According to Snow et al, (1998) children learn on the average of 7 words per day which is a lot of words! To help students focus on vocabulary building as they hear them in their every day world, have a special area in your classroom where students can add their new and interesting words. Have a stack of 3×5 cards and a pen attached to the wall or bulletin board area. As students identify a new word, have them write it on the card and then add information concerning why they chose the word, where they found it and what they think it means. Each week, choose 5-6 of the words and help students design word webs or concept maps around the chosen words. Both students and teacher should also try to use the words as often as possible during the week when the words are featured in both speech and their writing. For more helpful ideas on improving vocabulary, see the ASCD books, Threads of Reading: Strategies for Literacy Development (2003) or Literacy Strategies for Grades 4-12: Reinforcing the Threads of Reading (2005).