Vocabulary

Vocabulary can be broken down into receptive vocabulary (understanding of words) and expressive vocabulary (using words). As children learn language, they begin by first understanding words and then by developing  the ability to use those words on their own.

Starting from their first words at around one year of age, children grow their vocabularies exponentially over time. By the time children are entering Kindergarten, they will typically be able to use more than 2,000 words and will understand even more. But, vocabulary development doesn’t end when children enter school or even when they finish school!

Strategies for Supporting Vocabulary Development

Books: Plenty of reading and conversation is what helps children to acquire all this vocabulary. Find time to read a variety of books and talk about what you are seeing in those books.

Narration: By talking about what you are doing throughout the day and the various things you encounter, you are constantly exposing your child to new vocabulary and helping them to understand the meaning of words and other language structures.

Play: Playing with your child is another great way to expose them to language and to increase their vocabulary. During pretend play, model vocabulary that is new to them as you play together. During sensory play and exploration, model descriptive language as you talk about what you are doing together. Build on their descriptive language by using synonyms, such as "gigantic" for "big" or "gooey" for "slimy."

Conversation: Ask your child about their day using questions that encourage language and avoid yes/no questions. For example, rather than asking them if they had a good day, ask them to tell you about their day! You can guide the conversation by asking them about specific parts like who they played with at recess or what they played in gym.

You can easily help your child to boost their vocabulary by simply incorporating the above strategies into your routine or by checking out some of the game and book suggestions. Books can be used to work on description, categorization, comparing/contrasting, learning about types of words (e.g., homophones), and so much more! Vocabulary is strongly linked to school success and is an area that is never truly mastered as even adults can be continually build their vocabulary!