A major component of literacy is "vocabulary," or the words employed by a language or in a field of knowledge. Understanding novel words and concepts is important for young students as they are confronted with a great deal of new terminology in the passages they read, especially in content areas such as science. Science is a discipline that relies heavily on students' ability to understand new terms and concepts. A strong focus on vocabulary helps students understand and communicate using appropriate terminology, and the incorporation of imagery makes learning fun. Research has shown that words and text which enable the formation of images facilitate recall. This article discusses the relationship between science and literacy, vocabulary instruction within the science classroom, and the use of imagery to enhance this instruction.