Vocabulary and Word Study to Increase Comprehension in Content Areas for Struggling Readers

This action research was conducted to examine how instructional strategies and providing students with vocabulary strategies support word knowledge and increased comprehension in content areas for struggling readers. From the literature review, a combination of direct instruction and vocabulary strategies were suggested to increase word knowledge and comprehension. Research was conducted in a special education classroom with four students. Through surveys, interviews, and observation, it was evident that vocabulary strategies positively impacted students’ ability to comprehend social studies content. These findings call for teachers to evaluate their instructional practices to provide direct instruction combined with vocabulary strategies. Many opportunities should be provided for students to interact with words on a regular basis across a variety of contexts