Putting Words Into Meaning & Context for Kids

Reading

• When you read a book to your child, she hears new words already in context as part of the story. Encourage your child to figure out the meanings of vocabulary words by pausing the narrative to ask "What do you think that word means?" If she isn't sure, point out some clues in the text that could help her figure it out. As her skill at this increases, have her find the clues herself. Many children's stories use words that are not common in our daily speech, thus exposing her to different types of vocabulary.

Speaking

• Use the same caliber of language with your child that would use with an older person to expose her to a greater variety of words. If she doesn't understand, or asks what a word means, use it in a different sentence to give her more context. However, if she is still not sure, just tell her the meaning of the word and make a point to use it frequently throughout the week so she will remember it.

Watching

• Encourage your child to use her screen time to watch shows that are specifically intended to increase the viewer's vocabulary, such as "Martha Speaks" or "WordGirl," both available on PBS. A 2011 University of Maryland study found that watching "Martha Speaks" was comparable to a teacher giving a traditional vocabulary lesson in terms of teaching children new words. In addition, children who viewed the same episode repeatedly learned even more new words.

Listening

• Listen to your child's speech and notice the type of vocabulary that she uses in daily conversation. Encourage her to incorporate new words that she hears from books, movies and you into her normal speech. If she uses a new word incorrectly, rather than immediately correcting her and possibly embarrassing her, simply say it back to her as a question. For example, if she points to your salad and says "You're eating like a carnivore today," you can say "Oh, I'm eating like a herbivore?"