Vol. 5 Issue 32 – Research Paper: ‘Vocabulary Development during Read-Alouds: Examining the Instructional Sequence’ by Karen J. Kindle

Reading aloud to children is a recommended practice in early childhood and primary-grade classrooms that is purported to enhance vocabulary growth. General guidelines can be found in the literature, but practitioners often rely on conventional wisdom and their own instincts to embed vocabulary instruction into their read-alouds. This paper examines the instructional sequences used by four primary-grade teachers who had not participated in any specific professional development related to effective practices as they incorporated vocabulary development into their read-alouds. Although many similarities among the teachers were noted in the types of strategies used, such as questioning, labeling, and using context, significant variation was found in the number and sequence of strategies utilized within a single instructional exchange. Differences were noted with regard to the age group of the students and the pedagogical beliefs of the teachers. Furthermore, results suggest that many of the typical instructional sequences used during read-alouds may actually detract from vocabulary learning. Implications for professional development and teacher education are discussed. (Contains 1 table.)