Students who struggle with reading comprehension in middle school often lack the academic vocabulary the need to understand grade-level textbooks and other instructional materials. Research shows that to learn a new word well, students need to encounter and use it multiple times in different contexts. The authors describe Word Generation, a whole-school vocabulary program that introduces students to academic words that commonly occur across content areas. Students are introduced to 5-7 words each week in the context of a high-interest reading passage about a controversial topic. They encounter these words and use them in topic-related learning activities in various academic classes throughout the week. Preliminary research in Boston Public Schools shows that Word Generation builds academic vocabulary, which translates into improved literacy. (Contains 6 online resources.)