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The Effects of Vocabulary Instruction for Adolescent Learners

Date added: February 9, 2026

A systematic review of research on the effects of vocabulary instruction for adolescent readers.

Abstract

Vocabulary plays an important role in adolescents’ reading comprehension (National Reading Panel, 2000). This review includes 38 studies examining effective elements of vocabulary instruction for adolescent learners. Across these studies, vocabulary outcomes generally improved following vocabulary instruction. In this review, we discuss the common instructional and intervention characteristics along with their reported effects, including how these features and effects vary based on student characteristics.

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