The development of students’ conceptual understanding of the world is vital to their academic success at all grade levels (preschool through high school) and across content areas. This professional resource and course text presents expert perspectives on building conceptual knowledge and vocabulary through reading, writing, and classroom discussion. Topics include the importance of word study and informational texts in early literacy, discussion practices that boost comprehension, the use of multimodal and appropriately complex texts, engaging digital literacies, and discipline-specific writing. Ways to strengthen English learners’ conceptual skills are highlighted. Each chapter describes current research, explains how to plan and scaffold instruction, distills Implications for Professional Learning, and offers Questions for Discussion.   
 

Foreword, Elfrieda H. Hiebert
1. Introduction, Melanie R. Kuhn
2. Developing Vocabulary Skills While Developing Conceptual Knowledge: Strategies from the PAVEd for Success Kindergarten and Prekindergarten Program, Claire E. Hamilton & Paula J. Schwanenflugel
3. “I Don’t Just Want to Read, I Want to Learn Something”: Best Practices for Using Informational Texts to Build Young Children’s Conceptual Knowledge, Mariam Jean Dreher & Sharon B. Kletzien
4. What Does Discussion Add to Reading for Conceptual Learning?, Pei-Yu Marian Pan, Brian W. Miller, & Richard C. Anderson
5. Using Multimodal Text Sets to Support Conceptual Understandings, Jeanne Swafford
6. Developing Conceptual Knowledge in the Content Areas: Overlooked Features of Texts That Influence Complexity, Heidi Anne E. Mesmer
7. Teaching and Learning in a Digital World: Digital Literacies for Disciplinary Learning, Jill Castek & Michael Manderino
8. Teaching to Write and Writing to Learn: Conceptual Development through Discipline-Specific Writing, Estanislado S. Barrera IV & Kim Skinner
9. Addressing Complexities of Science Texts to Facilitate English Language Learners’ Conceptual Development, Marco A. Bravo, Saúl I. Maldonado, & Jorge L. Solís
10. Amplifying Diverse Voices with Read-Alouds in Elementary, Middle, and High School Classrooms: Connecting Concepts to Practice, Catherine Lammert, Stacia L. Long, & Jo Worthy
11. What’s Involved in Preparing Students for Workplace Writing Success?: Linking Conceptual and Practical Knowledge, Maria Grant, Diane Lapp, & Thomas DeVere Wolsey
Index