Videos: Webinars

Multiple Meaning Maps visually demonstrate how a single word can have several distinct meanings. A comprehensive, step-by-step guide on how to use this graphic organizer to help students explore the breadth and nuance of word usage by organizing word meanings in a structured, connected way.

Semantic gradients are an instructional strategy to help students explore the subtle differences in word meanings. A comprehensive, step-by-step guide on how to use semantic gradients to support student vocabulary development by promoting more precise and sophisticated word choices in speaking and writing, while also enhancing comprehension through a more refined understanding of related terms.

Vocabulary knowledge exists on a spectrum. We know the meanings of some words, along with their connotations, well. We use these words readily and easily in speech and writing. We recognize other words, but with only a vague understanding of their meanings (It has something to do with computers, I think), or not at all (I've heard that word before, but I don't know what it means). Because of this variability, when we consider vocabulary knowledge, we should account for both vocabulary breadth (how many words one is familiar with) and depth (how well some of those words are known).

Once isolated from reading, writing instruction is evolving toward integration. New research champions interleaving— revisiting genres across the year— to deepen retention and strengthen transfer. The result? Writing that’s connected and inspired by what students read.

Reading and writing are reciprocal processes that rely on shared language and cognitive skills. Nancy Hennessy explores how explicit writing instruction enhances comprehension, offering frameworks and classroom strategies that connect reading and composition for deeper understanding.

The "big five" key components of reading instruction are essential for native and non-native English speakers alike, but intentional adjustments to instruction are necessary to support English Learners in building strong literacy skills. Dr. Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan shares evidence-based strategies for foundational language and literacy instruction.

Grounding vocabulary instruction in routines ensures direct and consistent learning. Effective practices—such as fostering word consciousness, choosing high-impact words, using previews, and building rich vocabulary routines—strengthen language comprehension within AIM’s Integrated Literacy Model (ILM).

Effective vocabulary instruction goes beyond definitions. This article explores practical strategies for adolescent students (teaching morphemes, analyzing word forms, and discussing literary vocabulary) to build deep, lasting word knowledge.

Reading comprehension depends on complex cognitive and linguistic processes that go beyond decoding. Dr. Amy Elleman explores how vocabulary, inference-making, and knowledge-building work together to strengthen instruction and intervention.

When students don’t see themselves in the stories they read, engagement and comprehension suffer. Dr. Lakeisha Johnson discusses strategies for selecting and using diverse books to strengthen reading comprehension for all learners.