Why Teach Vocabulary?
Vocabulary is one of the five pillars of reading comprehension as set forth in No Child Left Behind legislation. Reading comprehension depends upon the meaning readers give words. The more vocabulary words students know, the better they are able to comprehend. A large vocabulary opens students up to a wider range of reading materials. A rich vocabulary also improves students’ ability to communicate through speaking, listening, and writing. Researchers have stated that vocabulary deficiencies are a primary cause of academic failure in grades 3 through 12 (Baumann and Kameenui 1991; Stanovich 1986; Becker 1977). These researchers profess that direct and explicit instruction of a set number of vocabulary words will improve academic success in all content areas. Stahl and Fairbanks (1986) suggest that teaching students 350 words each year may improve learning by as much as 10 to 30%. Further, in 1982, Beck, Perfetti, and McKeown found that students who were given direct instruction in word
