The use of language is an important characteristic that separates us from other species. Those who have better language skills have a higher chance of being successful in whatever field they choose to enter.
One of the most crucial facets of improving your language skills is to improve your vocabulary. The more words you have in your repertoire, the more you can do with them.
The most valuable asset to have is a vocabulary that you can easily recall and use to suit whichever situation you are in for whatever purpose you want. You especially want your children to have a great vocabulary if you want them to be more successful in life.
The following are practical tips that will help your child greatly improve and expand their vocabulary:
Reading
One of the best and most effective ways to help your child improve their vocabulary is to get them to read more. Generally speaking, the more your child reads, the more words to which they are exposed.
A great benefit of reading is that you get to encounter words in various contexts hence have a better understanding of how to use them. It is different than if your child were to learn new words from a vocabulary list.
There are books for children at all reading levels which makes expanding their vocabulary relatively easy. You can start them off with the simplest books and increase their complexity as their vocabulary improves.
Use a Dictionary
A dictionary has been a tool used for centuries to improve the vocabulary of children. It is a direct source of words and their meaning which is accessible to anyone.
You should especially make it easy for your kids to use online dictionaries and other online resources. They are very easily accessible and useful resources if they are used appropriately.
A dictionary will not only help your child learn about the meaning of words but it will also help them learn their antonyms, root words, and related words. It is a very effective way for children to expand their vocabulary with ease.
Use New Words
If you want your children to improve their vocabulary, then you can play an active role in their education. You should use new words in conversation which your kid will have to ask about their meaning.
Using new words in conversation with children will introduce them to foreign words that they might not encounter elsewhere. Furthermore, they will hear the words in a sentence or paragraph hence they will learn how the words are used in context.
You might have to expand your own vocabulary just so you can continuously expose your children to new words. You should also have a lot of fun teaching new words to your kids as it is a way to educate them in a way that many parents usually ignore.
Playing Word Games
If you want your kids to learn anything new, the best way to do it is to make it a game. The love children have for games is obvious as it is a fun way to learn and experience anything.
The good news is that there are countless games to help you teach your children new words. A word finder game is an especially practical and useful game to play. Classic word games like Scrabble and Boggle are also plenty of fun.
Playing word games with your kids might be fun experiences that you will both remember for the rest of your lives. The fact that they will expand their vocabulary is an amazing side effect of an incredible bonding experience.
Visualization
Words are only as important as the meaning they hold. Therefore, if you want to help your child improve their vocabulary it is paramount that you make the words concrete.
Of course, there are words with purely abstract meanings for example thought. However, if a word has a tangible representation for example fireworks, then it is crucial to introduce your child to the real thing.
Your child is bound to remember a concrete representation of a word than if they were to merely learn the abstract version. They will have an easier time making the connection between the tangible item and the abstract representation.
Mnemonics
A mnemonic is an oral device that is used to remember certain things. Mnemonics can be a valuable tool for helping your child expand their vocabulary.
A mnemonic can be especially useful in remembering the definitions and uses of words. It makes it a lot easier to recall a word if you can break it down into simpler components.
Another benefit of using mnemonics is that they improve your child’s creativity. They have to come up with a mnemonic device suitable to them that they will easily connect to the word itself.
Word of the Day
One of the most important things to remember when it comes to expanding your child’s vocabulary is that slow progress is better than no progress. Many parents try to push their children too hard which eventually impedes their progress.
A practical way to learn more words is to learn one word a day. You can do so using numerous words of the day feeds available online. It can be a website, app, or message service.
Learning just one word a day may seem slow to you but in a month that would be thirty words and over three hundred in a year. The best part is that a child is bound to remember the word if it is the only one they focus on in a day.
Learn Everywhere
The simple truth is that there are new words everywhere. There is no single source for learning new words hence you should be aware of new words in everyday life and help your child learn them.
If you see a new word in the mall or on a traffic sign, you should ask your child if they know it and help them learn it. The whole world is a teacher so it is more practical than you can improve your kid’s vocabulary anywhere.
Improving your child’s vocabulary is easier said than done. However, with the tips above, your kids should improve their language skills in no time. Remember that new words are everywhere so don’t restrict your child’s learning to normal learning arenas.
