How Should Context-Dependent Words Be Taught to Beginning Readers?

• In Event: AERA Poster Session 3
  In Poster Session: Innovations in Literacy Research, Theory, and Practice: Poster Session 1

Abstract

This study examined how different instructional methods affect children’s learning of context-dependent words. Participants were beginning readers (ages 4-6) with letter knowledge but very small sight word vocabularies. Three types of instructional conditions were used to teach twelve context-dependent words: a meaningful context condition, a modified isolation condition, and a combination condition. Two types of context-dependent words were taught: function words and past tense verbs. Preliminary trends suggest that instructional conditions did not affect word learning and that function words were easier to learn than past tense verbs. Implications for classroom practices will be discussed.

Author

• Abigail Marie Turner, The Graduate Center CUNY