What activity involves deliberate investigation of words, such as vocabulary-building exercises?

The activity that involves deliberate investigation of words, particularly focusing on vocabulary-building exercises, is word study. This approach engages students in exploring the structure, meanings, and functions of words, encouraging them to learn about word formation, relations between words (such as synonyms and antonyms), and the concepts of prefixes and suffixes. Word study activities can help students enrich their vocabulary and enhance their understanding of language, making it a key component of effective reading instruction.

In contrast, word decoding is primarily concerned with breaking down words into their component sounds and blending them to read. Word recognition focuses on the ability to identify words quickly and accurately, which is more about fluency than deep understanding. Word analysis includes techniques for examining the structure of words (like breaking them into roots and affixes) but is often more technical and less focused on the broader vocabulary-building that word study emphasizes. Thus, word study stands out as the most comprehensive option focused on vocabulary exploration and education.