4 Ways to help develop your child's vocabulary

[AD] Vocabulary is how we all learn to communicate effectively. As toddlers, we will be learning a lot of new words and phrases, especially if we are attending a nursery, and as parents we should be encouraging our children to explore new ways to talk.

_{[Photo by Jeremiah Lawrence on Unsplash]}

Ways to develop your child's vocabulary

Bring new words to life

Each time a new word has been discovered by your child, it’s a good opportunity to find out more about that particular word. Find a picture of it online, or have a look at story books that explore the same topic. Ask your child to keep using the word when they see opportunities in their daily life, to help them discover what these words fully mean. If they are attending a nursery, such as this nursery in Hertfordshire, this will become a big part of the learning experience.

Encourage your child to question new words

In usual conversation you will end up saying a lot of words your child might not be fully aware of yet. This is a good time to push your child to ask more questions, and also to ensure that they are actively learning plenty of new words they can use in reading and writing. Take the time to explain these news words as they pop up to encourage them to keep asking you about them when they enter their regular conversation.

Use new words in different scenarios

As they learn these new words they will need to remember them. This is when using the words in a variety of circumstances will help them feel better about using them. Keep saying these words over and over, then apply them to different scenarios as often as you can. Doing this will help your child remember when and where to use these new words.

Avoid giving your child too many new words to focus on

While repetition is going to be a big part of how a child learns new things, bombarding them will only cause more issues. Keep their interest by using a handful of the new words they are learning. When they remember to use them in natural conversation then you can move on to another set of new words.

When it comes to vocabulary your child will learn a lot from their parents, teachers, as well as naturally through reading and writing. Helping with that will ensure their language skills continue to develop. Don’t be afraid to talk to your child’s teachers at their nursery school or pre prep school to find ways you can support their vocabulary development at home.