The authors assert that vocabulary development is one of the most important things teachers can promote for students--cognitively, culturally, socially, and in preparation for standardized tests. A broad-based review of the literature reveals solid reasons for using systematic vocabulary instruction, which is especially helpful with youngsters from second-language or disenfranchised backgrounds. Yet, in U.S. schools, systematic instruction in vocabulary has been cyclical rather than sustained. The authors note that learners from Latin-language backgrounds likely have an unappreciated advantage in learning difficult words. The specialized, Latin-derivative terms that occur infrequently in common usage tend to occur frequently on standardized tests. Several research-supported ways to improve vocabulary acquisition are highlighted, including one that uses a variation on signing. The authors offer a "community of language" approach and show how wide reading can be amplified by intentional, frequent, day-to-day use of specific terms by school faculty and staff.