VOCABULARY: AN OVERVIEW OF WORD LEARNNG

Children learn between 3,000 and 4,000 words a year. By the end of elementary school they know approximately 25,000 and by the end of high school approximately 50,000 to 80,000 words. The question is: How do they learn all these words? Do they learn them from vocabulary worksheets? Do they learn them by looking them up and writing down the definition? Do they learn them as a result of direct instruction? how do children learn new words? Why is word learning important? What can teachers do to enhance word learning?