This year we are working on expanding our RtI efforts to upper elementary.  Reading First so nicely laid out the expectations for quality core instruction for K-3, but we are finding that we are having to dig a little deeper into the research to find what effective literacy instruction looks like at the upper elementary level.  Explict vocabulary instruction and reading comprehension strategies are recurring themes in our reading.  Although very important in K-3 instruction, vocabulary and reading comprehension take center stage in upper elementary.  So with this in mind, I pulled out my favorite vocabulary resource book, Bringing Words to Life, along with other resources on vocabulary, to help guide us. What is vocabulary? The following is the National Reading Panel’s