Elementary Education: Meaningful Vocabulary Instruction

Here's some key  points on Meaningful Vocabulary Instruction for elementary students.

1. Vocabulary is destiny. Kids with stronger vocabularies learn faster. Kids with weak vocabularies have trouble mastering new lessons. Vocabulary is destiny.  
2. Build your vocabulary, change your destiny.   
3. Direct instruction in vocabulary, done right, works!
4. Done right?
1. Pick meaningful significant words. The most important words are those that are tags for important academic concepts. First learn the concepts, then be sure to master and retain the name for them.
2. Retention requires multimodal learning. Not just the meaning, properly explored and nuanced (and certainly not the definition) but also the phonics and make-up of the word. This builds retention.
3. Multiple encounters with the word. Ten is good, fifteen is better. Read it, hear it, say it, write it, play it.  And again. Three times through the set.
4. NOT all at once. While a one-week cycle is adequate for introducing a word, a three week cycle is required for long term retention.

Sources (full bibliography to follow) :

Points 1 & 2.  Johnson O'Conner conducted research that  A person’s vocabulary level was the best single measure for predicting occupational success in every area. Furthermore, vocabulary is not innate, and can be acquired by everybody. 

Point 3  Lots of research to back this up.  This report from National Reading Technical Assistance Center summaries it.