What is Vocabulary?
Hearing your child say their first word is so exciting! And you probably noticed that your child could understand some of what you said, even before they could speak – they had what’s called a listening vocabulary, before they had a speaking one.
We can see vocabularies developing in four steps: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Taking things one step at a time, a child’s vocabulary grows through these stages as they add new words and new ways of using them. But people can add to their vocabulary at any age: you may even have some words that you know how to spell but aren’t sure how to say (epitome is my nemesis). Our vocabulary grows to suit our needs!
How Can We Build This Skill?
One of the best things you can do to grow a child’s vocabulary at any stage is to read together. This lets children hear unique words, AND lets them see those words in print at the same time. This means they’re enhancing their listening and speaking vocabularies, while laying the foundation for reading and writing too.
We also love a good word hunt to help build vocabulary skills: Use sticky notes to label several items in your home or backyard. As you set out on your word hunt, encourage your child to find the words and make a guess at what the word might be (if they aren’t yet reading). This can lead to interesting discussions e.g. is it a tree or is it bark? Is this a cup or is this a mug? If your child is able to read, do this activity in reverse: label your sticky notes and see if your child can place them on the correct objects.
Why this Matters
Words are one way that we share our experiences with others, and make ourselves understood. So when kids learn more words, they are able to share more of their world with you! Sometimes sharing a book together is a great way to open the door to these new conversations; when you’re next reading a story together, invite your child to add their own observations: what do you think will happen next? What do you see in this picture? You will probably hear something unexpected, and find new things to share.
See our staff-made list of great books for vocabulary-builders!