Academic Vocabulary for School Success

These words help children understand instructions and succeed in classroom:

1. Investigate – To look for information to learn about something.
   • Definition: To examine something carefully to discover the truth.
   • Usage: “The students will investigate what plants need to grow.”
2. Summarize – To tell the main points of something briefly.
   • Definition: To give a brief statement of the main points.
   • Usage: “Please summarize the story we just read.”
3. Compare – To find how things are alike.
   • Definition: To examine the similarities between two or more things.
   • Usage: “Let’s compare the sizes of these different dinosaurs.”
4. Contrast – To find how things are different.
   • Definition: To examine the differences between two or more things.
   • Usage: “We will contrast life today with life 100 years ago.”
5. Predict – To say what you think will happen.
   • Definition: To state what you think will happen in the future.
   • Usage: “Based on the clouds, predict if it will rain today.”
6. Chronological – Arranged in the order things happened.
   • Definition: Arranged in order of time.
   • Usage: “Write the events of the story in chronological order.”
7. Analyze – To study something carefully to understand it better.
   • Definition: To examine in detail to discover meaning or essential features.
   • Usage: “Let’s analyze why the character made that decision.”
8. Conclusion – The end result or what you learned from something.
   • Definition: A judgment or decision reached after consideration.
   • Usage: “What conclusion did you reach after your experiment?”
9. Solution – The answer to a problem.
   • Definition: A means of solving a problem or dealing with a difficult situation.
   • Usage: “What solution did you find for sharing the toys fairly?”