ABSTRACT
One of the barriers for vocabulary teaching across the curriculum is that there are too few known classroom-friendly assessments that can measure and support vocabulary growth. Spelling test and word list assessments lack the nuance to unpick 'word depth' in a meaningful way. Classroom based strategies are as useful for developing vocabulary knowledge as they are for diagnosing gaps in word knowledge. They can lack information about underlying knowledge about how well children can use those words and so on. Every teacher can have a significant influence on the success of children in their classroom, but the best schools have a strong leadership at all levels of the school. To create a reading culture and support teachers in tackling the challenges of a new curriculum, senior leadership support is an essential prerequisite. A classroom charged with 'word consciousness' is within the reach of every teacher.
