Incidental Word Learning While Reading: A Meta-Analysis

Swanborn, M.S.L.; de Glopper, K.

doi:10.3102/00346543069003261

Cited by 359Reading and Literacy DevelopmentSecond Language Acquisition and LearningLanguage Development and Disorders

Incidental Word Learning While Reading: A Meta-Analysis

Swanborn, M.S.L., de Glopper, K.·1999·Review of Educational Research

DOI 10.3102/00346543069003261

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Abstract

A meta.analysis of 20 experiments examining incidental word learning during normal reading shows that students learn around 15% of the unknown words they encounter. A test of homogeneity indicates that study outcomes diverge, although their heterogeneity is relatively small (19%). An exploratory multi-level analysis of the variability in the results suggests that several factors affect the probability of learning an unknown word while reading: pretest sensitization, students' grade level, students' level of reading ability, the sensitivity of assessment methods to partial word knowledge, and the amount of text surrounding the target words. A model that contains students' grade level and assessment methods' sensitivity to partial word knowledge predicts 66% of the systematic variance in the effect sizes. Implications for research and instruction are discussed.

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Encountering new words, if not in combination with vocabulary-related tasks, does not foster their retention, and direct instruction may be needed to add value to the learning process and lead to greater vocabulary gains.
“This may lead to the conclusion that encountering new words, if not in combination with vocabulary-related tasks, does not foster their retention [52] and that direct instruction may be needed to add value to the learning process and to lead to greater gains in vocabulary [61].”
From The Effect of Multiplayer Video Games on Incidental and Intentional L2 Vocabulary Learning: The Case of Among Us (2021) · cites this paper as [52]

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Authors: Swanborn, M. S. L., & de Glopper, K.
Affiliations: University of Amsterdam (NL)
SCO-Kohnstamm Institute, University of Amsterdam
Venue: Review of Educational Research
Publisher: American Educational Research Association (AERA)
Published: 1999-09
Volume: 69
Issue: 3
Pages: 261-285
ISSN: 0034-6543 (ISSN-L)
1935-1046
DOI: 10.3102/00346543069003261
OpenAlex: W2152514606
Cited by: 359
References: 61
Citations by year: 2026: 11 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 16 · 2020: 35 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 31 · 2016: 21 · 2015: 17 · 2014: 24 · 2013: 16 · 2012: 22
FWCI: 1.27
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Licence: journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license (tdm)
Locations: Review of Educational Research (publishedVersion)
Topics: Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Reading and Literacy Development
Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Second Language Acquisition and Learning
Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Language Development and Disorders
Keywords: incidental vocabulary learning, reading, vocabulary acquisition, out-of-vocabulary words, grade level, reading skills, assessment sensitivity, text context, reading instruction

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Incidental Word Learning While Reading: A Meta-Analysis

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