“At its most fundamental level, reading comprehension (the ability to understand what one has read) requires knowing the meaning of words. This association is reflected in the results that show that on average students who performed well on the vocabulary questions also performed well in reading comprehension.”
"Without a strong vocabulary, any child's ability to read and to learn suffers dramatically," said the chair of the National Assessment Governing Board, which sets policy for NAEP.
"Helping students improve their vocabulary and use words in the proper context is essential to improving overall reading ability—especially for students who most need to improve."