Why Vocabulary Matters

A strong vocabulary helps young children understand what they read and hear. The more words they know, the easier it is to make sense of stories, follow directions, and build background knowledge. This early understanding serves as the foundation for later reading comprehension—children can’t understand a text if they don’t understand its words.

Students should learn the words from the Marzano list featured below.

Teach the meanings of the words. Have students orthographically map them. Use the words frequently. Teach synonyms (words that mean the same), antonyms (words that mean the opposite), and homonyms/homophones for each word, if any.

definitions can be found via a dictionary or online — *Image: Public domain via ClipSafari*

Homonyms vs. Homophones
Kindergarten Vocabulary
Grade 1 Vocabulary
Grade 2 Vocabulary
Grade 3 Vocabulary
Grade 4 Vocabulary
Grade 5 Vocabulary
Teaching Morphology to Expand Vocabulary and Comprehension

Homonyms vs. Homophones

Homonyms are words that sound the same and are spelled the same, but they have different meanings. For example, bat can mean an animal that flies at night, or a bat can be used to hit a baseball. Homophones, on the other hand, are words that sound the same but are spelled differently and mean different things. For example, see and sea sound the same when we say them, but see means to look, and sea is a large body of water. Good readers use spelling and context clues to figure out which word is being used.

Simple Examples for Kids

Homonyms (same sound, same spelling, different meanings):

bat (animal/baseball bat)
bank (river bank/money bank)
ring (sound/piece of jewelry)
park (playground/to park a car)

Homophones (same sound, different spelling, different meanings):

see / sea
to / too / two
there / their / they’re
pair/pear
flower/flour

Vocabulary by Grade Level

Teaching Morphology to Expand Vocabulary and Comprehension

I purchased these fabulous illustrated cards on Amazon, and they have been invaluable for teaching morphology. They cost $65, but they are well worth the time and effort it would take to find and print my own illustrations. When a new word part is introduced, pulling out the illustrated card immediately supports instruction and keeps lessons moving smoothly.

I am not affiliated with the following link, but I highly recommend these Teachers Pay Teachers morphology passages. They effectively reinforce the meanings of prefixes, bases, and suffixes through meaningful practice. These resources are appropriate for students in grades 3–5 and provide excellent opportunities for application and review.

Also, Word Connections is a free 40-lesson resource by Jessica R. Toste, PhD. She says, “Word Connections was developed for students in third grade and above who continue to experience challenges with word reading even though they have developed foundational decoding skills. The lessons focus on promoting automaticity with reading ‘big words.'” The program includes reading passages. (When you click the link, scroll to the bottom of the page.)