8 Fun Ways to Build a Child's Vocabulary

Visit the Library

If you are looking for a great place to start building your preschooler's vocabulary and early reading skills, look no further than your local library. Research shows a strong correlation between library use and literacy-building skills in young children. If you aren't sure what to do when you get there, ask your librarian for help.

Children's libraries often have fun and engaging events and activities for young children, which will expose them to new words and give them an opportunity to socialize.

Substitute Synonyms

An easy way to introduce your child to new words is to use them yourself. After all, you are your child's first and best role model.

One way to do this is to become a walking thesaurus and substitute synonyms for various words. While synonyms are typically words that mean the same thing, often times a synonym is more descriptive than the original word.

When it comes to preschool vocabulary building, enormous is always better than big. Here are some other suggestions:

• Cold: Cool, chilly, bitter, freezing, raw
• Hot: Warm, humid, boiling, tropical
• Smart: Clever, bright, brilliant, wise

Thesaurus.com is a great resource for finding synonyms.

Teach and Reinforce the Alphabet

Singing the ABC song provides children who are learning the alphabet with some reinforcement and confidence. The bonus: it's a great way to keep your preschooler busy on long car rides, in waiting rooms, or while waiting in lines.

You can also play games using the alphabet, such as I'm Going On a Picnic or the Alphabet Game, where you name items that start with letters in alphabetical order. Your little one may also enjoy playing learning games online that focus on building alphabet skills.

Use Descriptive Words

当涉及到提高孩子的词汇的y, more is better. The more words that your child hears on a daily basis, the more she'll learn, absorb and eventually put to use themself.

For example, when describing a fabric pattern, try using words such as unusual, relaxing, or creative. These words may be beyond a toddler's understanding right now, but by using them in the proper context you'll make them more comprehensible.

Make Labels

If you want your preschooler to learn more words, then make it easy. In addition to saying them often, show them too. Build on their basic comprehension of well-known words by using a label maker to name commonly used items so they learn to recognize what the word looks like. For example, if her toys are separated into different bins of like items, label the bins, such as blocks, dolls, cars, books, etc.

Become a Super Sorter

Seeing is learning when it comes to introducing newwords. Teaching your preschooler how to sort and categorize will help their logical thinking and build their vocabulary.

A good way to help preschoolers learn new words is to take what they are hearing and help them to visualize it. Use flashcards or cut pictures out of magazines for this game.

Practice Rhymes

押韵不仅是有趣的,但它也是一个简单的佤邦y to get your toddler thinking about how different words can relate to each other. How many rhyming words can your preschooler come up with? The fat cat sat on the mat. The white kite flew at night.

Read Aloud Together

Besides being a wonderful way to spend quality time with your preschooler, reading aloud is a great way to expose them to new words.

Together you can work through what they mean, by using context—the other words on the page and any pictures that might be on the page as well.