As we have learned in class, reading and vocabulary are closely related. The research from this article reinforces this concept. Students that are exposed to a large variety of text and are familiar with many words have an easier time decoding a word in a text and are able to break down larger words to find its meaning. I feel that it is important for students to know the meaning of root, prefixes, and suffixes. If a student can conquer this task, they will have an easier time comprehending complex text.
To help build students knowledge, the text suggest several strategies. Some believe that exposure to a large and multiple text will help develop this skill in students, while others believe that students need direct instruction. However, it is suggested that the best way is to analyze the students and find out what words best for that student.
This article also gives four principles to help teach morphology and vocabulary. It suggest to begin with rich vocabulary words, to use commonly used words, and to teach word relationships. Next, one would teach students how to find the meaning of a word through looking at the suffixes, prefixes, and then to try to find meaning in the text. For Spanish speaking students, it is suggested that by using their native language they could find meaning in the English language.
