How to Help Your Child Develop a Good Vocabulary
If you want your child to grow up with an expansive vocabulary to rely on, then you need to help your child develop the proper habits instead of simply making him or her memorize one new word after another.
Don't focus on pronunciation alone.
When children are just starting to learn how to read, they tend to place greater importance on spelling and pronouncing a word correctly, because that's the easiest task for a teacher to identify and correct. Unfortunately, the meaning of words is often neglected. There are many spelling tests given in a classroom, and exercises in reading aloud, but children are rarely asked to explain the meaning of the words they use.
To ensure that your children grow up with a fully functional vocabulary, help them develop the right habits for reading and vocabulary building. Whenever your children read or recite a particular message, check from time to time if they're indeed familiar with the meaning of a specific word or phrase.
Let your children know that you don't mind such interruptions as well as spending as much time as needed helping them understand new and unfamiliar terms.
Buy as many books as you buy toys for your children.
It's important to make the right impression about books early on. There's always a book for every child – it just takes more time than usual to find one for some kids. Ask for your children's opinion when shopping for books so that you can be sure you're buying something they are most likely to read.
Do not limit choices to the selection designed for a particular age group.
If you feel that your child is uninterested with the choices available for that age group, then try the next age group. If necessary, you can read the book together to ensure that your child understands the parts that require a greater level of knowledge and understanding.
Don't talk down to your children.
It's okay to use not-so-simple words now and then. In fact, your children will improve their comprehension skills better that way as they strive to figure out what you mean by using the context of the sentence to solve their question about the word.
Use vocabulary building software programs.
Although modern technology can be blamed for a lot of things, one thing it can certainly be credited for is its prized ability to make the learning process both fun and interactive.
The nice thing about these applications is that you can install them not just in your PC but also in tablets or smartphones. This way, your children can benefit from learning on the go.
Play word games.
Games like Text Twist may have been designed for fun but no one can deny how helpful they can be as well, especially when it comes to building a child's vocabulary.
Improve your child's vocabulary by traveling or trying new activities.
New words are sure to come up in a discussion between you and your child when you visit a new planetarium, aquarium, zoo, museum, science center, or park. Encourage your child to ask questions as well since those, too, may lead to more words being added to your child's vocabulary.
Just a little word of advice, though: children can sometimes be deliberately stubborn and refuse to participate in activities that you describe as being "good" for them. Instead of highlighting the educational benefits of the activities above, just concentrate on having fun with your child. Everything else will fall into place.
NEXT LESSON: How to Choose the Best Vocabulary Building Software