Developing Vocabulary and Oral Language in Young Children

Rebecca D. Silverman, EdD, is Associate Professor in the College of Education at the University of Maryland, where she teaches classes and conducts research on reading and writing in early childhood and elementary school classrooms. Her research focuses on vocabulary and comprehension of diverse children, particularly English language learners and children from low socioeconomic backgrounds. A former elementary school teacher, Dr. Silverman has led two federally funded grants focused on vocabulary and comprehension and has published studies in journals including the Journal of Educational Psychology, Contemporary Educational Psychology, Reading Research Quarterly, and the Elementary School Journal.

Anna M. Hartranft, MEd, is Faculty Research Associate in the Department of Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education at the University of Maryland, where she also serves as Project Director for the Reading Buddies Research Project. Her research focuses on the instruction and inclusion of students with disabilities and their peers in the areas of reading and writing. She has managed locally and federally funded projects, contributed to presentations at national conferences, and coauthored publications in journals such as Reading Research Quarterly and the Elementary School Journal.