Children with rich vocabularies have an enormous educational advantage. Many studies show that vocabulary is the best predictor of reading comprehension at the end of grades 2 and 3, and that vocabulary growth is directly linked to overall school achievement. Not all children have the same opportunities to learn new words. As a result, children’s vocabularies can differ enormously in size by the end of their preschool years. Building children’s vocabulary in early childhood settings must therefore be a priority if children are to have the foundation they need to succeed at school.
Here are some tips to keep in mind when modeling new vocabulary for your child:
Talk about things that interest your child. If your child is interested in trains add more complicated words such as tracks, locomotives, passengers, boxcars, transportation when talking to him about trains.
Children need to hear the word many times before they begin to say it – This means that you might use a word with your child many times before your child actually says the word himself. They need to understand the word before they begin to say it. So, they will understand far more words than they can actually say. If you repeat words for your child on different occasions, it will give him more opportunities to hear and learn new words.
This being said , don't bombard your child with too many words. It is important to wait after you say something so you give your child a chance to respond in his own way.
Remember actions speak louder than words. So if something is scary to your child you might add the words frightening, terrifying and model it with a shaky voice or a very scared look on your face. This will help your child understand what you mean.
Know this … it’s not just how much you say, but also what you say and how you say it that makes a difference for your child’s vocabulary growth.
