Vocabulary may be just one pillar of literacy, but it’s also the thread that connects reading, writing, speaking, and thinking.

In this episode, I’m breaking down why vocabulary truly changes everything when it comes to student learning – and why it deserves more intentional focus in our classrooms. I’ll also share 3 simple, high-impact shifts you can make right away to create a more language-rich environment for your students.

Key Takeaways

1. You can decode every word on a page, but without vocabulary, comprehension falls apart.
2. Make Vocabulary Multisensory: Move beyond definitions and engage students’ senses (especially with images) to make meaningful connections
3. Prioritize Expressive Understanding: Use sentence stems and structured prompts to push students to think with words, not just repeat them.
4. Build Word Networks: Help students connect words through associations, morphology, and shades of meaning to deepen understanding and retention.

Join us at the Science of Reading Mini-Con this June!

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Mentioned in this episode:

SOR Fall Book Study

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Reading Science Academy

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