprehension.
  

  Stahl, S. A. and Fairbanks, M. M. (1986) ‘The Effects of Vocabulary Instruction: A Model-Based Meta-Analysis’, Review of Educational Research, 56(1), pp. 72–110. doi: 10.3102/00346543056001072.

• The Effects of Long-Term Vocabulary Instruction on Reading Comprehension: A Replication.
  A study that investigated the relationship between vocabulary instruction and reading comprehension was replicated and extended. The original study showed substantial gains in accuracy of word knowledge and speed of lexical access, but only marginal gains in comprehension. This latter result was attributable to methodological problems, and thus the comprehension measure was revised. In the present study, fourth graders were taught 104 words over a five-month period. Following instruction, these children and a group of uninstructed children matched on pre-instruction vocabulary and comprehension ability performed tasks to measure accuracy of word knowledge, speed of lexical access, and comprehension of stories containing taught words. Instructed children showed substantial advantage in all tasks. Reasons for these results, in contrast to studies that have failed to improve comprehension through vocabulary instruction, are discussed.
  

  McKeown, M. G. et al. (1983) ‘The Effects of Long-Term Vocabulary Instruction on Reading Comprehension: A Replication’, Journal of Reading Behavior, 15(1), pp. 3–18. doi: 10.1080/10862968309547474.

• Bringing Words to Life. Second Edition. Robust Vocabulary Instruction
  Hundreds of thousands of teachers have used this highly practical guide to help K–12 students enlarge their vocabulary and get involved in noticing, understanding, and using new words. Grounded in research, the book explains how to select words for instruction, introduce their meanings, and create engaging learning activities that promote both word knowledge and reading comprehension. The authors are trusted experts who draw on extensive experience in diverse classrooms and schools. Sample lessons and vignettes, children’s literature suggestions, “Your Turn” learning activities, and a Study Guide for teachers enhance the book’s utility as a classroom resource, professional development tool, or course text.
  

  Bringing Words to Life. Second Edition. Robust Vocabulary Instruction. Isabel L. Beck, Margaret G. McKeown, and Linda Kucan

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