Developing Vocabulary and Oral Language in Young Children

Rebecca D. Silverman, EdD, is the Judy Koch Professor of Education in the Graduate School of Education at Stanford University. A former elementary school teacher, Dr. Silverman’s research focuses on language and literacy development and instruction in early childhood and elementary school. In particular, her work has contributed to the research base on supporting vocabulary and other aspects of language that are critical to reading and writing, and using multimedia and educational technology to facilitate literacy. At Stanford, Dr. Silverman leads the Language to Literacy Research Lab and teaches in the Stanford Teacher Education Program. She also engages in research–practice partnerships with school districts and provides professional development to teachers. Widely published in education journals, she has served on the board of directors of the International Literacy Association and is Editor-in-Chief of Elementary School Journal. Her website is https://langlitlab.stanford.edu.Anna M. Hartranft, MEd,is Faculty Research Associate in the Department of Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education at the University of Maryland, where she also serves as Project Director for the Reading Buddies Research Project. Her research focuses on the instruction and inclusion of students with disabilities and their peers in the areas of reading and writing. She has managed locally and federally funded projects, contributed to presentations at national conferences, and coauthored publications in journals such as Reading Research Quarterly and the Elementary School Journal.

"This book provides everything you want to know about vocabulary for young children--as well as everything you didn’t know you wanted to know. I can’t think of anything about vocabulary acquisition, instruction, and assessment that is not included. A hallmark of the book is the suggestions the authors offer about how teachers can incorporate vocabulary development in typical primary-grades reading and writing instruction."--Isabel L. Beck, PhD, University of Pittsburgh (Emerita)“Silverman and Hartranft makes it easy to understand the importance of vocabulary development in young students. Their in-depth explanations of several research-based strategies will help build students’ vocabularies, while real-life examples make each of the strategies easily applicable in daily teaching practices. As an early childhood educator, I recommend this book to anyone seeking to deepen their knowledge of vocabulary development and enhance their instruction.”--Lisa Manna, kindergarten teacher, Port Towns Elementary School, Prince George’s County, Maryland“I love this book--it is the right book at the right time! The centrality of language to literacy success is now widely recognized, but this is the first book for aspiring early childhood teachers that discusses language and reading in a way that builds conceptual understanding while providing research-based guidance for practice. It is already on the reading list for my course.”--David K. Dickinson, EdD, Margaret Cowan Chair of Education and Associate Dean for Research, Peabody College of Education, Vanderbilt University"The best time to help children bolster their vocabularies--particularly children who enter school with vocabularies weaker than those of their peers--is as soon as possible. In this solidly researched and well-crafted book, Silverman and Hartranft focus their considerable expertise on vocabulary instruction for children in PreK-2. Among the many strengths of the book are its focus on both breadth and depth, its myriad classroom examples, and its strong research base."--Michael F. Graves, PhD, University of Minnesota (Emeritus)-

• 1. The Importance of Vocabulary Breadth and Depth2. Principles of Effective Vocabulary Instruction3. Explicit and Extended Vocabulary Instruction4. Word Learning and Word Use in a Language Rich Environment5. Word Awareness and Independent Word Learning6. Assessing Vocabulary Knowledge7. Differentiating Vocabulary Instruction8. Using Multimedia to Support Word Learning in the Digital Age9. Home–School Connections to Support Word Learning10. Implementing Vocabulary Instruction in Prekindergarten through Second-Grade ClassroomsAppendix. Resources for Vocabulary Instruction