Friday, May 15, 2026

11:00 AM - 11:30 AM

P1

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Overview

Vocabulary is more than just word knowledge—it’s the foundation for deeper thinking, richer comprehension, and academic success across all learning areas. In this session, Trish explores how explicit vocabulary instruction, embedded in student-centred and inquiry-based learning, can significantly enhance reading comprehension and support disciplinary literacy in subjects such as science, health, and the humanities. Grounded in the work of Vygotsky, this session highlights the social nature of learning, and the importance of scaffolding is for student learning. Drawing on Halliday’s theory of language as a social semiotic, Trisha demonstrates how genre-based pedagogy and purposeful vocabulary instruction help students access, interpret, and produce increasingly complex texts. As a teacher librarian, Trisha showcases how libraries play a pivotal role in this process—curating rich, diverse resources; fostering collaborative planning; and creating literacy-rich environments that support vocabulary development across the curriculum. Through classroom evidence and resource-based strategies, attendees will gain practical tools and adaptable approaches to position vocabulary as a cornerstone of both literacy and learning.

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Speaker