The development of vocabulary is essential for children to comprehend the meaning of the language they learn. Furthermore, having a robust vocabulary for children improves confidence and social skills throughout the years of childhood and into adulthood.

Apart from the formal curriculum, your contribution to the vocabulary of your child is vital as an adult. A majority of the words the child learns, come in their parents’ language which is why your involvement as a parent in the process of developing vocabulary boosts their motivation and performance.

A broad vocabulary helps kids to improve their odds of academic achievement. Below are some suggestions to help your children master the vocabulary and develop it at home.

1. Prioritize conversations
   The interaction between children and parents is the primary influence on vocabulary, so speaking to your child and showing them various words is essential. For instance, you can name objects, use numbers as well as introduce vocabulary that express emotion, because the more words they learn and comprehend, the more they’ll be able to utilize the words.

2. Read together
   It is vital to establish reading as a regular part of your life, that is every day. Continue reading to your child even if they’re able to read independently. Children love stories, and you can increase their vocabulary by reading books that are difficult to read by themselves. Find out what your child’s interests are and choose books that stimulate your child’s interest.

3. Use labels
   If you wish for your child to be able to comprehend more vocabulary and phrases, make it simple. Consider labelling the objects in your home to assist your child to read new words. Improve their comprehension skills for words that are commonly used through a label maker. They can name objects and identify what the word is like.

4. Make use of words in sentences
   It doesn’t matter whether the child you are teaching is learning new vocabulary if they aren’t able to utilize them. Learning to utilize a word in the form of a sentence can aid them in understanding its meaning. If your child receives spellings in school, encourage them to write a paragraph which includes every word and invites them to search for it in a dictionary, if they’re unsure of the significance.

5. Repeat and repeat
   To master new words and be absorbed into their memory into the child’s memory, they must be exposed to the word at least once. Experts recommend that children be exposed to the word between 4 to 12 times before it’s permanently stored in their memory and thus fully integrated into their vocabulary.

6. Don’t dump down
   Children are always able to have a more vocabulary that is receptive than expressive which means they know more vocabulary than they utilize. There is no need to complicate the way you communicate with your child. Instead, you should try to talk to them in the same way as you were talking with an adult. Make use of the difficult words in their daily lives for example, Tier 2 vocabulary terms.

7. Talk to them about reading aloud
   Reading to children in a group helps children read more difficult books than what they read by themselves. Additionally, it gives them the opportunity to be exposed to words that are more difficult and to regularly encounter new vocabulary in different contexts. This helps to build their vocabulary as well as an understanding of the communication possibilities that are available to the language.