The words kids know determine what they can read and understand. Vocabulary instruction closes the gap between decoding and comprehension.
31 articles
Practice vocabulary with your child — free placement finds their levelSkills your child will master
Combines wide reading with direct instruction on word parts and context strategies, so kids develop independent word-learning skills.
A practical guide for teaching first graders new vocabulary through read-aloud sessions. Covers choosing books, introducing words in context, and word-rich activities that help children remember and use new words independently.
A practical guide for kindergarten parents to build their child's vocabulary during read-alouds. Covers choosing rich books, the pause-and-explain strategy, word walls, and repeated exposure techniques.
Young children absorb words at an astonishing rate, but only when the conditions are right. Here is how to build a rich, lasting vocabulary in your Pre-K through 2nd grader without flashcards or drill.
A clear explanation of context clues, the five main types readers use to figure out unfamiliar words from the surrounding text.
When children encounter an unfamiliar word in a sentence, they do not need a dictionary, they need a strategy. Here is how to teach your child to use context clues to figure out what words mean on their own.
A guide for homeschool parents on building 4th-grade academic vocabulary — Tier 2 words, context clue strategies, and retention techniques that help your child read and understand harder texts.
Sixth graders face a vocabulary explosion as they encounter academic and domain-specific words across subjects. This guide teaches homeschool parents how to use Greek and Latin roots, context clue strategies, and word-family analysis to build lasting vocabulary for 11-12 year olds.
Fifth graders need to master academic vocabulary that appears across subjects and learn domain-specific terms in science, math, and social studies. This guide shows homeschool parents how to teach word relationships and active vocabulary strategies to 10-11 year olds.
Eighth graders need sophisticated vocabulary strategies that work across science, history, literature, and math. This guide shows homeschool parents how to teach morphological analysis, Tier 2 academic words, and active word-learning habits that prepare 13-14 year olds for high school texts.
Seventh graders encounter increasingly complex academic vocabulary across all subjects. This guide shows homeschool parents how to teach context clue strategies, Greek and Latin roots, and active word-learning habits that build lasting vocabulary for 12-13 year olds.
Tier 2 words, like "analyze," "contrast," and "significant", appear across every subject but are rarely taught explicitly. They are the words that separate struggling readers from confident ones. Here is how to teach them at home.
Third grade is when reading shifts from learning-to-read to reading-to-learn, and vocabulary becomes the bottleneck. Here is how to teach your child to use prefixes, suffixes, and context clues to tackle the harder words they will meet in science, social studies, and chapter books.
When children learn to break words into parts, prefixes, suffixes, and root words, they unlock thousands of new words without memorizing each one. Here is how to teach word parts so they actually use them.
A parent-friendly explanation of Greek and Latin roots, what they are, why they unlock vocabulary, and the most useful roots to know.
More than half of English words come from Greek and Latin roots. Teaching your child to recognize these roots gives them a powerful tool for decoding academic vocabulary across every subject, from science to social studies.
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