How to Get Your Kids to Speak More Intelligently

Kids have a way with words. They make parents laugh and sound so smart when they catch you off guard saying words, phrases or information you did not expect them to understand. When this cuteness wears off, some parents may feel concerned that their child doesn̵7;t speak intelligently enough. Parents influence their child̵7;s speech and vocabulary from birth and every day thereafter; a larger vocabulary will help your child sound smart and succeed in school.

Instructions

    • 1

      Read to your child regularly, selecting books that introduce some new words to your child. According to Scholastic, it is important that parents read information-based books and not only storybooks. You are more likely to emphasize vocabulary when you are reading information books aloud. Reading exposes your child to words that you might not use in conversation, according to Dr. Susan Canizares. Parents only use 3,000 of the 20,000 words they know on a daily basis, Canizares also reports.

    • 2

      Encourage your child to read on his own as soon as possible. According to Scholastic, children who read more have a larger vocabulary at their disposal. Motivate him to read by providing him with interesting reading material, allowing time for reading and taking an active interest in what he reads.

    • 3

      Engage your child in high-level conversation. Scholastic reports that children whose parents used more unique words at the family dinner table produced children with higher vocabularies. Allow your child plenty of time to talk too -- be prepared to listen and teach new words that are conceptually related to the conversation.

    • 4

      Play word games to raise your child's awareness of words. Sing songs, tell poems and share jokes. Help your child learn patterns and recognize different meanings of words.

    • 5

      Give your child plenty of opportunity to practice her budding vocabulary by asking lots of questions and providing prompts. Expose your child to interesting topics or content so she has new things to talk about, question and problem solve. She will soon surprise you with her words and you will be thrilled by how smart she sounds -- and is.

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