ABSTRACT
Early, effective instruction to introduce both science vocabulary and general academic language may help children build a strong conceptual and linguistic foundation for later instruction. In this study, a design research intervention was employed to expose children to a variety of interrelated science content words to increase both the breadth and the depth of their vocabularies. This 8-week intervention targeted specific science content vocabulary development through adapting teachers' practices to include use of three instructional techniques: Teachers interactively read aloud information books, engaged students in conversation, and provided hands-on science activity centers. Results demonstrated that children deepened their understanding of the targeted vocabulary words.