Understanding a school text involves more than reading the words on a page. Students also need to understand the vocabulary used to explain concepts, describe processes, present arguments and give instructions. Strong vocabulary knowledge can therefore support more confident reading across the curriculum.

Consider a science text containing terms such as organism, adaptation or classification. A student who understands these words has a clearer starting point for interpreting the information around them. Similarly, history texts may use terms connected with government, conflict, trade or historical change that students need to recognise in context.

When an unfamiliar word appears, students can first examine the sentence and nearby information for clues. They can then check a reliable dictionary or classroom resource and record the meaning in their own words. Creating an example sentence can provide another opportunity to understand how the term is used.

Vocabulary knowledge can also help students follow questions and assessment instructions. Words such as compare, explain, evaluate and describe can require different responses, so understanding academic language is important.

Parents can encourage children to discuss unfamiliar terms rather than skipping over them. Teachers and suitable learning resources can provide additional context.

Building vocabulary is therefore closely connected with becoming a more capable and independent reader across different school subjects.