What Are Some Fun Ways to Introduce Your Child to New Vocabulary?

Word of the day concept

How do you help your child to grow and expand his vocabulary? There are a few ways that it can be done. One way, for example, would involve the development of reading habits since this will expose children (and adults) alike to new words on an ongoing basis while also helping them practice their writing skills daily, which is crucial when wanting more fluency in these activities later down the line! But your child will enjoy working on their vocabulary a lot more if you incorporate some fun ways you can help to expand your child’s vocabulary at home.

Flashcards 

Music theory lesson, solfeggio using educational flashcards.

This is a common way to introduce your child to new words. You can opt for the ready-made ones. Or, if you’re feeling like flexing your creative muscles, you can have a go at making your own!

These can be verbal flashcards (with written definitions) or non-verbal flashcards (with a picture instead). Both of these versions of gamified activities are a helpful way to help children learn new words as they may stumble upon words that are entirely unfamiliar to them. The helpful thing about this is that they are immersed in an activity where there are both familiar and new words. Your child will also learn the meaning of these words as the definitions will be written on the back of the flashcard, making them easier to access than a dictionary.

There are multiple ways of going about this. You can make your own, or you can choose to purchase a set of flashcards online or from your local bookshop. Alternatively, you can use this free resource offered by the British Council.

Word Games

There are plenty of different games that your child can engage in, which will also serve as excellent practice in their vocabulary acquisition, which will help them later on down the line too. Games like Scrabble, word searches, Articulate, crosswords and others help build your child’s knowledge of new words. 

Synonyms and Antonyms

With wanting your child to learn new words in preparation for their 11 plus exams, it’s important to remember that the vital thing to do is immerse them in activities that will allow them to come across uncommon or new words. If you are looking to introduce your child to these kinds of words, then Geek School’s Vital Words Dictionary will elevate your child’s literacy skills. Using this, the flashcards and crossword it comes with, you’ll be helping your child build the all-necessary word bank they need for 11 Plus success. 

This list is, of course, non-exhaustive. So if you’ve found some other fun ways that you’ve found helpful when introducing your child to vocabulary, then we’d love if you could share what these are below.

Other Tips for Increasing Your Child’s Vocabulary

For more tips on how to increase your child’s vocabulary, watch the video below:

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