Vocabulary Talk Moves: Using Language to Promote Word Learning

Vocabulary knowledge plays a critical role in supporting text comprehension and broader learning across the school day. While school offers opportunities to build vocabulary knowledge, studies have shown that very little time is devoted to vocabulary instruction at the elementary level. This may be, in part, because educators commonly report being unsure of how to support students' vocabulary development. In this article, I present 10 vocabulary talk moves aligned with research on word learning and show how these moves were used in early-elementary science lessons. Using these vocabulary talk moves can help educators promote word learning across the school day.