Why is your child’s vocabulary development important?
Parents have an important role in helping develop their child’s oral language. Vocabulary knowledge and reading achievement are both closely related to each other: Students that have larger vocabularies are more capable readers, and they know more strategies for figuring out meanings of unfamiliar words than less capable readers do (Tompkins, 2017). The development of a child’s oral language is essential because it provides the foundation for literacy learning (Tompkins, 2017). The more words that your children know, the better comprehension they will have when reading.
The following are things that you can do at home to help your child’s vocabulary development:
- Read to your child every day and discuss what you have read together.
- Discuss the meaning of a new words and give them a simple definition they can understand. Make sure to use examples of the new word that can relate to the child’s everyday life. Help your child create a sentence, using the new word.
- Having daily conversations with your child, will help build vocabulary.
- When you go out with your child, look for signs together, read them and discuss meaning.
- When in the car, learn songs together and sing them.
- Work on crossword puzzles together.
- Label objects that are in your home.
- Play word games together.
- Read challenging books aloud to your child. It’s important to expose your child to higher level words.
- Discuss events that interest your child.
- Engage in pretend play with your child. Have your child take on pretend roles, this type of talk leads to them expanding their vocabulary.
- Provide your child with different experiences. A trip to the aquarium or even the grocery store, can help expand their vocabulary. Discuss the things you see on these trips.
- Create stories together with your child. Your child uses their imagination and it’s a great opportunity to expand vocabulary.
- Create a word wall at home. Write new words on a card or colorful sticky note and display them on a wall.
These are all activities that can help expand your child’s vocabulary development.
References
Tompkins, G. (2017). Literacy for the 21st century: a balanced approach. Pearson.