THE EFFECT OF READING
VOLUME ON VOCABULARY
By: Ceilidh Ferguson
Uplands College
Life Orientation ORT
,Table of Contents
Table of Contents …1
Introduction …2
Review of Literature …4
- Learning Vocabulary Through Reading …4
- The Influence of Reading on Vocabulary Growth: A Case for a Matthew Effect …6
- Advancing Our Students' Language and Literacy: The Challenge of Complex Texts …8
- Easy Ways to Improve and Expand Your Vocabulary: Seven Tips for Learning New
Words …10
- Does Reading Help You Improve English? …12
- Literature Review Conclusion and Synthesis …14
Methodology …15
Presentation of Findings …17
Discussion …22
Conclusion …25
References …26
Appendices …27
- Appendix 1: Verbal Survey …27
- Appendix 2: Electronic Survey …28
- Appendix 3: Raw Data …30
- Appendix 4: Plagiarism report …32
- Appendix 5: Rough Draft Marked By Teacher …34
1
,Introduction
"Vocabulary knowledge is the single most important factor contributing to reading comprehension"
– Laflamme, 1997 9
Reading comprehension is an important skill when it comes to achieving success in academic
pursuits. If, as Laflamme says, vocabulary is essential in the improvement of reading comprehension,
it begs the question: What improves vocabulary knowledge? A possible answer is reading. Thus this
study concerns itself with the question: "Do students who regularly read books every month have a
more extensive vocabulary than those who do not?"
This study compares the reading volume of teenagers at Uplands College to vocabulary size. This
study defines reading volume as the average number of books read by participants over a month.
"Books" include any literary work, fiction or non-fiction, which is over 100 pages long. The physical
nature of the book, being paperback, hardcover or electronic is not taken into consideration in this
study. Vocabulary size is determined by using a program created by university students at the
University of Ghent in Belgium. The program provides the test subject with a series of 100 random
words, throughout which non-words are randomly scattered. The subject merely has to identify which
words are real and which are not. The percentage of non-words the subject believes to be real words,
subtracted from the percentage of real words that the subject correctly identifies, will be the measure
of vocabulary used to determine vocabulary size. A verbal survey will be used to determine the
number of books read by the students. The vocabulary size will be measured using the program, as
mentioned earlier.
Both primary and secondary research procedures will be used throughout the research process. A
physical assessment of reading and vocabulary abilities of the subject will be conducted. A review of
existing literature on the topic of reading and vocabulary will also be included in the publication of
this study.
A possible variable could be that students are untruthful when answering the survey questions; this
variable cannot be completely controlled; however, it can be mitigated by the act of promising
anonymity to participating subjects. As for the aspect of lying on the vocabulary test, the creators of
the test severely penalises the participants for answering 'yes' to words that are not real.
2
, Question: Do students who regularly read books every month have a more extensive vocabulary than
those who do not?
Aim: This study aims to show a definitive link between reading volume and vocabulary size amongst
students aged 16 and over at Uplands College.
Hypothesis: The author of this study hypothesises that those students who read a higher quantity of
books (>4 per month) will have a more extensive vocabulary than students who read a minimal
amount of books (<1 per month).
Outline: This study is done as part of a school research project and uses both primary and secondary
research methods. This study intends to show a link between the reading volume of teenage students
and their vocabulary size. This study examines children over the age of 16 who attend Uplands
College in White River, Mpumalanga, South Africa. Students used in the study are taught in English
and have access to both the internet and books. None of the subjects in the study has a diagnosed
learning disability as this parameter ensures that results obtained are fair, and a vocabulary deficit is
not the consequence of disability.
3
VOLUME ON VOCABULARY
By: Ceilidh Ferguson
Uplands College
Life Orientation ORT
,Table of Contents
Table of Contents …1
Introduction …2
Review of Literature …4
- Learning Vocabulary Through Reading …4
- The Influence of Reading on Vocabulary Growth: A Case for a Matthew Effect …6
- Advancing Our Students' Language and Literacy: The Challenge of Complex Texts …8
- Easy Ways to Improve and Expand Your Vocabulary: Seven Tips for Learning New
Words …10
- Does Reading Help You Improve English? …12
- Literature Review Conclusion and Synthesis …14
Methodology …15
Presentation of Findings …17
Discussion …22
Conclusion …25
References …26
Appendices …27
- Appendix 1: Verbal Survey …27
- Appendix 2: Electronic Survey …28
- Appendix 3: Raw Data …30
- Appendix 4: Plagiarism report …32
- Appendix 5: Rough Draft Marked By Teacher …34
1
,Introduction
"Vocabulary knowledge is the single most important factor contributing to reading comprehension"
– Laflamme, 1997 9
Reading comprehension is an important skill when it comes to achieving success in academic
pursuits. If, as Laflamme says, vocabulary is essential in the improvement of reading comprehension,
it begs the question: What improves vocabulary knowledge? A possible answer is reading. Thus this
study concerns itself with the question: "Do students who regularly read books every month have a
more extensive vocabulary than those who do not?"
This study compares the reading volume of teenagers at Uplands College to vocabulary size. This
study defines reading volume as the average number of books read by participants over a month.
"Books" include any literary work, fiction or non-fiction, which is over 100 pages long. The physical
nature of the book, being paperback, hardcover or electronic is not taken into consideration in this
study. Vocabulary size is determined by using a program created by university students at the
University of Ghent in Belgium. The program provides the test subject with a series of 100 random
words, throughout which non-words are randomly scattered. The subject merely has to identify which
words are real and which are not. The percentage of non-words the subject believes to be real words,
subtracted from the percentage of real words that the subject correctly identifies, will be the measure
of vocabulary used to determine vocabulary size. A verbal survey will be used to determine the
number of books read by the students. The vocabulary size will be measured using the program, as
mentioned earlier.
Both primary and secondary research procedures will be used throughout the research process. A
physical assessment of reading and vocabulary abilities of the subject will be conducted. A review of
existing literature on the topic of reading and vocabulary will also be included in the publication of
this study.
A possible variable could be that students are untruthful when answering the survey questions; this
variable cannot be completely controlled; however, it can be mitigated by the act of promising
anonymity to participating subjects. As for the aspect of lying on the vocabulary test, the creators of
the test severely penalises the participants for answering 'yes' to words that are not real.
2
, Question: Do students who regularly read books every month have a more extensive vocabulary than
those who do not?
Aim: This study aims to show a definitive link between reading volume and vocabulary size amongst
students aged 16 and over at Uplands College.
Hypothesis: The author of this study hypothesises that those students who read a higher quantity of
books (>4 per month) will have a more extensive vocabulary than students who read a minimal
amount of books (<1 per month).
Outline: This study is done as part of a school research project and uses both primary and secondary
research methods. This study intends to show a link between the reading volume of teenage students
and their vocabulary size. This study examines children over the age of 16 who attend Uplands
College in White River, Mpumalanga, South Africa. Students used in the study are taught in English
and have access to both the internet and books. None of the subjects in the study has a diagnosed
learning disability as this parameter ensures that results obtained are fair, and a vocabulary deficit is
not the consequence of disability.
3
