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Although proficiency in vocabulary has long been recognized as basic to reading proficiency, there has been a paucity of research on vocabulary teaching and learning over the last two decades. Recognizing this, the U.S. Department of Education recently sponsored a Focus on Vocabulary conference that attracted the best-known and most active researchers in the vocabulary field. This book is the outgrowth of that conference. It presents scientific evidence from leading research programs that address persistent issues regarding the role of vocabulary in text comprehension. Part I examines how vocabulary is learned; Part II presents instructional interventions that enhance vocabulary; and Part III looks at which words to choose for vocabulary instruction. Other key features of this timely new book include: *Broad Coverage. The book addresses the full range of students populating current classrooms--young children, English Language Learners, and young adolescents. *Issues Focus. By focusing on persistent issues from the perspective of critical school populations, this volume provides a rich, scientific foundation for effective vocabulary instruction and policy. *Author Expertise. Few volumes can boast of a more luminous cast of contributing authors (see table of contents). This book is suitable for anyone (graduate students, in-service reading specialists and curriculum directors, college faculty, and researchers) who deals with vocabulary learning and instruction as a vital component of reading proficiency.