Vocabulary is one of our tools in effective communication. When you know the right word to say, you’re able to deliver your message correctly. However, children may have difficulty delivering their exact message as their vocabulary is limited. This is the skill that we empower your child within our Montessori School in Riverside, California.
However, you can also do some activities at home to increase their vocabulary. Here are eight hacks for you, moms and dads!
- Read to your child. You can always reap a great harvest of words when you take time to read to your child. Not only will their hearing ability improve, but their familiarity with words also increase.
- Use normal words in normal conversations. When you’re talking to your child about their food or their clothes, try to use adult words as much as you can. While it’s cute to integrate “baby talk”, using the grown-up words can help increase their mental vocabulary.
- Allow your child to tell a story. If you’ve been reading a story repeatedly, you can get them to share that story in their own words. If they came from their preschool, you can also let them share about what they did for the day. This storytelling time helps them to enunciate words better, thus, increasing their vocabulary.
- Make it a point to talk with your child regularly. No matter what it is you’re doing, talk to your child. Describe to them your activities so that they can have a grasp of what those activities are called and what names of those items are.
- Play word games whether through boards or puzzles. While this is ideal for older kids, the pre-schoolers can get help from other family members so they can also familiarize with letters and new vocabulary.
- Write a label on your items at home. These labels can be always visible to them and make them familiar with the written word. When you hold these items, make it a point to also read what is written so they will be able to get familiar with the letters and names.
- Help your child in their vocabulary learning. When your child asks a question about a particular word and its meaning, give a serious answer. If you don’t know the answer yet, assure them that you’ll find the answer for them. This level of seriousness can help them give a serious consideration in learning words.
- Be patient with their mistakes. As a young learner, your child may encounter mistakes in saying or remembering words. Don’t take it against them. Instead, help them to learn more by repeating the words and correcting gently.
As a provider of programs on Childhood Development in Riverside, California, we partner with you, dear parents, in the overall building of your child’s potential. If you’re interested to know about our programs and curriculum, feel free to contact us at Montessori Children’s House.
