This might sound surprisingly high but think about the last novel you read – how many unfamiliar words did you encounter? One or two at most? Certainly few enough that your understanding and enjoyment were not impeded. In order comprehend a text we need to know an estimated 95% of its vocabulary. A poor vocabulary is a huge barrier to academic success. Why? Because it contained the word futility, and they had no idea of its meaning. When they came streaming out I excitedly asked them if they’d done it but none of them had. A few years ago I remember picking up the foundation tier GCSE English Literature paper and seeing a real gift of a question on the theme of dreams in Of Mice and Men. Like most teachers, as soon as pupils are sequestered in the exam hall I always used to race around trying to get my hands on the exam paper and anticipate how my eager charges will have coped.
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