This podcasts provides an overview of two research papers examining the development of readers in grade one and two, and how relatively small differences in vocabulary demand can substantially affect a student’s success. Teachers need to be aware that a text written at a particular ‘reading level’ does not by itself indicate how easily an individual student will be able to read that text. It is important to also take into consideration the student’s familiarity with the words, the frequency with which they occur, and spelling patterns associated with the words. The podcast concludes by discussing the application of these findings to the classroom.
References
Bruner, L., Hiebert, E. H., & Tortorelli, L. S. (2026). The role of text vocabulary in word recognition, reading rate, and comprehension of first-grade students. Reading and Writing, 1-24. Toyama, Y.,
Hiebert, E. H., Irey, R., & Qing, C. (2026). Word‐Features Influencing Second Graders’ Word Recognition in Connected Texts: Secondary Analysis of Oral Reading Fluency Data Using Explanatory Item‐Response Models. Journal of Educational Measurement, 63(2), e70040.