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.
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):
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bat (animal/baseball bat)
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bank (river bank/money bank)
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ring (sound/piece of jewelry)
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park (playground/to park a car)
Homophones (same sound, different spelling, different meanings):
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see / sea
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to / too / two
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there / their / they’re
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pair/pear
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flower/flour
Vocabulary by Grade Level
Kindergarten
and Words to Know by Grade Level—Kindergarten, p. 2.
1st Grade
and Words to Know by Grade Level—1st grade, p. 3.
2nd Grade
and Words to Know by Grade Level—2nd grade, p. 4,
3rd Grade
and Words to Know by Grade Level—3rd grade, pp. 5-6.
4th Grade
and Words to Know by Grade Level—4th Grade, pp. 7-9.
5th Grade
and Words to Know by Grade Level—5th grade, pp. 10-12.
This page was last updated on February 10, 2026.
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