Daily Excerpt: 365 Teacher Secrets for Parents (McKinley Alder & Trombly); Tip #362: Build Vocabulary
Build
Vocabulary
The
most important thing is to read as much as you can, like I did. It will give
you an understanding of what makes good writing and it will enlarge your vocabulary.
~J.
K. Rowling
Parents
are their children’s first role model for vocabulary. So, it is important for
you to create an environment which enriches your child’s vocabulary. Below are
some ways to help increase vocabulary at home.
●
Post your child’s spelling words at the
message center, and challenge the family to try to use as many of them as
possible during the week.
●
Start a Word of the Week activity. Each
family member can take a turn choosing a word for the week. Try to make it one
you may actually use in conversation. Think of a common word like talkative and find a more interesting
word for it like loquacious. Put the
word and its meaning on the message center. Look for opportunities to use it
during the week. “You’re being awfully loquacious today. Why don’t you let your
sister have a turn to share about her day?” The next week another family member
can decide the Word of the Week.
●
Start a hunt for homonyms. Start the list
with your own homonyms like aunt and ant or ate and eight. Encourage
others to add to the list when they think of other homonyms.
●
Play the blending game. One person starts
by picking a blend such as /br/. Each
person takes a turn, saying a word beginning with the blend (e.g., brush), until all the words are
exhausted. When everyone is out of words with that blend, the next person
chooses another blend, and the play continues.
●
Play Choose a Category. One person chooses
a category such as “fruit,” and every player says a word that fits into that
category (strawberry, grapes, apple, etc.). Players take turns, choosing
categories. If you want to make it more challenging, choose a letter of the
alphabet that each word in the category must start with.
●
Create new analogies together (Activity
#327).
●
Have fun with words. Create your own
onomatopoeias or oxymorons.
●
Play a game of Scrabble. Keep a dictionary
close by!
●
Listen to books on tape while in the car
or at home. This is especially beneficial if the book is at a higher reading
level. Your child will pick up new words and their meanings just by listening.
●
When teachers teach content areas like
science or social studies, inevitably new words come up. Kids are then expected
to be able to understand, and more important use, these new words. So, watch for newsletters and/or worksheets
that explain what is going on in the classroom and see if you can support it by
using those words at home, too.
●
The most important way to increase
vocabulary? Read!
Everyone
will enjoy these activities, and, you never know, you may even learn a new word
or two!
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