Are there any curricula out there today that integrate vocabulary instruction into the reading curriculum?
None that I know of. I think the curricula that are coming out in the next year or two, such as Open Court and Houghton-Mifflin, will include vocabulary instruction. Most of the new programs that are coming out for approval around 2007/2008 are likely to include a substantial commitment to vocabulary. One major reason for that is the state of California is requiring half an hour of vocabulary work in any program they’re going to accept. What can parents do to help their children increase their vocabulary? It’s pretty clear that what’s happening in middle class and advantaged homes is that parents (a) are using more different words with their kids and (b) they’re stopping to explain what words mean now and then. If a child has a chance to learn 2 to 4 words a day they’ll do alright. Advantaged kids acquire 2 to 4 words a day, whereas a disadvantaged kid may learn just one. I really believe that just briefly stopping to point out what a word means helps. You hand them a banana and you sa
