The Core Vocabulary
Automaticity in reading the core vocabulary is the foundation of proficient reading. TextProject provides free resources to support students in automaticity in recognizing and understanding the 4000 simple word families that make up 90% of the words in most texts students will encounter.
Within any complex text, the majority of words come from a very small group of words in the written English language. On average, 90% of the words in a text are drawn from 4,000 simple word families. A solid foundation in this vocabulary is built on knowledge of underlying systems and features of words, not simply memorizing the meanings of individual words.
TextProject resources for teaching the Core Vocabulary
Word Zones for the 4000 most frequent word families (PDF)
This list is intended for use by teachers, not for students to memorize.
Research resources
A Focus on Vocabulary
This booklet examines what research tells us about how students acquire vocabulary and about what instruction must do to help students develop the kind of vocabulary knowledge that will contribute to their reading success.
Download A Focus on Vocabulary booklet (PDF)
The Core Vocabulary: The Foundation of Proficient Comprehension
In this article from The Reading Teacher, Dr. Elfrieda (Freddy) Hiebert shows how a solid foundation in the core vocabulary is built on knowledge of underlying systems and features of words, not simply memorizing the meanings of individual words. Deep knowledge of the words in the core vocabulary comes from guided conversations and mini-lessons in which shared and unique features are discussed as well from as extensive reading.
Download article PDF: The Core Vocabulary: The Foundation of Proficient Comprehension
In Pursuit of an Effective, Efficient Vocabulary Curriculum for the Elementary Grades
This book chapter from the Teaching and Learning of Vocabulary: Bringing Research to Practice outlines the principles underlying an “effective and efficient component” of a vocabulary curriculum for Grades 1 through 4: a vocabulary curriculum that ensures experience with words that are unkown to 1st-4th graders, but that account for a significant portion of texts in Grades 5 and beyond; and which emphasizes words that have the widest possible application within texts, such as words that are in semantic families with many members.
Download book excerpt PDF In Pursuit of an Effective, Efficient Vocabulary Curriculum for the Elementary Grades