This is an article for parents on how to teach vocabulary in English to preschoolers. Young children are naturally curious and absorb new words rapidly. Helping them improve their vocabulary is crucial for their language development and readiness for school.
Effective strategies to teach vocabulary in English to preschoolers:
Read Aloud Daily
Reading to children is one of the most powerful ways to introduce them to new vocabulary. First schedule regular storytelling sessions so that your preschoolers will have a level of expectancy when they know that they will soon be entering into a make-believe world of adventure. Then,
choose age-appropriate books. We recommend this list of age-appropriate books known for their engaging stories and
vocabulary-enriching content:
A) Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak – This classic tale features creative language and imaginative scenarios that can introduce kids to new words and phrases.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle – Along with a fun story about the caterpillar eating his way through various foods, this book introduces days of the week and counting.
B) Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault – A rhythmic, rhyming book that’s perfect for teaching the alphabet in a lively way.
C) The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson – Featuring clever rhymes and a repetitive structure, this book is great for teaching descriptive language and animal names.
D) Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr. – With a repetitive structure and vivid illustrations, it is perfect for introducing colours and animals.
E) Fancy Nancy by Jane O’Connor – Nancy uses a variety of fancy, sophisticated words, which are explained in context. This series can be particularly good for expanding a child’s vocabulary.
F) Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney – The rhymes and everyday experiences related in this book make complex feelings and situations more accessible to young children.
When reading these books to preschoolers, it’s helpful to discuss the story and characters and explain any new words. Making reading an interactive experience can greatly enhance a child’s vocabulary and love for books.
We encourage the use of predictable books with repetitive phrases or sentences. Repetition can help children learn new words and anticipate their use in context. Furthermore, each page or section adds to what has come before, building on a pattern. And they learn that their sequences occur in a logical or natural order, like numbers, letters of the alphabet, or days of the week.
Books with stories that have a strong sense of rhythm or rhyme and/or with events that follow a certain sequence can help our young children predict what will happen next based on the pattern that develops. This can help them hone their prediction skills.
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. Along with counting and days of the week, this book repeats certain phrases as the caterpillar eats through different foods.
- Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault – is one good example as the sequence of the alphabet and the rhyme helps children anticipate which letter will be next.
- Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr., illustrated by Eric Carle is another one. This classic book uses repetitive phrases combined with colourful illustrations of animals.
Engage in Conversations
Talk to your preschoolers throughout the day about what they are doing, what they are playing with, and what they see around them, introducing new vocabulary in a natural setting. You may try asking open-ended questions to prompt longer responses. More importantly is that you must be listening attentively to their responses, confirming what you think they mean so that they can improve their clarification skills.
When your preschooler asks about a new word, give a simple, clear definition and use it in a sentence to show how the word is used. In this way he is encouraged to ask questions to seek answers. Also, link new words to real-life experiences. For instance, during a walk outside, talk about nature, the flora and fauna, and elicit from them what they see while encouraging them to using descriptive language.
Interactive Games are Fun
There is a whole array of fun word and vocabulary games we can play together. We can try simple word games such as “I Spy” with descriptions or engage them in picture matching games that require naming objects. A few more examples are:
‘Simon Says’ with a Twist: Combine the classic “Simon Says” game with spelling. Instead of physical actions, Simon can tell other players to spell a particular word.
Word Search Puzzles: These can be created with specific themes (like animals, food, holidays) and are a fun way for children to recognize words.
Alphabet/Word Chain: Each person thinks of a word that begins with the final letter of the previous one. For example, if the first word is “cat,” the next person might say “tiger.”
Encourage Storytelling
Here, you can prompt your preschooler to tell stories about their drawings or experiences or, even the simple songs they sing or the nursery rhymes they recite can turn into story-telling. Other ideas like, using wordless picture books to develop narrative skills or allowing them to express freely without correcting every mistake they make, can definitely help to build their confidence and improve their oral skills especially where they can pepper their stories with new words they have just learnt.
Parental and Caregiver Involvement
This is really a joint or collaborative effort as parents and caregivers continue vocabulary building after school. We could introduce new words consistently and encourage them to include descriptive words to give vividness. It is never too early to even start them on synonyms for common words used by preschoolers.
You could also provide them with simple activities and word lists. The idea is to communicate the importance of consistent and rich language interactions and to help them use varied language by also introducing adjectives and adverbs in their descriptions.
To be more organised, you could try approaching vocabulary learning based on themed units, such as food, animals, or clothing. This can help in categorizing the words they have learnt and make their learning more systematic.
Conclusion
Incorporating these strategies into daily interactions with preschoolers, will significantly enhance their vocabulary development in a fun and engaging manner. It’s essential to integrate learning into play and everyday experiences, as these are natural and enjoyable ways for young children to learn new words and concepts.
Always keep vocabulary teaching with your preschoolers playful and stress-free. The goal is to encourage a love of the language and not to pressure the child. Positive reinforcement and the celebration of new words can motivate preschoolers to keep learning and exploring the English language.
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