Vocabulary knowledge is
critical to comprehension. Considerable vocabulary growth occurs incidentally and during reading of rich texts containing new words. A clear connection exists between vocabulary development and the amount of reading a person does, and research shows that vocabulary instruction is important and that understanding the meaning of key words helps with comprehension. This course demonstrates the necessary components of effective vocabulary instruction: explicit teaching of a wide array of conversational, academic, and domain-specific words; providing multiple and varied opportunities for both incidental and explicit vocabulary instruction; and using various strategies to determine the meanings of unknown words within the context of reading rich and varied texts and discussions.