All of the following are components of vocabulary development strategies except which?

• A. Activate prior knowledge
• B. Use in context
• C. Teach affixes and roots
• D. Ignore word walls

Answer: (D)

Vocabulary development relies on strategies that help students connect new words to what they already know, see and use words in meaningful contexts, and analyze word parts to unlock meaning. Activating prior knowledge links new terms to familiar ideas or experiences, making meanings easier to retrieve and integrate. Using words in context shows how a term works in real sentences, clarifying nuance, connotation, and correct usage beyond the dictionary. Teaching affixes and roots builds morphological awareness, helping students infer meanings of unfamiliar words by examining prefixes, suffixes, and base forms, and supporting decoding as they read. Word walls provide a visible, ongoing reference that reinforces exposure to important vocabulary and encourages discussion and retrieval. Ignoring word walls would miss a practical, effective component of vocabulary instruction, while the other approaches are standard parts of building durable word knowledge.