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This article presents four practical principles that lead to enhanced word‐meaning instruction in the elementary grades. The authors, a collaborative team of researchers and classroom teachers, identified and developed these principles and related instructional activities during a three‐year vocabulary instruction research project. The principles include establishing efficient, rich routines for introducing target word meanings; providing review activities that promote deep processing of word meanings; responding directly to student confusion; and fostering universal participation in and accountability for vocabulary instruction. The authors draw on instructional materials, classroom images, and observational data from their research to describe and illustrate each of these strategies.