When you're trying to increase a youngster's vocabulary, it's always best to inject a little fun into the process -- just like when you're encouraging any kind of learning. Here are a few suggestions that could help you and may even spark some ideas of your own, just right for your child.
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Have a fun and silly signal your child can use every time she hears you or a family member use an unfamiliar word. Widened eyes and a finger alongside the nose, perhaps. When she uses the signal, the person who used the word has to define it easily. Use new words now and then, so she'll have an opportunity to use her signal. You'll be amazed at how this increases a child's attention. She’ll be alert to new words because you’ve made it fun.
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Write new words in unorthodox ways. Write them in sand or whipped cream. Write them with alphabet soup. Write them with spaghetti. Write them with clay or Play Doh.
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Use letter flashcards to spell new words. It still amazes me that low-tech is still fun for kids and it works!
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Make a "word wall" in his bedroom. For each new word he masters, write it on a 5x7 card and make a chain that extends around the room. Give a prize for when it reaches agreed-upon “finish lines” around the room.
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When she learns a new word and then sees it in a newspaper or magazine, cut it out and paste it on construction paper. This shows her that the words she hears in the family are “real” words that others use, too. When she sees the word in a book that can’t be cut up or somewhere else, like on a billboard or on TV, praise her for noticing and review the word’s meaning.
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Make "word art." Use crayons, water colors, stamp-pad ink. Make a collage of words and cut-out pictures. Paste buttons, pasta, sparklies, or flower petals on construction paper in the shape of new words.
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Have a "word of the week" journal. Each member of the family gets to contribute a word for the whole family to learn and use. The contributing family member writes the word on the top of the page and tells why it's important for everyone to know this word. First person to use the word in normal family conversation gets a small prize, like the privilege of wearing a winner's "crown," which could be a fun party hat. Fill up the journal and save it as a family keepsake.
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Keep it active. Teach the spelling of the new words by rhythm. Jump rope or hop really high as she spells the word, for example. This technique is really good for those kids who have lots of energy to expend and have a hard time sitting still.
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Sing songs. Make up funny songs about the new words he’s just learned. We all remember better when we put our new knowledge to music. (You still sing the alphabet song when you have to look something up. Admit it.)
Use your creativity and imagination to encourage a child's building up her vocabulary. Be patient. Be a good role model by using new and expressive words, by reading to the child, by letting him see you reading for your own pleasure, by pointing out new words you've learned at work or in your readings. Soon, learning new words will be a normal occurrence. Maybe not always fun and games, but always practical and confidence-building.
Share your fun ways of increasing children’s vocabulary. Just click on “comment” below and let the rest of us in on your secrets!
3/31/2009 8:09:43 AM
I have no children, but it seems to me to achieve the best results, you need to turn the training into the game.
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7/31/2009 3:59:19 PM
It is a very informative article. I have a toddler and I am sure that some of these tips are really going to be helpful in vocabulary building at this early stage.
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9/9/2009 5:52:18 PM
I do agree that ways of teaching and making the child vocabulary sharp is very effective. It does catches the child attention and eagerly want to learn.
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9/12/2009 2:45:49 PM
Thanks for the post man. Actually, I am currently working in a children home. There are lots of children and we are using various ways to teach them. However, some of your approaches seem to be new to us. I am going to recommend your ways in our children home.
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9/15/2009 7:11:11 AM
A very valuable tips!! Thanks for sharing.. I always wonder how is the best way to increase a child's vocabulary. And I think it's genius to involve games in the process
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9/16/2009 5:06:14 PM
Cool! I will surely share this link, bookmark it and forward this to a friend. I am a teacher and I am very familiar with this things and it will help me a lot to expand my vocabulary.
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Great article. I really like number 4. I have a four year old and I will be sure to try some of these out.
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Many research had proven that baby talk is not necessary in teaching a child at early age we should talk to them in a normal manner
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10/1/2009 11:25:43 AM
I was a pre-school teacher for twenty years,and I know that children learn better form singing catchy songs, they learn to say their ABC's from singing the alphabet song
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it also helps when you teach the children on how to recognize sounds its their first learning stage, if they do its easier for them to read and improve their vocabulary.
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One more point which I observe with my kid. Encourage them to write the word many times. The learning is a lot faster.
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There are some herbal products that are believed to help such situation bit I think the most effective is way is to let your child watch educational show such as Barney, DOra the explorer and a lot more in this way your child can learn new things everyday
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11/18/2009 7:27:50 PM
Your tips for increasing the Child's Vocabulary are really great. The one I liked very much is the use of play cards for introducing a new word. Well child needs attention from our side. Thanks for sharing the ways to increase the child's vocabulary.
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I do wish there were more people like you around on the interwebs. Not many people are careful with their words, including myself sometimes. I have written things I would love to take back but now its not possible.
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A limited vocabulary is one of the most restricting problems young people can face when entering the competitive world. Fortunately, it can be corrected with some hard work.
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I have 2 kids, 1 in school and one about to enter preschool and these tips really work. My youngest one knows a lot of vocabulary for his age which kind of surprises me sometimes.
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