As a parent you want to ensure your children have a well-rounded education that enables them to succeed. There are many ways you can help them along, and ensuring they have a rich, diverse vocabulary is one way to give them the tools they need to communicate throughout life.
Helping your kids learn new vocabulary words can be great fun and your children won’t even realize they’re being taught something new if it’s through a fun, accessible medium. These five ways to extend your child’s vocabulary will make learning an enjoyable experience for all.
Read Together
The importance of reading to children is well known and many people enjoy sharing a book with their toddler. As your child gets older there is no reason to stop reading together. Take it in turns to read a paragraph each and offer to explain the pronunciation and meaning of any words your child is unsure of. By looking at the printed word your child will also gain knowledge of spelling which will help them in their schoolwork.
Word Game Sites and Apps
If you want to make learning fun and appealing to kids, some of the best tools to use are apps and websites. With a wide choice of word game apps that will appeal to all ages, there is something for everyone in these interactive games. They are so addictive that your child will want to keep playing all day long!
Word of the Day
Whether you use an app, follow a word guru such as Susie Dent on Twitter, or select your own word at random from the dictionary, choosing a word for the day is a fabulous way to extend your child’s vocabulary. Make it a fun family activity by seeing who can slip the word of the day into everyday conversation and everyone in the household will benefit.
Flashcards
This traditional method of learning is an ideal way to develop your child’s vocabulary. Make your own flashcards using postcards – you could write the word on one side and the meaning on the other or have two identical sets that you mix to play games such as snap or pairs. Challenge your child to match the word with its meaning and have fun together as you extend your child’s vocabulary. The great thing about this method is that you can keep adding to it with new words whenever your child is confident with the current set.
Word Games
As well as apps there are traditional word games that are ideal for helping your child engage with learning new lingo. Scrabble is one popular option and Unscramble is a great way to assist you as you play – just enter the letters and press the magnifying glass for perfect tips. Scrabble is fun for word fanatics, but you don’t need to limit it to that.
Bananagrams continues to be a favorite of all ages and is perfect for fans of crosswords and anagrams, so it is a fun way to help all age groups be part of the vocabulary extension lessons! Or a simple word game that needs nothing more than a pen and a piece of paper to play, why not teach your child to play hangman?
This old favorite is ideal for passing the time when you are in a restaurant or traveling, and if you want to develop your child’s language around a theme, it’s a great way to go about introducing new words.
Check out IQ-related assessments for language skills.
However you decide to help extend your child’s vocabulary, making it fun for all ensures it is a pleasure rather than a chore, so get creative and enjoy learning together!
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