Vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension develop in a reciprocal relationship. As students build knowledge of words and concepts, they are better able to understand increasingly complex texts, while reading provides opportunities to deepen vocabulary and knowledge.

In this fourth course of the SOR: Research to Practice series, participants will examine the relationships among vocabulary, oral language, knowledge, and reading comprehension. Grounded in the Science of Reading and research-aligned practices, this asynchronous course equips educators with practical approaches for strengthening language comprehension across grade levels and content areas.

Participants will explore intentional vocabulary instruction, morphology and context as word-learning tools, questioning routines that support meaning-making, and the use of connected texts and word networks to build knowledge. Through guided learning, case studies, application tasks, and reflection, educators will consider how responsive vocabulary instruction can build on what students already know while expanding access to academic language, content knowledge, and complex text.