Researchers in Michigan have found that an emphasis on vocabulary for early learners could be essential in closing the gap for Common Core State Standards, reports Sarah D. Sparks from Education Week. The study’s authors, Susan B. Neuman and Tanya S. Wright, “analyzed how kindergarten educators choose and teach new words, both in the instruction that teachers give and in basal-reading books.” Their findings also highlight an important issue of vocabulary gaps between early learners of different demographic groups.

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