Summary:

- The article discusses the importance of explicit vocabulary instruction in the classroom. The author, a teacher, shares his personal journey of incorporating more intentional vocabulary teaching into his lessons.

- He highlights how building students' word knowledge can significantly improve their reading comprehension and overall academic performance. The author emphasizes the need to move beyond just exposing students to new words and instead actively engaging them in learning the meanings and applications of these terms.

- The article provides practical strategies the author has implemented, such as incorporating vocabulary-focused activities, encouraging students to use new words in their writing and discussions, and fostering a classroom environment that celebrates and reinforces vocabulary development.