Knowledge and Skills Statement
Research
1. Nelson, J. R., & Stage, S. A. (2007). Fostering the development of vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension though contextually-based multiple meaning vocabulary instruction. Education & Treatment of Children, 30(1), 1+. Retrieved from https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A161909202/PROF?u=tea&sid=PROF&xid=d444f833
Summary: The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of contextually-based multiple meaning (i.e., words with multiple meanings) vocabulary instruction on the vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension of students. Third and fifth grade students received either contextually-based multiple meaning vocabulary instruction embedded in the standard language arts instruction offered to all students over a three-month period or the standard language arts instruction alone (i.e., non-specific treatment). Students who received the contextually-based multiple meaning instruction generally showed significant gains in their vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension in comparison with students who did not. These effects were more pronounced in the case of third grade students. The results and limitations are discussed.
2. Nagy, W. E., Anderson, R. C., & Herman, P. A. (1987). Learning word meanings from context during normal reading. American Educational Research Journal, 24, 237–270. Accessed online at https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.3102/00028312024002237
Summary: This study investigated incidental learning of word meanings from context during normal reading. A total of 352 students in third, fifth, and seventh grades read either expository or narrative passages selected from grade-level textbooks and after six days were tested on their knowledge of difficult words from the passages. Small but reliable gains in knowledge of words from the passages read were found at all grade and ability levels.