SCHOOL CHILDREN appear to increase their vocabularies by thousands of words per year. Many have hypothesized that a large proportion of this growth occurs through incidental learning from written context. However, experimental research has until now failed to provide unequivocal support of this hypothesis. The present study attempted to determine whether students do acquire measurable knowledge about unfamiliar words while reading natural text. Fifty-seven eighth-grade students of average and above average reading ability read either an expository or a narrative text about 1,000 words in length. After reading, subjects completed two vocabulary assessment tasks on 15 target words from each passage (thus serving as controls for the passage not read), an individual interview and a multiple-choice test, both designed to tap partial knowledge of word meanings. Results of within-subject, hierarchical regression analyses showed small but statistically reliable gains in word knowledge from context. Tentative extrapolations from the results and current estimates of the volume of children's reading lead us to believe that incidental learning from context accounts for a substantial proportion of the vocabulary growth that occurs during the school years.

William E. Nagy

Patricia A. Herman

Richard C. Anderson

Reading Research Quarterly

For more than 40 years, Reading Research Quarterly has been essential reading for those committed to scholarship on literacy among learners of all ages. The leading research journal in the field, each issue of RRQ includes    •Reports of important studies  •Multidisciplinary research  •Various modes of investigation  •Diverse viewpoints on literacy practices, teaching, and learning

For over 40 years, Reading Research Quarterly has been essential reading for those dedicated to scholarship on literacy among learners of all ages. As the leading research journal in the field, each issue of Reading Research Quarterly includes: • Reports of significant studies • Multidisciplinary research • Various modes of investigation • Diverse perspectives on literacy practices, teaching, and learning.

《Reading Research Quarterly》是一本致力于研究各年龄段学习者的读写能力的期刊，已有40多年的历史。作为该领域的领先研究期刊，《Reading Research Quarterly》的每一期都包含：• 重要研究报告 • 多学科研究 • 各种研究方式 • 关于读写实践、教学和学习的多元观点。

Category	Quartile
教育学	1
教育学, 教育学和教育研究	2
教育学, 心理学教育	2

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Journal Info

Category	Quartile
PSYCHOLOGY, EDUCATIONAL	1