If you’ve ever felt like vocabulary instruction turns into endless worksheets and word lists… you’re not alone. The good news? You can boost reading comprehension starting with vocabulary—without spending hours on tedious drills.

In this episode, we dig into the research behind why vocabulary size in kindergarten is such a strong predictor of success in middle school. It’s eye-opening. We talk about what that actually means for us in the classroom and how to teach words more effectively using both explicit and implicit methods. Whether you’re an elementary teacher building a strong literacy foundation or a middle school teacher tightening up your vocabulary strategy, you’ll walk away with practical techniques you can use right away.

We also break down the power of tiered vocabulary and how choosing the right words makes all the difference. When you intentionally focus on high-impact words from your curriculum—like habitat, recreate, or frigid—you’re not just adding to a word wall. You’re building real understanding. We share simple routines for selecting, teaching, and reinforcing vocabulary in ways that actually stick. Think acting out verbs, keeping vocabulary diaries, and using visual supports for English learners so every student can access the meaning.

And if you love word work as much as we do, you’ll appreciate our deep dive into morphology. Teaching prefixes, suffixes, and Greek and Latin roots gives students tools to unlock hundreds of new words on their own. It’s one of the fastest ways to expand vocabulary and improve reading scores—and it doesn’t have to be complicated.

You’ll hear about specific, classroom-tested activities like word mapping, interactive picture sorts, and our favorite word wizard system to make vocabulary feel engaging instead of overwhelming. We also talk about how intentional vocabulary instruction supports multilingual learners and strengthens overall literacy development.

If you’re committed to weaving vocabulary instruction into your daily routine in a way that’s meaningful and manageable, this episode is for you. Strong reading comprehension starts with strong vocabulary—and the right words really can change everything.

YOU CAN FOLLOW ALONG THE BOOK STUDY (AFFILIATE LINK):

⁠Next STEPS in Literacy Instruction: Connecting Assessments to Effective Interventions Second Edition, New edition⁠

Where can you find us?

• Hilary Statum: ⁠https://pencilstopigtails.com/⁠
• Deedee Wills: ⁠https://mrswillskindergarten.com/