Vocabulary Self-Selection: A Study of Middle-School Students' Word Selections from Expository Texts

Authors: Harmon, Janis¹; Hedrick, Wanda²; Wood, Karen³; Gress, Michelle⁴

Source: Reading Psychology, Volume 26, Number 3, July-August 2005 , pp. 313-333(21)

Publisher: Routledge, part of the Taylor & Francis Group

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Abstract:

This study investigated students' decision-making as they self-selected important words from expository texts. Participants were 94 eighth graders and six adult readers. Data sources included students' written responses containing their word selections and reasons for selecting words from eight informational passages, student interviews, and word selections of adult readers. We examined the students' reasons for their word selections and compared their words with those selected by adult readers. Results indicated the following: 1) students of varying reading abilities can self-select important words in an expository passage; 2) students' reasons for selecting words differed from reasons found in related studies; and 3) variability exists across individual students and across adult readers in selecting important words in expository passages.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02702710590969689

Affiliations: 1: University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA 2: University of North Florida, Jacksonville, Florida, USA 3: University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA 4: Kirby Middle School, Judson Independent School District, San Antonio, Texas, USA

Publication date: 2005-07-01

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