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 We wouldn't get very far in the world without language. Think about how frustrating it would be if you couldn't ever tell anyone else what you knew or how you felt. Children have so much to learn about the world around them and so many new ideas and feelings bubbling inside them. That's why it's important for them to develop strong skills with the building blocks of language— words.
The best way to help your kids' vocabulary grow is to give them experience with new words as often as possible. This doesn't mean reading them the dictionary, of course. It's easiest for kids to remember what a new word means if there's a situation or memory associated with it.
Think of the word 'honey.' It might be tricky for very young children to remember what the word honey means if all they knew about it was a definition in the dictionary. But honey won't be an unfamiliar concept after tasting it or watching it being poured from a jar. Everyday life is a great opportunity to give your child new words.
Here are some pointers on how to introduce your kids to words:
- Building your kids' vocabulary in an artificial way isn't usually very helpful. Planning to use the words glide, brittle, and crimson at dinner tonight is probably a bad idea, unless it happens that a plate of strawberries tumbles off the table and breaks, all while your kids are tossing paper airplanes through the air. Remember, the goal is to give your children memories to connect to their vocabulary.
- When you see the sun in the morning, for example, you can call it radiant, or you could warn your kids about the perils of crossing the street without looking both ways.
- The words you teach don't have to be dictionary words. It's just as worthwhile to explain words like perennial or fertilize to your kids as you plant flowers with them.
- Don't forget that books can be a great source of words, too. Honey won't be unfamiliar to your kids after spending some time in the Hundred Acre Wood with Winnie the Pooh. Just make sure that your child knows to stop you when he doesn't recognize a word.
There are lots of interesting little words out there. Introducing your child to them can be fun and rewarding at the same time — it's all in how you do it.
For more tips on improving your child's vocabulary, try one of these links:
- A great resource that lets kids look up words, learn a new word every day, and even build their own dictionary, is Merriam Webster's WordCentral.
- Find out how to use family word games to create fun activities to improve reading, spelling, and vocabulary skills
- Check out Reading is Fundamental parents section to find activities and tips to motivate your kids to read.
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