How can you tell they’ve got it: Domain Vocabulary Across Subject Areas?

If they’ve got it, you’ll see things like: Identify and define academic vocabulary (e.g., compare, contrast, summarise, evidence, interpret) used across multiple subject areas and use these words accurately in discussion and writing; Determine the meaning of domain-specific words encountered in science, social studies, or maths texts (e.g., ecosystem, democracy, numerator) using context, glossaries, and prior knowledge; Use newly acquired academic and domain-specific vocabulary in sentences that demonstrate understanding of precise meaning and appropriate context. Or just try it together: When your child is studying a topic in science or history, do they pick up and correctly use the specific vocabulary for that subject — like "erosion," "parliament," or "habitat"?

English Vocabulary Ages 9–11

Domain Vocabulary Across Subject Areas

Your child can learn exact words from different subjects. They know what words like compare, evidence and ecosystem mean.

In curriculum terms

Acquire and use accurately academic and domain-specific vocabulary relevant to grade-level topics, including words that signal precise meaning in informational texts across subject areas

Ages are typical, not deadlines — follow your child’s pace. How to help at home →

How to tell they’ve got it

Tick these off as you see them — no test required.

Identify and define academic vocabulary (e.g., compare, contrast, summarise, evidence, interpret) used across multiple subject areas and use these words accurately in discussion and writing
Determine the meaning of domain-specific words encountered in science, social studies, or maths texts (e.g., ecosystem, democracy, numerator) using context, glossaries, and prior knowledge
Use newly acquired academic and domain-specific vocabulary in sentences that demonstrate understanding of precise meaning and appropriate context

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Try this together

When your child is studying a topic in science or history, do they pick up and correctly use the specific vocabulary for that subject — like "erosion," "parliament," or "habitat"?

Where this sits on the map

Stuck here? Check the skills it builds on first. Confident? Here’s what it unlocks.

Builds on

Discussing and Questioning New Wordsages 5–11Academic and domain-specific vocabulary acquisition builds on the habit of discussing word meanings and linking new vocabulary to known words

Defining Wordsages 6–9Defining academic words requires the ability to define words by category and attribute

Domain Vocabulary Across Subject Areasthis skill · ages 9–11

Unlocks

Vocabulary: historical thinkingages 6–10Acquiring the specialist vocabulary of historical thinking (source, bias, chronology, corroborate) builds on the academic vocabulary development taught in English

Inferring Characters' Feelings and Motivesages 7–10Drawing inferences from complex texts requires academic vocabulary for reasoning about evidence and argument

Literary Evidence in Writingages 9–11Drawing evidence from literary and informational texts requires academic vocabulary for reasoning about evidence

solid = must come firstdashed = helps

Curriculum alignment

Where this fits in the official school curriculum — our best automated guess, not yet checked by a person.

Show candidate curriculum codes · 3 ACARA · 2 NSW · 3 VIC

Australian Curriculum v9 candidate

AC9E5LA08high confidenceYear 5 · Language

understand how vocabulary is used to express greater precision of meaning, including through the use of specialist and technical terms, and explore the history of words

AC9E3LA10medium confidenceYear 3 · Language

extend topic-specific and technical vocabulary and know that words can have different meanings in different contexts

AC9E3LA03medium confidenceYear 3 · Language

describe how texts across the curriculum use different language features and structures relevant to their purpose

NSW syllabus codes & stages only

EN3-VOCAB-01high confidenceEnglish K-10 · Stage 3

EN2-VOCAB-01high confidenceEnglish K-10 · Stage 2

Victorian Curriculum 2.0 codes & levels only

VC2E5LA08high confidenceEnglish · Level 5 · Language strand

VC2E3LA11high confidenceEnglish · Level 3 · Language strand

VC2E4LA10medium confidenceEnglish · Level 4 · Language strand

These are candidate alignments generated by semantic matching — machine-suggested and unreviewed (v0.1), not official or verified mappings. For official curriculum content see australiancurriculum.edu.au, curriculum.nsw.edu.au and f10.vcaa.vic.edu.au. Don’t rely on them for registration or compliance purposes.

Nearby on the map

Antonyms & Synonymsages 9–11 Greek and Latin Roots for Word Meaningages 9–11 Idioms & Proverbsages 9–11 Similes & Metaphorsages 9–11

All Vocabulary skills →